After almost 20 years in a variety of positions at the University of Connecticut, Joseph Madaus, professor of educational psychology, has returned to the Neag School to serve as the new associate dean for academic affairs.

Catch up on some of the Neag School news highlights you may have missed this past summer with these quick links.

Neag School alum Amanda Slavin ’08 (ED), ’09 MA has taken the skills she learned in the Integrated Bachelor’s/Master’s program and is now applying them in a career in marketing as CEO and founder of Las Vegas-based startup Catalyst Creativ. This month, Teach.com — an educational web resource for information on becoming a great teacher in any state across the country — features Slavin in its “8 Questions” series, which showcases teachers who have transitioned their classroom skills into new and exciting careers in, and beyond, the field of education.

In this new series, the Neag School will be catching up with students, alumni, faculty, and others throughout the year to give you a glimpse into their Neag School experience and their current career, research, or community activities. Here, Kelsey Karp ’16 (CAHNR) — an aspiring agriculture educator currently enrolled in in the Neag School’s Teacher Certification Program for College Graduates (TCPCG) — shares insights into her time at UConn, where she spent her last year as an undergraduate living and working at UConn’s Spring Valley Student Farm. Through TCPCG, an 11-month program designed for college graduates looking to earn teacher certification, Karp is getting one step closer to fulfilling her ambition to become an educator.

Congratulations to our Neag School alumni, faculty, staff, and students on their latest accomplishments inside and outside the classroom.

With awards ranging from the Alma Exley Scholarship to the state Minority Teacher Incentive Grant, Orlando Valentin completed the Neag School’s teacher preparation program this spring. The first in his immediate family to have earned a university degree, his goal is to land his first job — ideally, as a teacher in his hometown of Meriden. But don’t let Valentin’s plans to return home to teach fool you. During his time in the Neag School, he has sought out firsthand experience in school districts across Connecticut — as well as in classrooms abroad.

Our alumni, faculty, and students reflect on their experience in the Neag School in this special video segment. Video produced by Charter & Oak Media Collective.

Editor’s Note: In honor of Teacher Appreciation Week, we invite you to show your appreciation for educators and leaders like those featured below by offering your support for Neag School student scholarships that will help to fund those who aspire to serve in the field of education. To learn more about additional scholarships and giving opportunities […]

Congratulations to our Neag School alumni, faculty, staff, and students on their continued accomplishments inside and outside the classroom.

UConn alum Robert H. Hart ’40 (CLAS) lived a life dedicated to his hometown of Meriden, Conn., including a 30-year career spent there as an educator. Hart, who passed away in April 2015 at the age of 96, will now be remembered at the Neag School through a student scholarship newly established in his name.