School of Education researchers attend local, national, and international conferences to collaborate with educators, scholars, policymakers, and stakeholders and share research that transforms learning spaces. From racial equity policy briefings to participatory science workshops, our faculty, staff, and students travel the globe to make a lasting impact on the educational system.

Read on to learn more about the School of Education’s recent conference presentations.

2026

Association for Education Finance & Policy

March 19-21, 2026 in Chicago, IL
This event gathers researchers and change makers to promote their collective work toward shaping policy and practice, informing conversations about efficiency, and addressing persistent inequalities in our education systems.

• Ph.D. student Emily Alonso: “The Effects of Online Course Quality Improvement on Student Outcomes,” “Developing confidence, developing skills: The perceived effect of professional development on online teaching”
• Audrey Boochever, Ph.D. ‘25: “Unlocking Opportunity: Boosting Dual Enrollment Participation by Simplifying Access for High School Students”
• Prof. Scott Carrell: “Impact of the Federal Higher Education Emergency Relief Aid on California Community College Student Success”
• Wheelhouse Research Fellow Elizabeth Friedmann: “Effects of Financial Aid Eligibility on Long-Run Community College Student Outcomes,” ”Federal Emergency Relief Grants and Community College Student Success: Evidence from Aid Eligibility Cutoffs,” “Financial Aid Funding to Support Student Outcomes” session chair
• Prof. Cassandra Hart: “The Effects of Online Course Quality Improvement on Student Outcomes,” “Investigations into Students’ Programs of Study in Higher Education” session chair, “From Paper to Publication in Uncertain Times: A Dialogue with Editors” session chair, “Developing confidence, developing skills: The perceived effect of professional development on online teaching,” “What’s PD Got To Do With Quality Online Teaching and Learning?”
• Prof. Jacob Hibel: “Exploring A Richer Set of Student Outcomes” session chair
• Ph.D. student Teresita Issa: “Federal Emergency Relief Grants and Community College Student Success: Evidence from Aid Eligibility Cutoffs”
• Prof. Michal Kurlaender: President’s Remarks, “Federal Emergency Relief Grants and Community College Student Success: Evidence from Aid Eligibility Cutoffs,” “The Shifting Federal Role in College Access and Completion: Implications for State Policy Agendas,” “Dual Enrollment: How High Schools Support Postsecondary Access” session chair
• Wheelhouse Research Fellow Robbie Linden: “Federal Emergency Relief Grants and Community College Student Success: Evidence from Aid Eligibility Cutoffs”
• Prof. Paco Martorell: “Effects of Financial Aid Eligibility on Long-Run Community College Student Outcomes,” “Federal Emergency Relief Grants and Community College Student Success: Evidence from Aid Eligibility Cutoffs”
• Ph.D. Student Patrick McClellan: “The Costs of California’s Special Education Governance and Finance System,” “The Impact of Large Infusions of Unrestricted Funding for High-Need Schools: New Evidence from California’s Equity Multiplier”
• Ph.D. student Alyssa Nguyen: “Developing confidence, developing skills: The perceived effect of professional development on online teaching,” “What’s PD Got To Do With Quality Online Teaching and Learning?”

Humanizing Education Conference 2026

March 14, 2026 in San Francisco, CA
This inaugural C-HER Conference invites educators, organizers, researchers, and youth leaders to come together under the theme ”Educational Futurities: Remembering, Reimagining, and Rebuilding from the Bay.” The event draws on the Bay Area’s long history as a laboratory of radical educational experimentation—from community-controlled schools to transformative youth organizing. It examined the lessons of that past, interrogated the precarity of our present, and co-created infrastructures for liberatory educational futures.

• Prof. Alicia Rusoja, Invited Speaker: “Migration Matters: Education for a Future Without Borders”

20th Annual Conference for the University of California Center for Research on Special Education, Disabilities, and Developmental Risk (UCSPEDDR)

March 13, 2026 in Sacramento, CA
This event brings together faculty, graduate students, and community members for a one-day discussion on current research throughout the UC system involving special education, disabilities, and developmental risk.

