The recent mass shootings across the country—and there have been 214 mass shootings in the first five months of 2022—are another painful reminder of failed efforts to stop the kind of gun violence that occurred at Sandy Hook Elementary School nearly ten years ago. An interdisciplinary group of scholars who have studied school safety and violence prevention for decades, including Professor Emerita George Sugai of the Neag School of Education, are calling for immediate government action to initiate scientifically-informed actions to reduce gun violence.

Thanks to 494 individuals, the Neag School of Education garnered more than $25,000 in contributions during this spring’s annual Giving Day at UConn. The University-wide fundraising event raised over $504,000 in total for UConn in just 36 hours, with incoming donations set up to support everything from scholarships and academic programs to student groups and athletics. The Neag School, including its Alumni Board, promoted seven different education- and sport management-affiliated projects during this year’s Giving Day campaign, held over the course of two days in March.

“UConn was a good mix of what my parents wanted and what I wanted. My parents wanted high-ranking universities, and I wanted a dedicated education program and was very interested in human rights. After learning this is where the Dodd Center and Neag were located, it was a no-brainer choice for me,” says graduating senior Xinhai “Toby” Wei “22 (ED).

“I chose to come to the University of Connecticut because of the esteemed education program! I have wanted to be a teacher since I was five years old and UConn provided me with the best opportunity to fulfill that dream. Also, I have always loved watching UConn sports, and it felt like a natural fit for me,” says graduating senior Micaela Collins ’22 (ED).

Summer school programs help children get better at both reading and mathematics. Students who attend summer school tend to have higher test scores than those who don’t, which means that offering voluntary summer programs is likely to help students catch up from pandemic-related learning slowdowns. And summer learning programs may also improve outcomes beyond test scores, such as by helping students to recover course credits.

Provost Carl Lejuez announced today that Jason Irizarry has been named dean of the Neag School of Education for a five-year term. Irizarry will be the first Latino dean to lead the Neag School.

Thanks to 889 individuals, the Neag School of Education garnered more than $50,000 in contributions during this spring’s annual Giving Day at UConn.

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.

The Neag School is proud to announce for the 2020-21 academic year a number of new hires across each of its academic departments. In addition, the School announces several faculty promotions and new appointments for existing members of the Neag School community, effective Aug. 23.

With school closures announced across the country, Neag School faculty, alumni, and students share resources and expertise on teaching, learning, homeschooling, and parenting during the pandemic.