Celebrating 25 Years As Neag

Honoring the Past, Looking to the Future

In the spring of 1999, UConn’s School of Education received a tremendous gift from a strong believer in public education. Ray Neag’s $21 million donation to the School was, at the time, unprecedented and set the School on a path of extreme growth. In 2024, the Neag School celebrated the 25th anniversary of Ray’s gift and the renaming of the School in his honor, as well as reflected on how Ray’s generosity and vision made the School what it is today: one of the top public schools of education in the country.

“This is an exciting time to be a part of the Neag School,” Dean Jason G. Irizarry said in spring 2024. “We’re celebrating 25 years since the renaming of the School and all the accomplishments that have been made possible thanks to Ray Neag. It’s bittersweet that Ray and his wife, Carole, are no longer with us to see this, but the true celebration in their honor is the work being done every day at the Neag School to continually improve education for all.”

Celebrating 25 Years as Neag logo

Chronicling Ray and Carole's Impact

The following articles were published to UConn Today over the course of 2024 and highlight different areas of impact that the Neags had on the School since 1999.

25th Anniversary Event

On May 15, 2024, the Neag School and the UConn Foundation hosted friends, donors, faculty, staff, students, and Neag family members at UConn Storrs’ Rome Ballroom to celebrate the legacy and impact of the Neags' transformative gift. The evening culminated with members of the Neag Foundation and the Neag family presenting Dean Jason G. Irizarry with a $250,000 gift to establish the Carole and Ray Special Education Scholarship. A full recap of the event can be read on UConn Today while images can be viewed below.

  • Irrizary, Kiana Foster-Mauro, Joe Macary NEAG 25th Anniversary. Taken on May 16th, 2024 at the Rome Ballroom (Matt Hodgkins)

Continuing Ray and Carole's Legacy

Crucial to the continuation of Ray and Carole's legacy is ongoing support to the School. We are grateful to any who are inspired by the Neags and wish to give to the Neag School. Gifts to the Dean’s Fund in honor of the Neag School’s 25th anniversary support projects like the ones listed below, among others.

Culturally Sustaining Teaching

Neag School students gather in front of Buckingham Palace in London as part of their semester abroad experience.

Global education experiences allow Neag School students to become productive and socially conscientious global citizens. They also have a direct impact on K-12 students in Connecticut, as Neag School students apply their cultural experiences to their student teaching and future classrooms.

Mental Health in Schools

Mid adult African American school counselor talks with female student in the student lounge.

Connecticut is currently facing a large shortage of mental health professionals, as is the rest of the nation. This shortage comes as more individuals struggle with mental stress and trauma post-pandemic. The Neag School has created a new Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) Certificate program to meet this need.

Financing Advanced Education

Attracting and training more graduate students would directly benefit many schools across the region, where faculty and graduate students are conducting ground-breaking research, as well as other institutions, where many graduate students go on to become the next generation of expert practitioners. In addition, graduate students typically aren’t eligible for financial aid outside of loans, so education costs are typically higher for master’s and doctoral students.

Advancing Social & Emotional Learning

Feel Your Best Self founders Emily Wicks, left, and Sandra Chafouleas, right, pose with some of the sock puppets, books and kits that are part of the program in Gentry Building.

Recognizing, expressing, and regulating emotions are important life skills. Social and emotional competencies are critical to school success and beyond, with social and emotional learning (SEL) helping children gain the necessary knowledge, skills, and attitudes to learn and thrive. Neag School projects, such as Feel Your Best Self, aim to promote emotional well-being in elementary-age children.

Breaking Bias and Creating Community

A white man stands in front of a projector screen and speaks to high school students.

Our society is encountering polarization and a worsening climate of intolerance. The “Breaking Bias and Creating Community” project, led by Neag School faculty, is a groundbreaking, interactive, educational exhibit that uses cutting-edge technology, engaging narratives, and photographs to increase empathy and to reduce bias, antisemitism, and racism. The Neag School hopes to purchase the technology necessary to share this experience with Connecticut schools.

Supporting Undergraduate Students

Three females stand in front of blue banner.

Scholarships help make our programs more accessible for students who otherwise may not be able to afford to pursue teaching or sport management. This is important in attracting more teachers and sport management professionals from a wide range of backgrounds.