• Prof. Tony Albano: “Differential Measurement of RDoC Social Constructs Using the Social Communication Questionnaire”
• Ph.D. student Stefano Cantos, Doctoral Student Advisory Council member: “Examining Emotion Regulation in Classrooms Through Students’ Physiological and Emotional Responses to Classroom Stimuli”
• Ph.D. student Leyna Kataoka, Doctoral Student Advisory Council member: “Differential Measurement of RDoC Social Constructs Using the Social Communication Questionnaire”
• Prof. Peter Mundy: Opening remarks, “Examining Emotion Regulation in Classrooms Through Students’ Physiological and Emotional Responses to Classroom Stimuli”
• Ph.D. student Cindy Parks, Doctoral Student Advisory Council member: ”Exploring the Sensory Profiles of a Neurodiverse Group of Elementary Students”
• Prof. Nicole Sparapani: Keynote presentation, “Exploring the Sensory Profiles of a Neurodiverse Group of Elementary Students,” “Examining Emotion Regulation in Classrooms Through Students’ Physiological and Emotional Responses to Classroom Stimuli”
• Prof. Nancy Tseng: Keynote presentation, “Examining Emotion Regulation in Classrooms Through Students’ Physiological and Emotional Responses to Classroom Stimuli”
• Johanna Vega Garcia, Ph.D. ‘25, Doctoral Student Advisory Council member
• Prof. Charles E. Wilkes II: Keynote presentation

Bay Area Autism Consortium

March 6, 2026 in Moraga, CA
This event gathers scholars, educators, students, clinicians, and community members to discuss progress made in the field of autism research.

• Ph.D. student Leyna Kataoka: Poster presentation
• Prof. Peter Mundy: Keynote presentation
• Prof. Nicole Sparapani: Facilitator of faculty panel discussion
• Johanna Vega Garcia, Ph.D. ‘25: Oral presentation

CAMPOS Research Colloquia

February 18, 2026 in Davis, CA
The Center for the Advancement of Multicultural Perspectives on Science (CAMPOS) hosts the research colloquia to showcase research completed by CAMPOS scholars and to continue building a diverse scientific community in STEM at UC Davis.

• Prof. Charles E. Wilkes II: “Mathematics and Smartness…Where Do We Go From Here?”

Northern California Neurodiversity & Disability Symposium

February 6, 2026 in Chico, CA
This event amplifies the voices of  neurodivergent and disabled individuals, while also providing education for families, educators, and service providers in our region and beyond.

• Prof. Nicole Sparapani: Invited speaker who presented on interpreting and leveraging neurodivergent differences

Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators

February 5-7, 2026 in Portland, OR
This event brings together a dynamic community of mathematics educators, researchers, and leaders to explore innovative practices, share impactful research, and foster meaningful connections.

• Mathematics Credential Cohort Supervisor and Noyce Teaching Fellowship Executive Director Andrew Hood: “Supporting Teacher Candidates to Identify and Leverage Students’ Mathematical Strengths” session
• Prof. Matt Wallace: ”Supporting Teacher Candidates to Identify and Leverage Students’ Mathematical Strengths” session
• Prof. Charles E. Wilkes II: Invited speaker for keynote panel “The Future We Teach For: Strengthening our Collective Voices and Actions in Mathematics Teacher Education,” “Assigning Competence: A Literature Review to Inform Mathematics Teacher Education” report session

Hawaii International Conference on Education

January 8-11, 2026 in Honolulu, HI
This event provides the opportunity for academics and professionals from across the education field and disciplines to gather and learn from each other’s work. Speakers included:

• Suzanne Abdelrahim: ”The Power of Pláticas: Uncovering Teacher Learning in Integrated ELD Mathematics Classrooms” roundtable session
• Prof. Tony Albano: ”The Power of Pláticas: Uncovering Teacher Learning in Integrated ELD Mathematics Classrooms” roundtable session
• Ph.D. Student Caitlyn Ishaq: “Launching STEM Futures: A Familycentric Rocketry Program for Latina Girls” workshop, “The Power of Pláticas: Uncovering Teacher Learning in Integrated ELD Mathematics Classrooms” roundtable session, “Making Arab American Students Count: From Census Recognition to Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy” roundtable session
• Prof. Margarita Jimenez-Silva: ”Launching STEM Futures: A Familycentric Rocketry Program for Latina Girls” workshop, “The Power of Pláticas: Uncovering Teacher Learning in Integrated ELD Mathematics Classrooms” roundtable session
• Director of Educational Research and Evaluation Robin Martin: ”The Power of Pláticas: Uncovering Teacher Learning in Integrated ELD Mathematics Classrooms” roundtable session
• Rachel Restani, Ph.D. ‘18: ”The Power of Pláticas: Uncovering Teacher Learning in Integrated ELD Mathematics Classrooms” roundtable session

