Not too long ago, Neag School of Education assistant professor Milagros Castillo-Montoya was rummaging through her closet when she stumbled upon a booklet from her undergraduate days at Rutgers University.
As early as age 19, Milagros Castillo-Montoya — now an assistant professor of higher education and student affairs in the Neag School — knew she ultimately wanted to help “create a common ground of diversity, acceptance, and appreciation.” (Photo courtesy of Milagros Castillo-Montoya)
Castillo-Montoya has dedicated her career as a faculty member, mentor, and researcher to expanding access to and creating equity in the realm of higher education for minorities — an ambition she was recently surprised and pleased to find, in that booklet from the past, also belonged to her 19-year-old self.
“I can’t believe what I was thinking and experiencing so many years ago I’m still thinking about now — and I’m doing it now,” says Castillo-Montoya, who discovered she wanted to become an educator after visiting Rutgers University on a high school field trip. At Rutgers, she met a Latino professor — the first she had ever encountered — and decided she wanted to follow in his footsteps.
Now a faculty member as well as interim director for the Neag School’s Higher Education and Student Affairs (HESA) program, Castillo-Montoya has brought along her knowledge and passion for teaching and learning in classrooms with diverse college students. Among her most recent endeavors is creating a professional development seminar to help university faculty engage in and activate classroom diversity. This project is funded by American College Personnel Association (ACPA) as well as the Neag School through the Dean’s Research Incentive Award. Castillo-Montoya plans to pilot the program during the 2016-17 academic year.
This project comes on the heels of a collaboration with three colleagues at other universities that involved providing professional development on how to develop equity-minded syllabi, pedagogy, and assignments in graduate-level higher education and student affairs courses. The material, which she presented this past spring at the American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Meeting, is something she says she hopes to expand in reach, both nationally and internationally.
Castillo-Montoya is also serving, in collaboration with Neag School faculty Jennifer McGarry, Blanca Rincón, and Justin Evanovich, as principal investigator on a Public Discourse Project funded by the UConn Humanities Institute focused on mapping out the social justice and equity efforts of faculty and staff at the Neag School.
Thriving in her research and her teaching, Castillo-Montoya says she enjoys being a part of the Neag School of Education. “The Neag School is thinking hard about diversity. We’re on the right path,” she says. “I’m in a place where people care about understanding how to be better educators.”
Focused Scholarand Supportive Mentor As an academic scholar, Castillo-Montoya thinks beyond her own classroom. But, she says, it is not uncommon for a student to pose a question in class that then inspires an idea for research. In fact, upon her arrival at the Neag School, many of her HESA students expressed an interest in learning more about how their social identities shape who they are, how they interact with others, and, ultimately, how they engage in their practice as student affairs professionals. Immediately, Castillo-Montoya considered how her research in teaching in classrooms with diverse students and her scholarly interest in intergroup dialogue could become a method for teaching within HESA.
Those initial thoughts are now fueling her teaching as well as her research. This past spring semester, Castillo-Montoya was awarded a UConn Reads grant to develop and implement three dialogues on race at the Neag School. She led these sessions with program specialist Danielle DeRosa and in partnership with faculty and staff from the Neag School and the Division of Student affairs. This fall, Castillo-Montoya, along with DeRosa and UConn staff, Charmane Thurmand and Rebecca Herman, will continue this work by launching a revised version of the HESA groups course to incorporate intergroup dialogue as a central feature of the course. Castillo-Montoya is also collaborating with Rincón on a research grant they received as part of the White House Collaborative on Equity in Research on Women and Girls of Color. They will examine how race dialogues may mediate department climates for women of color studying STEM fields in college.
In addition to serving as an assistant professor, Milagros Castillo-Montoya is also interim director of the higher education and student affairs (HESA) program at the Neag School. (Photo Credit: Nellie Schaefer/Neag School)
“What I research impacts what I teach, and vice versa,” says Castillo-Montoya, who has received special recognition for her teaching evaluations for the past two years from UConn Provost Mun Choi and Vice Provost for Academic Affairs Sally Reislast fall and also was selected by ACPA as one of its 2016-18 Emerging Scholar-Designees. “There’s a lot of synergy between the two — they’re always speaking to each other in my brain.”
The synergy Castillo-Montoya likes to cultivate with students inside the classroom also occurs outside of it. For instance, Castillo-Montoya, along with HESA alum Truth Hunter ’14 MA, is working on research about racial microaggression that they anticipate will support practitioners, professors, and administrators alike, who want to alleviate the disempowerment experienced by those who are targets of such incidents.
