Throughout the academic year, the Neag School is proud to share the latest achievements of its faculty, staff, students, and alumni.

Explore their most recent promotions, awards, retirements, publications, and more:

• Dean’s Office
• Department of Curriculum and Instruction and Office of Teacher Education
• Department of Educational Leadership
• Department of Educational Psychology
• Faculty/Staff
• Students
• Alumni
• In Memoriam

Dean’s Office

The Neag School of Education announced that Dean Jason G. Irizarry has been reappointed to a second five-year term, effective Aug. 23, 2026. “Under his leadership, the (Neag) School has advanced its academic programs, expanded student support, deepened community engagement, and strengthened its national profile as a top 30 public graduate school of education,” Interim Provost Pamir Alpay said. Read more from UConn Today.

The Neag School held its annual Scholarship Celebration in October at UConn Storrs to recognize students’ academic achievements and the generosity of donors who support their education. In the 2024-25 academic year, the Neag School awarded more than $543,000 in scholarships to 374 students. Read more from UConn Today.

UConn’s Phi Delta Kappa (PDK) chapter has left a legacy by donating $5,000 each to the Neag School Alumni Board Endowed Scholarship and the Department of Curriculum and Instruction General Support funds. The gift reflects PDK’s enduring commitment to advancing teaching and empowering future educators. Read the UConn Today article.

The Neag School’s Center for Education Policy Analysis, Research, and Evaluation (CEPARE) hosted the Philip E. Austin Lecture at UConn Storrs in October, featuring Cynthia E. Coburn, the Margaret Walker Alexander Professor in the School of Education and Social Policy at Northwestern University. The event underscored the importance of critical inquiry in education policy and practice. View photos from the event.

UConn is advancing Connecticut’s high-tech future through the UConn Quantum Alliance, a statewide initiative to strengthen the quantum workforce. Bianca Montrosse-Moorhead, co-principal investigator, contributes expertise in education and evaluation. Learn more in the UConn Today article.

To inspire and encourage future educators and sport management professionals, the Neag School welcomed high school students from UConn’s Early College Experience (ECE) program to campus in October. The event hosted 120 students from nine schools, accompanied by their high school instructors, who explored campus life, connected with faculty, and learned about academic opportunities within the Neag School. View photos from the visit.

UConn hosted its Fall Campus Visit Day, offering prospective students and families an opportunity to explore the University’s programs. The Neag School featured sessions with faculty and students highlighting its academic programs and admissions process. View photos from the event.

Dean Jason G. Irizarry, Sandra Quiñones, and Emily Murray visited the E.B. Kennelly School to meet and have lunch with Neag School alumni and student interns. Dean Irizarry shared school updates and Murray spoke with the group about ways to stay connected and upcoming engagement opportunities. The meeting was held at the Kennelly School in Hartford, Connecticut, in November.

Department of Curriculum and Instruction (EDCI) and Office of Teacher Education

Dorothea Anagnostopoulos and Tutita Casa co-published a new book with colleagues, “Teaching Ambitiously in Elementary School” (Harvard Education Press, 2025). Drawing on extensive research, their work advances understanding of how to prepare and support beginning teachers to foster equitable, rigorous learning and sustain ambitious instructional practices. Read the UConn Today article.

Alyssa Dunn was interviewed by WFSB-TV about the Connecticut Education Association’s statewide survey on teaching, which included input from educators across the state. Sandra Quiñones also appeared in the footage. A follow-up segment aired on WFSB-TV.

Tutita M. Casa and former students Alexa Freitas ’22 (ED), ’23 MA; Riki Fujioka ’22 (ED), ’23 MA; and Haley Zmijewski ’22 (ED), ’23 MA received the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) Linking Research and Practice Outstanding Publication Award for their article “Developing the Write Reasoning in Kindergarten Mathematics.” Read more on UConn Today.

