Whether it’s the MLB, NFL, or NHL, the world of sports has been cast as a hypermasculine, hypercompetitive environment. While this atmosphere may build toughness and encourage physical fitness, its acceptance toward athletes who identify with the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community is still in need of practice.

With faculty director Erik Hines at the helm, UConn’s 18th Learning Community is slated to launch this fall to help prepare African-American males for success during their undergraduate and post-baccalaureate careers through faculty and peer mentorship, undergraduate research, career development, Study Abroad, and graduate and/or professional school preparatory opportunities.

Members of student organization Leadership In Diversity (L.I.D.) are actively working with Neag School faculty to boost diversity in the Neag School of Education’s student body.

This spring, Marissa Gadacy ’17 (CLAS) and Neag School of Education assistant professor Devin Kearns will collaborate on research examining aspects of elementary school students’ reading comprehension skills, thanks to funding from UConn’s Office of Undergraduate Research, which selected their research proposal for one of its 2016 Social Sciences, Humanities, and Arts Research Experience (SHARE) Awards.

For teachers, administrators, and school psychologists, finding an easy, efficient way to track student conduct during the school day has long posed a challenge. Thanks to a new online behavioral assessment tool developed by Sandra Chafouleas, professor in the department of educational psychology and associate dean for research in the Neag School, and T. Chris Riley-Tillman, a professor at the University of Missouri, educators and school personnel can now quickly and efficiently monitor behaviors key to school success – with virtually no paperwork.

Here are news and notes from our alumni, faculty, staff, and students. We are proud of all the amazing accomplishments by our Neag family. If you have an accolade to share, we want to hear from you! Please send any news items (and story ideas) to neag-communications@uconn.edu.

Connecticut lawmakers and education leaders seeking to reduce the use of restraints and seclusion in public schools were encouraged this week by two UConn experts who offered a successful, research-driven alternative to addressing disruptive student behaviors. More than 100 people attended a two-hour presentation at the state Capitol on Jan. 27, where professors George Sugai and Nicholas Gelbar described how a prevention and de-escalation strategy known as Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) can significantly reduce incidents of seclusion and restraint, while simultaneously improving the classroom climate for all students.

This time of year, millions of high school students around the country are anxiously waiting to learn whether they will be accepted into the college or university of their choice. For many, high school grades and standardized test scores will be the initial benchmarks that decide their fate. But UConn professor of educational psychology James C. Kaufman says traditional college admission practices are capturing only part of a student’s overall potential.

A new report focused on sexual violence with K-12 students in Connecticut – co-authored by former faculty member Jonathan Plucker ’91 (CLAS), ’92 MA and current Neag School student Grace Healey – shares recent research regarding “the prevalence of sexual violence, with a focus on young people, at both the national and state level,” and outline steps that the state of Connecticut is taking in response.

Creativity in education has become a global priority. How can we help students explore their creative side — and empower them to solve global challenges — in an era of strict curricula, packed after-school schedules, and decreasing amounts of playtime in schools?