Hunter, now assistant director of educational opportunity programs at Bard College, was new to research when she joined the project, but says she found in Castillo-Montoya an invaluable mentor who showed her how to practice discipline and time management skills. Castillo-Montoya also led by example, Hunter says, pouring enthusiasm and energy into her work that proved infectious.
“She made it clear that we would share the work 50-50, and that she was going to treat me like a valued colleague,” Hunter says. “This way of thinking is rare. Often times, young scholars are only considered as ‘assistants,’ but she made sure she treated me like an actual partner.”
Castillo-Montoya’s scholarly focus on inclusive practices and how to incorporate them into diverse classrooms means that her research findings become key components of her course curricula. At the same time, a hallmark of her classes is the attention given to in-depth discussions. In her course “Leading in a Multicultural Environment,” students engage in group dialogue beyond class material, around real-world issues such as discrimination and injustice in higher education. Woven into each discussion are higher-level questions where Castillo-Montoya’s students are encouraged to incorporate personal experiences into their responses — albeit challenging at first, she says, but by the end of the semester, they are much more comfortable discussing such heavy topics — even when they disagree. One of the most important skills they learn, she says, is how to talk through disagreements.
Fostering this ability in students requires Castillo-Montoya to connect with her students on an individual level, says Alessia Satterfield ’16 MA, a recent Neag School graduate.
“There is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ mentality because Dr. Castillo-Montoya invests in every student based on where they are in their own journey. She always asks and follows up about life outside of class,” Satterfield says. “There is more than just teaching going on in her classroom; there is constant love and support.”
“The Neag School is thinking hard about diversity. We’re on the right path. I’m in a place where people care about understanding how to be better educators.” Milagros Castillo-Montoya, assistant professor
“I never viewed differences as a bad thing, but rather as a resource and an opportunity,” says Castillo-Montoya.
Inclusion Versus Isolation Growing up in Jersey City, N.J., and experiencing a range of perspectives and backgrounds was a part of everyday life for Castillo-Montoya. Attending school was a lesson in diversity — not due to the material taught in class, she says, but through her interactions with fellow students, among whom a plethora of religions, languages, cultures, ethnicities, races, and sexualities co-existed.
“I knew a lot about other cultures through conversations outside the classroom, but not through [class] material. I didn’t know that could’ve been incorporated,” she says. “It made me someone who was really interested in and valued differences. I never viewed differences as a bad thing, but rather as a resource and an opportunity.”
However, that inclusive, multicultural environment that Castillo-Montoya had become accustomed to all changed when she entered college. It was a dramatic change, she says, to become immersed in an environment where certain groups of students felt disconnected — even isolated — from the larger campus community.
Seeing other minority students struggle in this environment, Castillo-Montoya’s honors thesis and project became devoted to studying the campus climate for Latino students. As her education progressed, she broadened her academic focus to include the education experiences of all minorities. Castillo-Montoya went on to receive a master’s degree in social work from Rutgers and a doctorate degree in education in higher and postsecondary education from Columbia University.
While these personal experiences have certainly come to shape her research interests, they also have come to play a central role in her philosophy inside and outside the classroom. To Castillo-Montoya, her students’ unique set of beliefs, values, and experiences allows them to serve as a resource — one that improves student learning as well as her own approach to teaching.
“I wouldn’t be who I am,” she says, “without this diversity.”
To learn more about the Neag School’s HESA program, visit hesa.uconn.edu. Follow Dr. Castillo-Montoya on Twitter at @DrMontoya2.
In this new series, the Neag School is 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.
Click the image below to check out an interactive, 360-degree view from inside UConn’s Scholars House.
Neag School senior and Scholars House resident assistant Reuben Pierre-Louis (far left) snaps a 360-degree photo of a room in the new Learning Community at UConn, where new students are moving in today.
ScHOLA²RS House – which stands for Scholastic House Of Leaders who are African-American Researchers & Scholars — is designed to support the scholastic efforts of male students who identify as African-American/Black through academic and social/emotional support, access to research opportunities, and professional development. For more information about ScHOLA2RS House, visit lc.uconn.edu/schola2rshouse/, or check out this video.
What is your hometown? Stamford, Conn.
What degree(s) are you pursuing at the Neag School of Education? I am pursuing a bachelor’s degree in education with a concentration in special education and a master’s degree in educational psychology through the Neag School of Education IB/M Program.
What led you to choose to pursue a degree in the field of education? I chose this profession because I love to learn what I was taught and teach what I have learned. One of the main reasons I chose this profession is the bad experience I had in the the school system growing up. Looking back now, I felt robbed of an education. As if I was “pickpocketed.” I watched how the tracking system in high school was so vast that you would think we were in the 1960s school system. I watched many black and Hispanics, especially men, die through many systematic pits. I watched a school system that would breed “us” to believe that our only salvation was either holding a football or a basketball. I know this sounds cliché, but I truly believe I can and will make a difference one day.
