Neag School benefactor Ray Neag ’56, of Goshen, Conn., and Wyomissing, Penn., a philanthropist who built his fortune in the medical device industry, died Thursday, April 19 at age 86. He died at home with his wife, Carole, by his side.

As a high school teacher in Pennsylvania, Shaun Dougherty noticed that students in career-focused programs seemed much more engaged than his other students. Now a researcher, Dougherty set out to see whether data backed up his experience. Could the programs not just prepare students for the workforce, but keep students from dropping out of school? To find out, Dougherty studied Massachusetts’ 36 vocational and technical high schools.

Jennifer Lanese has been named the 2018 Outstanding School Educator Award recipient by the University of Connecticut’s Neag School of Education Alumni Board. Lanese was recognized on March 17 at the Neag School’s 20th Annual Alumni Awards Celebration in Storrs, Conn.

The Neag School of Education at UConn announces the recipients of the Neag School of Education Alumni Board Scholarship as Elena Sada, a first-year doctoral student studying bilingual and multicultural education in the Neag School, and Denée Jackson, a master’s student in the Neag School of Education’s Higher Education and Student Affairs program.

The vivacious Amanda Slavin is cofounder and leader of Catalyst Creativ, an “experience studio” with expertise in marketing, events and design. Prioritizing solving internal pain points before creating on and offline campaigns, Catalyst Creativ digs deep into a company’s DNA. Hear Slavin talk about running a holocratic-style company, her thoughtful approach to solving conflict – and how she overcame a lukewarm reception from Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh, who later became an investor.

Gwinnett Daily Post (Neag School alumni awardee Mohammad Zaheer featured)

Norwalk Hour (Ratings system for identifying gifted students, developed by Joseph Renzulli, to be used by schools in Norwalk, Conn.)

Middletown Press (Alum Samuel Galloway featured in announcement on recent Neag School Alumni Award)

“A trauma-informed approach is critical for schools,” says Sandra Chafouleas, a professor of educational psychology at University of Connecticut who has researched the topic. She says the new push helps school staffs identify and provide counseling for the estimated one-half to two-thirds of students who, according to the Education Law Center, probably have experienced trauma.

Suzanne M. Wilson has researched teacher knowledge, curriculum reform, education policy, measures of
teaching effectiveness and professional development. As the Neag Endowed Professor of Teacher Education, Wilson has found PD to be most impactful and engaging when instruction connects to a district’s curriculum, assessments and leadership policies.