2025

Annual Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management Conference

November 13-15, 2025 in Seattle, Washington
This event explored how collaborative evidence generation and evaluation can refine policies, address unintended consequences, and improve coordination across all levels of government for transformative, resilient solutions.

• Prof. Cassandra Hart: Meet the Editors professional development resources.
• Prof. Michal Kurlaender: “Structural Solutions for Student Success: The Impact of Alternative Course Models at Community Colleges” panel, “Compressed Course Impacts on Student Success in California Community Colleges” panel paper, “The Persistence Puzzle: Understanding Departures and Designing Effective Support for Community College Students” panel.
• Robbie Linden, Ph.D. ‘21 and Research Fellow for Wheelhouse: The Center for Community College Leadership and Research: ”Structural Solutions for Student Success: The Impact of Alternative Course Models at Community Colleges” panel.
• Prof. Paco Martorell: “From Access to Completion: Causal Evidence from Financial Aid and Transfer Interventions in Higher Education” panel, “Shaping Student Success in Higher Education: Family Engagement, Instructor Quality, Financial Aid, and Institutional Constraints” panel, “Aligning Dollars with Demand: Effects of Workforce-Aligned Financial Aid on Postsecondary and Labor Market Outcomes” panel.

Annual Association for the Study of Higher Education Conference

November 12-15, 2025 in Denver, Colorado
This event is a premier gathering of scholars dedicated to advancing research in higher education. Held each November, the conference features research presentations and symposia discussions that address critical issues impacting colleges and universities.

• Prof. Marcela Cuellar: “Invisible Labor, Visible Impact: Unpacking the Challenges of Faculty Producing Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) Research” paper session.
• Ph.D. student Stephanie Luna-Lopez: Chair for “Organization and Administration” paper session, chair for “Undergraduate Students: Persistence, Resilience, Retention, and Outcomes” paper session.
• Mayra Nuñez Martinez, Ph.D. ‘24 and research fellow for Wheelhouse: The Center for Community College Leadership and Research, presenter for “Organization and Administration” interactive symposium ”Critically Informed Theories and Praxis in Community Colleges.”
• Ph.D. student Sonia Gabriela Perez: ”Invisible Labor, Visible Impact: Unpacking the Challenges of Faculty Producing Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) Research” paper session.

Annual California Educational Research Association Conference

November 3-5, 2025 in Riverside, California
This event gathers representatives from the K-12, higher education, research, and business sectors to translate evidence into meaningful action, advancing improved outcomes for students across California.

• Sattik Ghosh, M.A. ‘22, received the Leadership in Data and/or Assessment Award
• Alexandria Hurtt, Ph.D. ‘21 and Research Fellow at the California Education Lab
• Ph.D. student Stephanie Luna-Lopez accepted the Outstanding Paper Award for her and Ph.D. candidate Jaime Ramirez-Mendoza’s paper “Navigating Burdens and Exercising Agency: Student Experiences with College and Financial Aid Applications.”
• Christina Murdoch Mills, Ed.D. ‘17 and Executive Director of the Center for Applied Policy in Education, was elected to the CERA Board for a one-year term. She also presented: “An Approach to University-District Collaboration,” “A Collaborative Principal Support Network Model: lessons learned from state-sponsored education reform in California.”
• Ph.D. student Alyssa Nguyen
• Sherrie Reed, Ph.D. ‘15 and Executive Director to the California Education Lab, completed her sixth and final year as a board member.
• Prof. Megan Welsh: “An Approach to University-District Collaboration,” “A Collaborative Principal Support Network Model: lessons learned from state-sponsored education reform in California”

From the Ground Up: Gathering Community Solutions for Building Hate-Free Schools

October 25, 2025 in Pasadena, California
This community forum was organized by the California Commission on the State of Hate in partnership with the Women in NAACP-Pasadena and Pasadena City Councilmember Tyron Hampton. The event goal was to discuss how to prevent hate in schools.

