News Archives
M.A. Alumna Examines Finnish and U.S. Education Systems Through Fulbright Program
Cristina Buss, Cred. ’09, M.A. ’10, was one of 11 K-12 school administrators selected to participate in the 2025 Fulbright Leaders for Global Schools Program. The program, which aims to deepen administrators’ commitment to preparing the next generation for success, sent this year’s participants to Finland for 10 days, where they examined the Finnish education system and explored educational models and strategies to deploy in their own work.
The Power of Belonging
Education Minor Varsha Gaddipati’s Mission to Support Peers With Disabilities
For many disabled students,
navigating higher education is about more than academics—it’s
about finding a sense of belonging in an environment that often
overlooks their needs. UC Davis undergraduate student Varsha
Gaddipati is determined to change that. She is launching a study
on disabled students’ sense of belonging across four UC campuses:
Davis, Merced, Berkeley, and Santa Cruz.
School of Education Welcomes the Annual WESTOP Student Leadership Conference
TRIO Participants from Across Northern California Gathered for a Day of Leadership Workshops and Community Building
The School of Education hosted the Western Association of Educational Opportunity Personnel (WESTOP) Northern California chapter’s annual Student Leadership Conference on the UC Davis campus.
Alexis Patterson Williams Named 2024-25 Chancellor’s Fellow
School of Education Associate Professor
Alexis Patterson Williams has been named a UC Davis 2024-25
Chancellor’s Fellow. She is one of 10 faculty members across UC
Davis to be recognized for their work as early-career academics
who have demonstrated excellence in their research, teaching, and
service to the community. Patterson Williams will retain the
honor and title of “Chancellor’s Fellow” for five years, and she
will receive $25,000 in unrestricted funds to support her
academic pursuits.
Jenny Kwon
Ed.D. ’16
Raising the Bar: How Alumna Jenny Kwon Is Rethinking Law Student Assessment
Jenny Kwon, Ed.D. ’16, is the Assistant Chancellor & Dean, and Chief of Staff to Chancellor & Dean David Faigman at UC Law San Francisco, where she helps guide strategic priorities for the school.
Claudia Rodriguez-Mojica Transforms Research Into Action as School Board Trustee
Prof. Claudia Rodriguez-Mojica has been elected to the Woodland Joint Unified School District (WJUSD) Board of Trustees. An expert in educational equity and a UC Davis alumna, Dr. Rodriguez-Mojica’s election to the Board represents an exciting opportunity to bridge the gap between academic research and grassroots reform in our local community.
Assessing the Root Causes of Absenteeism
Chronic absenteeism—missing more than 10% of school days—can have major impacts on a child’s learning, social skills, and self-confidence. While the education system is working to address these challenges, the reality is that an alarmingly high number of K-12 students are not coming to class. A team of researchers including Prof. Kevin Gee have identified nine systemic barriers that impair a student’s ability to attend class.
Jadda Miller Receives UC Davis Recognitions for Work With Community-Based Environmental Education
Ph.D. student Jadda Miller has received two recognitions for her work at the intersection of environmental education and community-based approaches to scientific research. She has been named a 2024-2025 Earth Scholar by the UC Davis Institute of the Environment and, with her advisor Prof. Heidi Ballard, has accepted a 2024-2025 Public Impact Research Initiative (PIRI) grant from the UC Davis Office of Public Scholarship and Engagement.
Charles E. Wilkes II Joins School of Education Faculty
Research focuses on teaching and learning of Black students
The School of Education welcomed Dr. Charles E. Wilkes II as an assistant professor in September. Wilkes focuses on the teaching and learning of Black learners in K-16 contexts, including how mathematics instruction supports the learning of mathematical content and the nurturing of positive mathematics identities for Black learners. His research also supports pre-service and in-service teachers in cultivating equitable teaching practices through interventions and professional development.
Alicia Rusoja Presents at International Conference
Listen to a Colombian radio interview with Rusoja about migrant education
Professor Alicia Rusoja was
an invited international speaker in the Expo Educación
Medellín 2024, which took place in Medellín, Colombia
from August 17-19, 2024. The event was attended by
4,800 people, including students, teachers, scholars and
advocates. While at the event, Rusoja was also interviewed
by the Universidad de Antioquia (UdeA) radio station for
their segment ”Programa 30: El futuro de la educación es
ahora,” (“Episode 30: The future of education is now”).
Jennifer Higgs Joins Research Team to Examine the Impact of Asian American Studies
Professor Jennifer Higgs is among a group of researchers recently awarded a prestigious $3.5 million Transformative Research Grant from the Spencer Foundation. Their project aims to examine the implementation of Asian American Studies (AAS) in five states with divergent political contexts. Together, they hope to uncover that educational reform toward AAS inclusion can lead to justice, solidarity, and expansion of the curriculum.