Sixteen students from Manchester High School’s Education and Public Service Academy visited UConn Storrs in November to explore teaching careers. Led by Neag School alumni Ryan Jones ’04 (ED), ’05 MA; and Jacob Skrzypiec ’13 (ED), ’14 MA, they joined classes, heard from student panelists, and left inspired — one said, “I want to be like Ms. Negron when I grow up.” View photos from the event.

Alan Marcus is leading an innovative UConn initiative that uses immersive technology to reduce bias and antisemitism. Through the Morris and Judy Sarna Breaking Bias and Creating Community Program, students in Greater Hartford use virtual reality and survivor testimony to build empathy, understanding, and connection. View photos from the event.

Department of Educational Leadership (EDLR)

Each year, the U.S. Department of State, the Center for Sport, Peace, and Society at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and espnW co-sponsor the Global Sports Mentoring Program (GSMP), empowering women to advance gender equity through sport. This year, the Neag School hosted Serbian coach and advocate Jelena Pavićević, who was mentored by faculty members Laura Burton and Danielle DeRosa. This marked the Neag School’s ninth year partnering with GSMP. Read more on UConn Today.

UConn Husky Nutrition & Sport, housed in the Department of Educational Leadership, received the 2025 Provost’s Award (Staff category) at a ceremony in October at the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts Art Gallery at UConn Storrs. The team was also featured by UConn 360.

The Executive Leadership Program (ELP) alumni are assuming key superintendent and central office positions. So far this year, six alumni have secured new positions, including Darren Schwartz ’09 6th Year, ’21 ELP; Jeff Wihbey ’95 (CLAS), ’06 6th Year, ’13 ELP; Dave Caruso ’06 6th Year, ’23 ELP; Scott Sugarman ’17 ELP; Iris White ’24 ELP; and Juan Mendoza ’19 ELP. Read more on UConn Today.

The Executive Leadership Program (ELP) welcomed four-time UConn alumnus and former U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona ’01 MA, ’04 6th Year, ’11 Ed.D., ’12 ELP, to UConn Hartford in October. Cardona shared insights on leadership, equity, and opportunity, engaging participants in a conversation about education at the state and federal levels.

Department of Educational Psychology (EPSY)

Catherine Little, James Kaufman, and Del Siegle co-authored the chapter “Pathways to Creativity for Students, Teachers, and Scholars at the University of Connecticut” for “The Palgrave Handbook of Applied Creativity in Global Higher Education” (Springer Nature, 2025).

Sally Reis, educational psychology doctoral student Julie Delgado, and Joseph Renzulli co-authored a chapter, “Preparing Students for the Global Workforce,” for “Engineering Ingenuity” (University of Houston Press, 2025).

Del Siegle, D. Betsy McCoach, E. Jean Gubbins, and colleagues co-authored “What Really Happens in Gifted Education” for the October issue of Gifted Child Quarterly.

Faculty/Staff

Jacqueline Caemmerer co-authored her first book, “Multiple Regression and Beyond” (Routledge, 2026). Read more on UConn Today.

Todd Campbell co-authored “Characteristics and Discourses About Energy Transition: Insights From Crossdisciplinarity Student Talk” for the American Society for Engineering Education’s conference in Montreal, Canada, in June. Campbell also co-authored “Planning for the Unexpected: How Uncertainty Drives Scientific Practice” for the November issue of Science Scope.

Michael Coyne is leading a research project highlighted by Education Week, which found that a popular oral-only phonemic awareness program may not improve students’ reading outcomes.

Morgaen Donaldson was interviewed by WTIC-AM News Talk and UConn 360 about the long-term impact of COVID-19 on children. The research was also featured on UConn Today.

A co-authored paper by Preston Green on rural school districts was featured by Forbes and UConn Today.

Elizabeth Howard delivered two invited keynotes this fall highlighting her expertise in dual language education. At the 4th National Seminar for Dual Language Immersion Leadership in Washington, D.C., Howard presented “Celebrating the Languages, Knowledge, and Stories of Dual Language Students through a Focus on Sociocultural Competence,” based on a collaborative project co-directed with UConn professor Manuela Wagner and involving UConn students and faculty. Howard also gave a keynote at the Beyond Bilingualism Summit in Chicago titled “Navigating Tensions Between Translanguaging and Separation of Languages in Dual Language Programs.” 