• Prof. Kevin Gee

California Science Education Conference

October 17-19, 2025 in Palm Springs, California
This event gathered science educators at every stage of their professional journeys to discuss tools, community, and advocacy to thrive in the science classroom.

• Dr. Chris Griesemer, Sacramento Area Science Project Executive Director and Young Scholars Program Director: “Let’s Get Physical! Teaching NGSS physical science in elementary classrooms” workshop.
• Peggy Harte, Center for Community and Citizen Science Youth Education Program Manager and Sacramento Area Science Project Program Coordinator: ”Let’s Get Physical! Teaching NGSS physical science in elementary classrooms” workshop.

Joint Conference of the International Dessinée Society and the International Graphic Novel and Comics Conference

June 30-July 4, 2025 in Brussels, Belgium
The event theme “The Taste of Comics” explored all aspects of taste, from synesthesia to graphic gastronomy.

• Prof. Darnel Degand: ”Changing Tastes in Historical and Contemporary Depictions of Africans and the African Diaspora in comics.”

National Conference on Race and Ethnicity in Higher Education

May 27-31, 2025 in Washington, D.C.
The event is a leading national forum for administrators, faculty, staff, and student leaders in higher education to advance access and opportunity in the education field.

• Ed.D. student Amal Issa

Addressing the Attendance Crisis: New Research on Chronic Absenteeism Since the Pandemic

May 30, 2025 in Washington, D.C.
This three-part research symposium gathered scholars from the American Enterprise Institute’s Chronic Absenteeism Research Working Group to present their latest findings. The event was recorded and streamed on C-SPAN.

• Prof. Kevin Gee, “What Reasons Do Students Give for Absences?”
• School Policy, Action, and Research Center Research Data Analyst Peter Yu, “What Reasons Do Students Give for Absences?”

Conference for Advancing Participatory Sciences

May 27-30, 2025 in Portland, OR
This event gathers scholars, practitioners, and facilitators to share their perspectives and skills on the field of participatory science.

• Prof. Heidi Ballard, “Upscaling citizen science to increase impact, through addressing global concerns”
• Center for Community and Citizen Science Youth Education Program Manager Peggy Harte, “Need help in developing your citizen/participatory science in your research proposal?”
• Center for Community and Citizen Science Executive Director Dr. Ryan Meyer, “Need help in developing your citizen/participatory science in your research proposal?”

College Access and Preparation Forum

May 14-15, 2025 in Davis, CAThis event informed and engaged UC professionals serving in outreach, student academic preparation and educational partnership programs.

• Research fellow Dr. Kramer Dykeman
• Research fellow Dr. Elizabeth Zeiger Friedmann
• Research Fellow Dr. Alexandria Hurtt
• Prof. Michal Kurlaender, keynote speaker
• Prof. Faheemah Mustafaa, keynote speaker
•  Executive Director of the California Education Lab Dr. Sherrie Reed 

The Society for Research in Child Development Annual Meeting

May 1-3, 2025 in Minneapolis, MN
This event strives to meet the goal of understanding child development through research while serving as a network and forum for professionals and graduate students in psychology, human development, family studies, education, public policy, sociology, social work, psychiatry, pediatrics, and public health. 

• Prof. Nicole Sparapani

International Society for Autism Research (INSAR) 2025 Annual Meeting

April 30-May 3, 2025 in Seattle, WA
This event convenes research scientists and their trainees to exchange and disseminate new scientific progress on autism.

• Dr. Sandy Birkeneder, Ph.D. ‘24
• Ph.D. student Cindy Parks
• Prof. Nicole Sparapani
• Ph.D. candidate Johanna Vega Garcia

ASU + GSV Summit

April 6-9, 2025 in San Diego, CA
This event gathers researchers, practitioners, and change makers to identify how all people can gain access to the future, using innovation at scale to catalyze change.