Lauren Lindstrom Speaks at International Symposium on Fatherhood and Neurodiversity
The event aimed to empower fathers in their journey of supporting neurodiverse children
Prof. Lauren Lindstrom recently presented at the international symposium, “Reimagining Support for Fathers of Children with Neurodiversity,” hosted by the University of Johannesburg (UJ) Centre for Neurodiversity. Her presentation addressed career transition pathways for neurodiverse youth and provided tools that fathers can use to help their children navigate the shift from education to employment.
CANDEL Publishes Journal Issue on the Impact and Importance of Ed.D. Programs
The new edition underscores the critical importance of a doctorate in education
Faculty and alumni of the UC Davis Capital Area North Doctorate in Educational Leadership (CANDEL) program have published a themed issue of Impacting Education: Journal on Transforming Professional Practice. This special August 2024 issue, Voices from CANDEL: Leading for Equity and the Scholar-Practitioner Journey, responds to a gap in research by scholar-practitioners informing the field of educational leadership and underscores the critical importance of a doctorate in education (Ed.D.) for fostering equity-driven leadership.
Former First-Generation Students Give Back with New School of Education Scholarship
Alumni Sharon and Gary Takahashi increase their support for future educators
Sharon (Kurakazu) Takahashi and
Gary Takahashi, alumni of UC Davis and former first-generation
students, have established their second scholarship in the School
of Education, generously including a planned gift. This
scholarship aims to offer vital financial support to School of
Education students pursuing multiple-subject teaching
credentials, prioritizing those demonstrating financial need,
particularly first-generation college students.
Kevin Gee Establishes SPARC Center at School of Education
Research will focus on children experiencing adverse life and social circumstances
In May 2024, Dr. Kevin Gee, professor and Chancellor’s Fellow in the School of Education, established the School Policy, Action, and Research Center (SPARC). The School’s newest center, SPARC generates research leading to actionable insights that can support the educational wellbeing of vulnerable youth. The center’s work supports children experiencing adverse life and social circumstances, including Asian American and Pacific Islander youth who have been bullied, children experiencing chronic absenteeism, and youth in the child welfare system.
PhD Student Antoinette Banks Wins $1 Million Black Ambition Prize
Award is for parent-facing app that uses predictive AI to optimize IEP plans
School of Education PhD student Antoinette Banks, BS ’22, has won the Pharrell Williams Black Ambition grand prize of $1 million for Expert IEP, her parent-facing app that uses predictive AI to optimize existing individualized education plans for children diagnosed with disabilities. Black Ambition is a nonprofit initiative dedicated to closing the opportunity and wealth gap by empowering Black and Hispanic entrepreneurs.
Matt Wallace Appointed Associate Professor of Teaching in Education
Dr. Matt Wallace has been
appointed Associate Professor of Teaching in Education as of July
2023. Wallace graduated from UC Davis with a BS in psychology and
a minor in math, earned his teaching credential and MA at San
Francisco State University, taught in high schools in the Elk
Grove and Washington Unified school districts for eight years,
and then returned to UC Davis for his PhD in mathematics
education.
Claudia Rodriguez-Mojica Joins School of Education Faculty
This summer, the School of Education
welcomed new faculty member Claudia
Rodriguez-Mojica as an Associate Professor of Teaching in
Education and the Spanish Bilingual Authorization Coordinator.
She comes to UC Davis after eight years as an associate professor
of teacher education at Santa Clara University, and a previous
role as a Senior Researcher at nonprofit Education Northwest in
Portland, Ore.
Nancy Tseng appointed Associate Professor of Teaching in Education
Dr. Nancy Tseng, formerly a
Lecturer/Supervisor in the School of Education’s Multiple Subject
Credential Program, has been appointed Associate Professor of
Teaching in Education as of July 2023. She will continue to serve
as the coordinator of the School’s Mandarin Bilingual
Authorization Program. “I’m excited that in this new role, I can
continue to focus centrally on the teaching and mentoring of
teaching credential candidates and MA students,” she said. “At
the same time, this role affords the opportunity to think more
deeply about ways to link research and practice and use this
knowledge in the preparation of future teachers.”
UC Davis Craft Center and Beta Lab Partner on Maker Space
New collaboration celebrated at open house
The School of Education’s Beta Lab and the UC Davis Craft Center showcased their new collaboration at a February 15, 2023, open house event. Chancellor Gary S. May spoke to visitors and gave a screenprinting demonstration.