Catherine Little was elected president of the National Association for Gifted Children.

Adam McCready’s research on adults, teens, and social media use was featured by UConn Today and “The Last Show with David Cooper” (at the 40-minute mark). He also co-authored “A Quantitative Analysis of Organizational Conformity in Sororities and Fraternities: Analyses on ‘Fitting In’ ” for the September issue of Journal of Sorority and Fraternity Life Research & Practice.

Jennie Weiner completed the New York City Marathon in November.

Students

Three Neag School scholarship recipients — Sarah Sportini, Cianna Tangishaka, and Grace Wright-Goodison — shared reflections on what their scholarships mean to them and their experiences as Neag School students in a video featured at the Scholarship Celebration in October. Watch the video.

Zachary Boudah, a master’s student in higher education and student affairs, published the op-ed “Parking at UConn: A Roadblock to Access” in CT Mirror.

Lexi Hastings ’25 (ED), one of the top players in UConn softball history, and a master’s student in higher education and student affairs, is participating in the draft for the Women’s Pro Baseball League.

Hiis LaRose was one of UConn’s 46 Summer Undergraduate Research Fund (SURF) Award recipients for 2025. Read about LaRose’s research on UConn Today.

Emily Lisy, a doctoral student in curriculum and instruction, along with Todd Campbell and Byung-Yeol Park ’21 Ph.D., co-authored “The Emergence of Science Teacher Leadership in the Context of the Pursuit of Teaching Science for Social Justice” for the October issue of School Science and Mathematics.

Alumni

Claudia Bachmann-Bouchard MA ’19 was published by the Knowles Teacher Initiative’s Kaleidoscope Journal for her article “Teaching Multilingual Learners.”

Mark Daigneault ’07 (ED), who led the Oklahoma City Thunder to an NBA championship, was featured by UConn Magazine.

Steven Feldman ’20 MA received the Graduate Student Award from the Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE) at its 50th annual conference in Denver, Colorado, in November.

Kiana Foster-Mauro ’20 (ED), ’21 MA was selected as a member of the National Education Association (NEA) Foundation Education Fellowship and attended the NEA Global Learning Fellowship Fall Conference in Washington, D.C., in October.

Ryan J. Haynes ’20 MA, a member of the Neag School Alumni Board, returned to Santa Cruz, California, as the inaugural director of oversight, student housing, and child care center at Cabrillo College, a California Community College.

Rita Landino ’85 Ph.D. was honored by Southern Connecticut State University with the newly dedicated Rita Landino Rotunda in Engleman Hall, celebrating her 35+ years of service, mentorship, and philanthropy. A visionary supporter of student well-being and success, she has championed mental-health resources, academic support, and expanded scholarship access.

Leigh Michaud ’09 (CLAS), ’12 MS, manager of remote operations for ESPN, was featured on Sports Video Group.

Thomas “T.J.” McKenna ’18 Ph.D. was promoted to associate director of educator engagement and impact at Boston University’s AI and Education Initiative. He also serves in the BU Wheelock Center for STEM Professional Learning and as a clinical assistant professor of science education.

Lynna Vo ’24 (ED), ’25 MA was selected as a Fulbright English teaching assistant in Vietnam, where she will serve through May 2026.

In Memoriam

Leonard G. Fenelon ’83
Kathleen E. Galligan ’79
Mary E. Giuliano ’93
Delight A. Hagist ’66
Marsha A. Hilsenrad ’86
Evelyn Hunter ’66
Donald E. Jones ’63
Marilyn Kurland ’54
Roberta F. Ladd ’70
Alys R. Morande ’67
Mary A. Novakowski ’70
Louis G. Salvio ’82
David J. Shea ’61
Norbert F. Steele ’77
Basil E. Stone ’71
Stanley M. Trail ’61
Danielle R. Zinna ’83