• Ph.D. candidate Antoinette Banks, “Families as Force Multipliers: Unlocking Student Success Through Collaboration”

19th Annual Conference for the University of California Center for Research on Special Education, Disabilities, and Developmental Risk (UCSPEDDR)

April 11, 2025 in Davis, CA
This event brings together faculty, graduate students, and community members for a one-day discussion on current research throughout the UC system involving special education, disabilities, and developmental risk.

• CARE Lab undergraduate researcher Bayleigh Baldwin, “Revisiting a Case Study of Language Variation in School-Aged Autistic Children: Uncovering Diversity Through Transcripts”
• Dr. Sandy Birkeneder, Ph.D. ‘24, “Examining Student-Teacher Relationship Quality in School-Aged Autistic and Non-Autistic Students,” “Including Autistic Learners within General Education Classrooms: Preliminary Findings and Themes from a 4-Year Exploratory Study,” “Revisiting a Case Study of Language Variation in School-Aged Autistic Children: Uncovering Diversity Through Transcripts”
• Ph.D. student Stefano Cantos, Doctoral Student Advisory Council member, “Where are our learners? A Survey Designed to Measure the Inclusion of Neurodiverse Students in General Education Classrooms”
• Ph.D. student Leyna Kataoka, Doctoral Student Advisory Council member
• Prof. Lauren Lindstrom, “UC-Wide Datablitz: Bridging Minds Across the UCs”
• Prof. Peter Mundy, “Examining Student-Teacher Relationship Quality in School-Aged Autistic and Non-Autistic Students,” “Including Autistic Learners within General Education Classrooms: Preliminary Findings and Themes from a 4-Year Exploratory Study”
• Ph.D. student Cindy Parks, Doctoral Student Advisory Council Assistant Conference Chair, “Sensory Processing and Emotional Dysregulation in Autistic and Non-Autistic Students: Preliminary Insights on the Potential Role of Classroom Environment”
• Prof. Nancy Tseng, “Examining Student-Teacher Relationship Quality in School-Aged Autistic and Non-Autistic Students,” “Including Autistic Learners within General Education Classrooms: Preliminary Findings and Themes from a 4-Year Exploratory Study”
• Prof. and Dean Tom Smith, Opening Speaker
• Prof. Nicole Sparapani, “Where are our learners? A Survey Designed to Measure the Inclusion of Neurodiverse Students in General Education Classrooms,” “Exploring Teacher Affect Among Neurodiverse Students in TK-5th Grade General Education Classrooms,” “Sensory Processing and Emotional Dysregulation in Autistic and Non-Autistic Students: Preliminary Insights on the Potential Role of Classroom Environment,” “Examining Student-Teacher Relationship Quality in School-Aged Autistic and Non-Autistic Students,” “Including Autistic Learners within General Education Classrooms: Preliminary Findings and Themes from a 4-Year Exploratory Study,” “Revisiting a Case Study of Language Variation in School-Aged Autistic Children: Uncovering Diversity Through Transcripts”
• Education minor student and CARE Lab undergraduate researcher Caroline Van Zant, “Examining Student-Teacher Relationship Quality in School-Aged Autistic and Non-Autistic Students”
• Ph.D. candidate Johanna Vega Garcia, Doctoral Student Advisory Council Committee Chair, “Exploring Teacher Affect Among Neurodiverse Students in TK-5th Grade General Education Classrooms,” “Including Autistic Learners within General Education Classrooms: Preliminary Findings and Themes from a 4-Year Exploratory Study”
• Prof. Megan Welsh, “Where are our learners? A Survey Designed to Measure the Inclusion of Neurodiverse Students in General Education Classrooms”

50th Annual Association for Education Finance and Policy (AEFP) Conference

“Fifty Years of Education Finance and Policy: Taking Stock and Looking Ahead“
March 12-15, 2025 in Washington, D.C.
This event gathers researchers and change makers to promote their collective work toward shaping policy and practice, informing conversations about efficiency, and addressing persistent inequalities in our education systems. Prof. Michal Kurlaender stepped into her role as Association for Education Finance and Policy (AEFP) president at the conference conclusion.