What are your ultimate career goals once you complete your degree? I want to go back and help uplift poor communities, especially the black community, and make a change. I want to teach at a school that I can believe in. A phrase that I heard from another teacher that always stuck with me is: “The best teachers need to be at the worst schools.” It does not always work out that way. I am also interested in special education research — in particular, mental health disorders. [I grew up with] a father who was diagnosed with schizophrenia; it really changes your perspectives on things. I want to figure out the underlying causing of mental health disorders, but most importantly, what is the best treatment possible.
“I want to … help uplift poor communities, especially the black community, and make a change. I want to teach at a school that I can believe in.” Reuben Pierre-Louis ’17 (ED), ’18 MA
What kind of support have you received along the way from faculty mentors during your time at the Neag School of Education? I would say the tag team counselors [academic advisors] Dominique Battle-Lawson and Mia Hines have helped me on a consistent basis. They have helped me in so many different ways, from passing the Praxis test, [giving me] recommendations, and the list goes on. One of the main social supports for me was former graduate assistant Justis Lopez ’14 (ED), ’15 MA. Before I got accepted [to the Neag School], Justis helped me along the way. Also, faculty like Joseph Cooper and Erik Hines [ScHOLA²RS House faculty director] are role models for me as an African-American male. Even though I am the only black male in most of my classes now, I feel comfortable to know that there is a decent amount of African-American faculty that I can talk to.
Neag School student Reuben Pierre-Louis, left, will serve as a resident assistant this coming academic year in UConn’s new Learning Community, ScHOLA²RS House. (Photo Credit: Ryan Glista/Neag School)
As a resident assistant at ScHOLA²RSHouse, in what ways do you envision being able to support the students who will be a part of this new Learning Community? I think I will be able to serve as a leader, mentor, and a friend to the students in this Learning Community. I see myself providing advice and guidance on a daily to weekly basis to help them to stay on track. I want the students to succeed not only academically, but also socially on campus. What I learned through my years in college is that you can be a great student academically for a while, but if you do not have a solid social network, it most likely won’t last.
What do you see as the greatest benefit of launching ScHOLA²RSHouse as a new Learning Community? Students of color will have a space in a predominantly white institution.
Why do you feel it is important for UConn to establish a Learning Community like this? If they don’t, the University will slowly lose its black population … Why do you think the University has on-campus centers like the AACC (African American Cultural Center)? If UConn starts losing its educated black population to … HBCUs [Historically Black Colleges and Universities], this can affect the economy of Connecticut because people usually work in the state where they graduate. This Learning Community is bigger than what it appears.
What do you believe makes a great educator? A great educator has to be personable, humble to learn, and has to be self-driven.
What is one thing most people may not know about you? I am Haitian.
The Neag School of Education welcomes three new faculty members this fall.
Adam B. Feinberg, Ph.D., a board-certified behavior analyst (BCBA-D), is an assistant research professor in the Department of Educational Psychology and the director of the Northeast PBIS Network. His research and clinical interests include the development and implementation of Multi-Tier Systems of Supports in schools and districts, with a focus on developing and supporting coaching knowledge, skills, and networks. He earned his Ph.D. in school psychology from Lehigh University and currently is a licensed psychologist in Massachusetts.
Jason G. Irizarry is an associate professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and faculty associate in El Instituto: Institute for Latina/a, Caribbean and Latin American Studies. He has taught undergraduate and graduate courses in multicultural education, culturally responsive curriculum development, participatory action research, and urban education. A central focus of his work involves promoting the academic achievement of youth in urban schools by addressing issues associated with educator preparation. His first book, The Latinization of U.S. Schools: Successful Teaching and Learning in Shifting Cultural Contexts, was awarded the Phillip C. Chin Book Award from the National Association for Multicultural Education. He is also the co-editor of Diaspora Studies in Education: Toward a Framework for Understanding the Experiences of Transnational Communities. Irizarry has an Ed.D. from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst.
Eric Loken, Ph.D., is an associate professor in the Department of Educational Psychology, affiliated with the Measurement, Evaluation and Assessment program. His interests focus on latent variable models, Bayesian inference, and methods for reproducible science. He received his Ph.D. from Harvard University and studies advanced statistical modeling with applications to large scale educational testing.
The Chronicle of Higher Education (Neag School student Rueben Pierre-Louis and professor Erik Hines were interviewed for this story about the living community)
Congratulations to our Neag School alumni, faculty, staff, and students on their continued accomplishments inside and outside the classroom. 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.
