News Archives
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.
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.
Marcela Cuellar Named 2022-23 Chancellor’s Fellow
School of Education Associate Professor Marcela Cuellar has been named a UC Davis 2022-23 Chancellor’s Fellow, an honor given each year to a handful of associate professors or newly promoted full professors to support their groundbreaking scholarly work and service to the university as dedicated teachers and campus citizens. She will retain the title for five years.
Alicia Rusoja Joins School of Education Faculty
Dr. Alicia Rusoja joined the School of Education faculty as an assistant professor in July 2022. She studies the literacy, teaching and learning practices of Latinx immigrants organizing for their own and others’ human rights. Among other research projects, Rusoja is in the second year of a five-year study on the impact of COVID-19 on the educational, literacy and organizing practices of Latinx immigrants in South Philadelphia.
Yianella Blanco Joins School of Education Faculty
Dr. Yianella Blanco joined the faculty of the School of Education as an assistant professor in July 2022 in the language, literacy and culture emphasis area. Blanco earned her bachelor’s degree in History at University of Massachusetts–Amherst and her two master’s degrees at Long Island University–Brooklyn and Teachers College, Columbia University, before returning to Columbia for her PhD in social studies education.
Education Leader and Alumna Launches Teacher Education Fund
The fund will support investments in the School’s K-12 teacher education programing
In her 44-year career in K-12 and university education, Marsha Gurney-Speck, Ed.D. (Cred., ’69) has always believed that education is a key to success and citizenship.
Passionate about learning and quality education, she served as a teacher, assistant principal, and high school principal. As an assistant superintendent of schools and later professor of educational leadership at San Jose State, she valued teacher development, as well as leadership reviewing and assessing programs to ensure they were serving each child.
UC Davis Upward Bound Awarded Five Grants
Program serves more than 300 students in four counties
The School of Education has received five federal Upward Bound grants totaling more than $8.7 million to continue serving 348 high school students in Sacramento, Solano, Shasta and Siskiyou counties over the next five years.
“The students in our Upward Bound programs have so much promise and untapped potential, but their opportunities might have been limited by their socioeconomic status,” said Car Mun Kok, PhD, Director of College Opportunity Programs for the UC Davis School of Education.
EDU 100 Students Team with Students in Mexico for Expanded Learning Experience
In one of the most popular classes on campus, undergraduates spend most of their time learning and thinking about learning. EDU 100 is the foundational class for the education minor, the largest minor at UC Davis. In it, students explore access and the experiences of learners, and many go on to careers in education and education policy.
Danny C. Martinez Named Chancellor’s Fellow
Associate professor and noted scholar of Black and Latinx language and literacy practices Danny C. Martinez joined a select cohort of faculty as a 2021-22 Chancellor’s Fellow.
The Chancellor’s Fellow program awards $25,000 in funding to outstanding faculty who are helping to solve complex and pressing problems.
Educational Talent Search Receives $4.8 Million in New Grants
The School of Education has received five federal Educational Talent Search (ETS) grants totaling $4.8 million over the next five years to support the continued and expanded work of ETS programs in Sacramento, Solano, Yolo and Shasta counties. The programs collectively serve 2,700 students in grades 6–12 who have academic potential, want to continue their education beyond high school, and need extra support and information to reach their goals.
UC Davis School of Education Unveils New PowerSchool and Microsoft Digital Learning Lab
Lab to Equip Tomorrow’s Teachers with Digital Teaching and Learning Skills
The School of Education announced today the unveiling of the PowerSchool and Microsoft Digital Learning Lab, giving its students access to the training and tools they need, including state-of-the-art audio-visual equipment and leading education software solutions.
School of Education Researchers Bridge Gap between Autism Research and General Education Practices
A team of School of Education researchers has received a $1.69 million Institute of Education Sciences grant to explore how general education teachers can use inclusive math and literacy instructional practices to support learners with autism in their kindergarten to third grade classrooms.
Undergraduate Student Research Assistants Participate in 2021 UC Davis Undergraduate Research Conference
At the School of Education’s Language and Literacy Development Lab, undergraduate research assistants get valuable, hands-on research experience in data collection, analysis and collaboration through preparing and presenting research projects for the annual UC Davis Undergraduate Research Conference held each April.
Transformative Justice in Education Center Publishes Evaluation of Sacramento’s Black Child Legacy Campaign
The School of Education’s Transformative Justice in Education Center has released “Transformative Justice Community,” a report detailing two years of research conducted in collaboration with Sacramento State and the UC Davis Office of Research and Policy for Equity.
Kevin Gee Named 2020-21 Chancellor’s Fellow
School of Education Prof. Kevin Gee has been named a UC Davis 2020-21 Chancellor’s Fellow, an honor given each year to a handful of associate professors or newly promoted full professors to support their groundbreaking scholarly work and service to the university as dedicated teachers and campus citizens.
“Your achievements are impressive and inspiring,” said Chancellor May when he congratulated the fellows. “I know that with this recognition, you’ll continue to contribute in significant ways to your research and teaching.”
Megan Welsh Becomes Sixth Chancellor’s Fellow from School of Education
School of Education Associate Professor Megan Welsh has been named a 2019–2020 UC Davis Chancellor’s Fellow, a title she will hold for the next five years. The Chancellor’s Fellows Program recognizes associate professors or recently promoted full professors who produce groundbreaking scholarly work and serve the university as dedicated teachers and campus citizens. It is one of the most prestigious honors conferred on faculty members at UC Davis.
PhD Candidate Vanessa Segundo Awarded Prestigious Ford Dissertation Fellowship
PhD candidate Vanessa Segundo has been awarded a Ford Foundation Dissertation Fellowship for the upcoming academic year. One of 38 recipients nationwide, Segundo is the fourth student in UC Davis history and the first student in the School of Education’s history to be honored with this fellowship. Prof. Danny Martinez and Prof. Cati de los Ríos are also former Ford Foundation Fellows.
New report from UC Davis and California Department of Education provides crucial foundation for college and career readiness research
As our global community continues to shift the labor market and rapidly redefine what is needed for a successful career, a college degree seems more important than ever before. High school students across the nation are well aware of this, and enrollment in postsecondary institutions continues to rise. According to newly published data, 63 percent of California’s high school graduates are enrolling in college, and in some California counties that statistic jumps as high as 75 percent.