• Ph.D. student Emily Alonso, “Developing confidence, developing skills: The perceived effect of professional development on online teaching”
• Ph.D. candidate Audrey Boochever, “Unlocking Opportunity: Boosting Dual Enrollment Participation by Simplifying Access for High School Students,” “STEM and CTE teacher pipeline”
• Research fellow Dr. Elizabeth Zeiger Friedmann, Ph.D. ‘16, “Impact of the Federal Higher Education Emergency Relief Aid on California Community College Student Success,” “The Effects of Expanding Financial Aid for Adult Community College Students,” “Unlocking Opportunity: Innovations and Impacts of Financial Aid Policy”
• Prof. Cassandra Hart, “Developing confidence, developing skills: The perceived effect of professional development on online teaching,” “Community College Cross-Enrollment Patterns in the Online Era,” “Navigating the Publication Maze: Insights from Leading Education Journals,” “What’s PD Got To Do With Quality Online Teaching and Learning?” “What’s PD Got To Do With Quality Online Teaching and Learning?”
• Ph.D. student Teresita Issa, “Impact of the Federal Higher Education Emergency Relief Aid on California Community College Student Success”
• Prof. Michal Kurlaender, “Impact of the Federal Higher Education Emergency Relief Aid on California Community College Student Success,” “The Effects of Expanding Financial Aid for Adult Community College Students,” “Community College Cross-Enrollment Patterns in the Online Era,” “Navigating the Publication Maze: Insights from Leading Education Journals”
• Research fellow Dr. Robbie Linden, Ph.D. ‘21, “Impact of the Federal Higher Education Emergency Relief Aid on California Community College Student Success,” “Community College Cross-Enrollment Patterns in the Online Era”
• Prof. Paco Martorell, “Impact of the Federal Higher Education Emergency Relief Aid on California Community College Student Success,” “The Effects of Expanding Financial Aid for Adult Community College Students”
• Ph.D. student Alyssa Nguyen, “Developing confidence, developing skills: The perceived effect of professional development on online teaching,” “What’s PD Got To Do With Quality Online Teaching and Learning?”
• Graduate student researcher Wenni Yang, “The Effects of Expanding Financial Aid for Adult Community College Students”

California Counseling & Academic Advising Network Conference

March 6-7, 2025: hosted online
This event brings educators from California Community Colleges, the California State University, the University of California, and the Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities together to create a transparent system that allows students to move seamlessly through California’s higher education system, optimizing progress to degree completion and eliminating the achievement gap.​

• Ed.D. student Ariel Collatz, Keynote Speaker

CSU Chico School of Education Antiracism Speaker Series

March 3, 2025 in Chico, CA

• Prof. Alicia Rusoja, Invited Speaker, ”A Communal Pedagogy of Resistance: The Educational Practices of Un/documented Latine/x Immigrant Rights Organizing”

2025 BAAC Annual Research Symposium

February 28, 2025 in Palo Alto, CA
This event gathers scholars, educators, students, clinicians, and community members to discuss progress made in the field of autism research. Speakers included:

• Prof. Nicole Sparapani, “Developmental Learning Profiles, Sociocultural Influences, and Autism Diagnostic Screening in a Neurodiverse Sample of Students within Inclusive Educational Settings.”
• CARE Lab undergraduate student researcher Caroline Van Zant, “Examining Student-Teacher Relationship Quality in School Aged Autistic and Non-Autistic Students”

California Dual Enrollment Equity Conference

February 23-26, 2025 in Sacramento, CA
This event invited researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to discuss opportunities to to advance equity, student success, and quality in dual enrollment programs in California.

