James C. Kaufman, professor of educational psychology in the Neag School, is an expert in creativity and practices what he preaches. He’s published more than 35 books and more than 300 papers. He’s won countless awards, including Mensa’s research award.

In 2013, Neag School alumnus and current doctoral student Amit Savkar, also a UConn associate professor in residence of mathematics, began looking into the reasons why so many students were dropping out of or failing math classes early in their college career.
Savkar realized the placement exams students took for those courses did not account for the individual differences in knowledge gaps. In response, he developed a platform that would analyze the response of students’ incorrect answers to questions and provide students with adaptive instruction through targeted videos in the areas the program identified as knowledge gaps.

Sandra Chafouleas, Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor and Neag Endowed Professor of educational psychology and founder of the Collaboratory on School and Child Health (CSCH), spoke with Julie Bartucca of the UConn 360 podcast about ways parents can support their children’s well-being during this time, as well as about how to talk to kids about the upheaval going on in the U.S.

“I think we all suspected that we would find a relationship between the racism online in social media and student mental health,” says lead author Adam McCready, an assistant professor-in-residence with UConn’s Neag School of Education. “I think we may have been a little surprised that it was more salient, or held a stronger relationship, than in-person experiences.”

As a teenager in her hometown of Paraty, Brazil, Pauline Batista ’16 MA was enrolled in a rigorous five-year teacher- training high school and held multiple paid internships. “It was very hectic because I would leave my house at 7 in the morning and come back at 10 at night,” Batista says. “Your average 15-year-old is not dealing with all that. But for me, that was normal.”

“As science teacher educators committed to making science relevant to students’ lives and consequential in the pursuit of justice, we highlight how science intersects with society, especially how science is represented and made accessible through the media,” writes co-author Todd Campbell.

“So, the interventions are usually either small groups or either individualized really focused, targeted instruction for the student to sort of catch them up and get them up to kind of speed an up to the standards for that grade level and for that age range, rather than whole cloth, you know retention. Do the whole grade again,” said Sarah Woulfin, Associate Professor at UConn Neag School of Education.

President Joe Biden tapped Miguel Cardona ’01 MA, ’04 6th Year, ’11 Ed.D., ’12 ELP to be the country’s top education official and, once fully confirmed, Cardona will become the first UConn alum to hold a Cabinet-level position in the White House.

James C. Kaufman is a psychology professor at Neag School of Education at the University of Connecticut who specialises in human creativity. “The act of writing creatively helps us organize our thoughts and feelings, improves our mood, helps us reflect on our lives and cope after trauma,” Kaufman says. He himself has written phone note poems, as well as using the app to jot down lyrics, thoughts, and ideas.

“As long as I have those existential questions, particularly while my kids are young, I will be a hesitant candidate,” says Doug Glanville, a former MLB player, and current Neag School faculty member. “Admitting that, I wouldn’t fault anyone for not considering me. But I still believe the game can help make the world better — for all of our children — even as I choose to cheer from afar.”