In addition to the Dean’s Office and Department achievements, explore this edition’s list of Accolades for the following: Faculty/Staff; Alumni; Students, as well as In Memoriam.
Dean’s Office and Departments
UConn’s Office of the Provost announced funding for fiscal year 2017 for several Academic Plan proposals, including those of Neag School faculty members. Glenn Mitoma is part of the Business and Human Rights Engaged Research Project through the Thomas J. Dodd Research Center; and Sandra Chafouleas is co-leading the Collaboratory on School and Child Health, designed to facilitate innovative connections across research, policy, and practice arenas relevant to school and child health.
Department of Curriculum and Instruction (EDCI)
The Bridging Math Practices project, supported by a Math-Science Partnership grant from the Connecticut State Department of Education, brought together 30 educators from across the state for a five-day intensive workshop on using mathematical argumentation in the classroom to support student engagement and learning. Participants considered the mathematics and structure of arguments, effective tasks, routines, and classroom discourse, among other topics. The grant ends this September, and professional development materials from this project, as well as other project resources, are available here to further support teachers across the state.
Neag School partner school Kennelly School in Hartford has won the National Network for Educational Renewal (NNER) Richard Clark Exemplary Partnership Award for 2016.
Luis Organista, a student in the Teacher Certification Program for College Graduates, works with students in the STEM camp held at Norwich Free Academy in July. (Photo Credit: Shawn Kornegay/Neag School)
Students currently earning state certification to become science teachers as part of the Teacher Certification Program for College Graduates (TCPCG) at UConn’s Neag School of Education had their first school-based practice teaching experience, thanks to a partnership with Norwich Free Academy. Head of NFA’s science department Stephani Jones and NFA science teacher Sara Leisten worked with John Settlage, professor of science teacher education at the UConn Avery Point campus, to offer a free summer STEM enrichment program at NFA. Neag School Dean Kersaint also visited for a day to interact with schoolchildren and TCPCG students. Read more here.
Department of Educational Leadership (EDLR)
Several Region 14 (Bethlehem and Woodbury, Conn.) teachers and staff have continued to expand their skill sets by taking part in a seven-day learning project put on by UConn and Region 14. Region 14 partnered with UConn’s Neag School of Education to create the seven-day intensive, hands-on-learning project called the Region 14 Teacher Leadership Academy, during which educators learned new techniques for engaging students in gaining math-problem-solving skills. The Neag School also recently partnered with Windham Public Schools to launch a similar project, designed to develop a common language and understanding of quality instruction within the context of an urban setting. Both projects launched during the summer and will continue through the 2016-17 academic year.
Congratulations to the Neag School’s Executive Leadership Program Class of 2016 cohort.
Congratulations to the Neag School’s Executive Leadership Program (ELP) Class of 2016 cohort on completing the program this past spring.
Department of Educational Psychology (EPSY)
Seventy-three educators from elementary and middle schools in South Korea visited the Neag School this summer to learn about gifted education and the research taking place at the National Center for Research on Gifted Education. Del Siegle provided an overview of the Center’s current work to the visitors, while Neag School postdoc Rachel Mun provided information on the Center’s work on gifted students. Joseph Renzulli also attended and answered questions about his work.
Educators from schools in South Korea visited the Neag School this summer to learn about gifted education and the research taking place at the National Center for Research on Gifted Education. (Photo courtesy of Del Siegle)
The National Center for Creativity, Gifted Education, and Talent Development and the Neag School of Education welcomed more than 650 educators from across the U.S. and numerous countries to Confratute in July. For nearly four decades, Confratute has attracted more than 26,000 educators worldwide for a highly acclaimed, enrichment-based program. The weeklong program is geared toward providing educators with research-based, practical strategies for engagement and enrichment learning for all students, as well as meeting the needs of gifted and talented students. Confratute provides an opportunity for a blending of educators interested in gifted education, differentiation of instruction and curriculum, and creativity and innovation in education. View Confratute 2016’s photo album here.
Faculty/Staff
Michele Back was recognized with a Scholarship Facilitation Fund Award from UConn’s Office of the Vice President for Research for her work “Translation and Editing of a Multi-authored Volume on Race and Racialized Discourse in Peru.” The Award is designed to assist faculty in the initiation, completion, or advancement of research projects, scholarly activities, creative works, or interdisciplinary initiatives that are critical to advancing the faculty member’s scholarship and/or creative projects.