• Ph.D. candidate Audrey Boochever, “Impact of Career Technical Education-Focused Dual Enrollment on Postsecondary Success”

American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) 2025 Annual Meeting

February 21-23, 2025 in Long Beach, CA
This event gathered key stakeholders from the education field to discuss through roads to stronger teacher preparation and career support. Speakers included:

• Prof. Margarita Jimenez-Silva, “‘What’s Real?’: Novice and Veteran Teacher Pláticas Addressing Professional Challenges”
• Dean Tom Smith, “The Next Generation of Teachers: A Study of Interest in the Teaching Profession”

Student Experience Report: Community Conversation

February 18, 2025: hosted online
This webinar included speakers from the California Education Lab and the California Student Aid Commission who addressed student responses about their experiences preparing for college and applying for student aid. Speakers included:

• Director of Research Partnerships at the California Education Lab Jacob Jackson
• Ph.D. student Stephanie Luna-Lopez

International School Choice and Reform Conference

January 17-20, 2025 in Fort Lauderdale, FL
This event gathers scholars who study various forms of school choice, systemic reform, and educational innovation. Speakers included:

• Justin Luu, Ph.D. ‘24, “Charter School Attendance and College Going Rates in California.” Co-authored with Dr. Sherrie Reed and Prof. Heather Rose.

Hawaii International Conference on Education (HICE)

January 4-7, 2025 in Honolulu, HI
This event provided an opportunity for academics and professionals from across the education field and disciplines to gather and learn from each other’s work. Speakers included:

• Dr. Suzanne Abdelrahim, “Translanguaging and Extending the Repertoire of Supports in Standardized Testing” and “Addressing the Discord: Affordances and Limitations of Language Supports During Multilingual Peer Interactions in Math”
• Prof. Tony Albano, “Translanguaging and Extending the Repertoire of Supports in Standardized Testing”
• Prof. Margarita Jimenez-Silva, ”Translanguaging and Extending the Repertoire of Supports in Standardized Testing” and ”Addressing the Discord: Affordances and Limitations of Language Supports During Multilingual Peer Interactions in Math”
• Director of Educational Research and Evaluation Robin Martin, ”Translanguaging and Extending the Repertoire of Supports in Standardized Testing,” ”Evaluating What Works in Rural: Fit vs Fidelity in STEM-based Instructional Implementations,” and ”Addressing the Discord: Affordances and Limitations of Language Supports During Multilingual Peer Interactions in Math”
• Rachel Restani, Ph.D. ‘18: ”Translanguaging and Extending the Repertoire of Supports in Standardized Testing” and ”Addressing the Discord: Affordances and Limitations of Language Supports During Multilingual Peer Interactions in Math”
• Ph.D. student Oscar Rios, ”Translanguaging and Extending the Repertoire of Supports in Standardized Testing”
• Ph.D. student Xiaochen Xu, ”Translanguaging and Extending the Repertoire of Supports in Standardized Testing”

2024

UCLA Civil Rights Project

“A Civil Rights Agenda for California’s Next Quarter Century”

December 5, 2024 in Sacramento, CA
This event convened scholars, policymakers, and leaders to discuss two series of research papers that the Project commissioned to identify inroads toward racial equity. Speakers included:

• Prof. Marcela Cuellar, “The Potential of California’s Community College Baccalaureate for Closing Racial Equity Gaps”
• Prof. Michal Kurlaender, moderator for panel session “Persistent Inequality in the ‘Golden’ State”
• Prof. Alexis Patterson Williams, “Desegregating Classrooms and Developing Racial Literacy in our Schools”

2024 National Council of Teachers of English Annual Convention

“Heart, Hope, & Humanity”
November 21-24, 2024 in Boston, MA
This event encouraged teachers, researchers, and policymakers to identify ways transform students’ learning through English and Language Arts teaching and inspire students to transform the lives of others through civic engagement. Speakers included:

• Ph.D. candidate Elizabeth Castro, “Telling Our Stories: Representation and Participation in Communities of Color”
• Prof. Jennifer Higgs, “Youth Ingenuity and Artificial Intelligence”
• Prof. Danny C. Martinez, chair of the NCTE Standing Committee on Research, “Creating Dialogue Across Generations of Scholars: Revolutionary Scholarship with and for Latinx Students, Families, and Communities,” “Youth Ingenuity and Artificial Intelligence,” “Intergenerational Civic Disruption and Organizing in the Current Political Context”
• Prof. Claudia Rodriguez-Mojica, “(Missed) Opportunities to Build Solidarity Through Children’s Books”
• Prof. Alicia Rusoja, “Intergenerational Civic Disruption and Organizing in the Current Political Context”

Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management (APPAM) 2024 Fall Research Conference

“Policymaking at the Federal, State, and Local Levels”
November 21-23, 2024 in National Harbor, MD
This event examined policy design and implementation that deploys thoughtful consideration of how policies play out and interact at multiple levels of government. Speakers included:

• Prof. Kevin Gee, “Declining Student Attendance in the Post-COVID Era: Consequences and Policy Responses”​
• Postdoctoral scholar Dr. Elizabeth Zeiger Friedmann, “Supporting Students through Innovative State Programs That Complement the Federal Pell Grant – The Effect of Paying Students for Full-Time Community College Enrollment”
• Postdoctoral scholar Dr. Robert Linden, “Do Condensed College Courses Work? Evidence from Four States – Evaluating the Impact of Short Courses on Student Completion”
• Ph.D. student and APPAM 2024 Equity and Inclusion Student Fellow Teresita Martinez, “Paying for College: Are Students Leaving Money on the Table? Impact of the Federal Higher Education Emergency Relief Aid on California Community College Student Success”

Presentation papers co-written by:

• Prof. Michal Kurlaender, “Do Condensed College Courses Work? Evidence from Four States – Evaluating the Impact of Short Courses on Student Completion,” “Paying for College: Are Students Leaving Money on the Table? Impact of the Federal Higher Education Emergency Relief Aid on California Community College Student Success”
• Prof. Paco Martorell, “Paying for College: Are Students Leaving Money on the Table? Impact of the Federal Higher Education Emergency Relief Aid on California Community College Student Success,” “Supporting Students through Innovative State Programs That Complement the Federal Pell Grant – The Effect of Paying Students for Full-Time Community College Enrollment”
• Dean Tom Smith, “Cultivating Tomorrow’s Teachers: Examining the Effects of “Grow Your Own” Teacher Recruitment Efforts - From Classrooms to Careers: A Descriptive Examination of High School Students’ Interest in Teaching Professions”
• Graduate student researcher Wenni Yang, “Supporting Students through Innovative State Programs That Complement the Federal Pell Grant – The Effect of Paying Students for Full-Time Community College Enrollment”

Association for the Study of Higher Education 2024 Conference

“I am a Scholar”
November 20-23, 2024 in Minneapolis, MN
This event asked attendees from a variety of institution types, associations, policy settings, unique identities, geographies, methodologies, epistemologies, and positions within and beyond academia to critically interrogate their role as scholars. Speakers included:

• Prof. Marcela Cuellar, “The Mid-Career Take-Off”
• Postdoctoral scholar Dr. Mayra Nuñez Martinez, “Towards an Understanding of Rural Critical Mentorship: Exploring Mentorship Programs at Rural Community Colleges”
• Ph.D. candidate Jaime Ramirez-Mendoza, “Resistance to Racialized Barriers: Financial Aid Experiences of First-Generation, Low-Income Latinx Students”
• ​​Ph.D. student Stephanie Luna-Lopez, “Resistance to Racialized Barriers: Financial Aid Experiences of First-Generation, Low-Income Latinx Students”

The Help Group Annual Summit

“Summit 2024: Imagining Possibilities”
November 15, 2024 in Los Angeles, CA
This event addressed the latest advancements in understanding and supporting emotional well-being and neurodivergence, including improving outcomes through early intervention, innovative educational and behavioral practices for school-age youth, effective strategies and support for young adults, and social and emotional wellbeing and mental health. Speakers included:

• Prof. Nicole Sparapani, Distinguished Speaker—“Language Interactions as Intervention: Best Practice Approaches to Engage and Motivate Neurodivergent Learners”

2024 California Science Education Conference

California Association of Science Educators
​November 8-10, 2024 in Sacramento, CA
This event gathered educators from across the state to collaborate, share knowledge, and celebrate science education. Speakers included:

• Sacramento Area Science Project Executive Director Dr. Chris Griesemer, “Data to Decision Making! Explore Participatory Science on Elementary Campuses”
• Center for Community and Citizen Science Youth Education Program Manager Peggy Harte, ​“Data to Decision Making! Explore Participatory Science on Elementary Campuses” and the BioBlitz
• Prof. Cindy Passmore, Hosted a table for the Modelbasedbiology program