Todd Campbell co-published with Neag School doctoral student TJ McKenna and another colleague the “Connecticut Science Center Teen Innovation Program: A Research Practice Partnership in an Informal STEM Leaning Environment for Supporting Teen Identity” for the Connecticut Science Center.” Campbell also co-published “The Theoretical and Empirical Basis of Teacher Leadership” for the Review of Educational Research.
Alum Steve Kilgus and Professor Sandra Chafouleas received awards from Division 16 of the American Psychological Association. (Photo courtesy of Sandra Chafouleas)
Sandy Chafouleas won the American Psychological Association’s Division 16 Tom Oakland Mid-Career Scholarship Award. This is the inaugural year for the award, which honors Tom Oakland, a champion of Division 16.
Casey Cobb served as a featured guest during a Twitter chat about integrated education hosted by the Capitol Region Education Council (CREC) this past June.
Michael Coyne served as a panel member for “What Works Clearinghouse Practice Guide,” released in July by the Institute of Education Sciences. The guide offers strategies for teaching foundational reading skills in the early grades. He also co-published “Replication Research and Special Education” in the journal Remedial and Special Education; read more here.
Michele Femc-Bagwell gave a keynote presentation on the CommPACT project at the Waterbury Parent Conference in Waterbury, Conn., in May.
Jennifer Freeman, Allison Lombardi, Brandi Simonsen, and Michel Coyne co-published with other colleagues “Replication of Special Education Research: Necessary But Far Too Rare” in a the journal Remedial and Special Education.
Professor E. Jean Gubbins of the Neag School and a group of Neag School alumni have received the 2016 Curriculum Network Curriculum Award from the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) in recognition of a math unit titled “Geometry & Measurement for All Shapes & Sizes,” developed for the National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented. The unit was developed by Gubbins as well as alumni Shelbi Cole’10 Ph.D., Nancy Heilbronner ’09 Ph.D., Jeffrey Corbishley ’07 (ED), Jennifer Savino ’12 Ph.D., and Rachel McAnallen ’11 Ph.D. The awards competition seeks to identify different curriculum units, for heterogeneous classrooms and gifted education programs, that can be shared with other educators as models of exemplary curriculum. The award will be presented at the 2016 NAGC Annual Convention in Orlando, Fla., in November.
Mia Hines, Dominique Battle-Lawson, Ann Traynor, Mark Kohan, René Roselle, and Dorothea Anagnostopoulos co-wrote a blog post this July for the AACTE’s EdPrep Matters blog, outlining the success of the networked improvement community in attracting greater numbers of students of color to the Neag School’s teacher preparation program.
James Kaufman co-published “Problem Clarity as a Moderator between Trait Affect and Self-Perceived Creativity” in The Journal of Creative Behavior. He also recently received a Presidential citation recognizing his work as the Chair of Media Watch Committee for Division 46, the Society for Media Psychology and Technology, of the American Psychological Association.
Marijke Kehrhahn has been appointed head of the Independent Day School in Middlefield, Conn.
After 21 years at the Neag School, Marijke Kehrhahn has been appointed head of the Independent Day School in Middlefield, Conn.
Allison Lombardi contributed a chapter on disability and diversity in higher education for Transforming Understanding of Diversity in Higher Education, published by Stylus Publishing in July. She also is involved with the Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) program grant, awarded to UConn this July by the Association of University Centers in Disabilities (AUCD). The program prepares trainees from a wide variety of professional disciplines to assume leadership roles in the delivery of services to children with autism and other neurodevelopmental disabilities in clinical practice, research, and public policy.
Two Neag School faculty members, Jennifer McGarry and Jaci VanHeest, received seed grants of $15,000 each from UConn’s Institute for Collaboration on Health, Intervention, Prevention, and Policy (InCHIP). McGarry’s grant will focus on “Effectiveness of Brain Breaks to Improve Physical Literacy.” VanHeest’s grant will focus on “Examining the Effects of a Novel Exergaming Experience in Middle-School Youth.”
A group of middle and high school teachers discuss the question of what causes genocide during the Upstander Academy at the Thomas J. Dodd Research Center this summer. (Photo Credit: Sean Flynn/UConn Photo)
Bianca Montrosse-Moorhead will give an invited talk this month on the future of evaluation, specifically as it relates to building the capacity to do and use evaluation, at the European Evaluation Society conference, sponsored and chaired by the European Evaluation Society President.
Joseph Renzulli was recognized with a surprise celebration for his 80th birthday. During the celebration, it was announced that the Neag Center for Creativity, Gifted Education, and Talent Development is being renamed the Renzulli Center for Creativity, Gifted Education, and Talent Development. Renzulli was also recently recognized by his alma mater, Rowan University, with the Lifetime Service Award, which was given to him at the University’s 2016 Golden Years Reunion in June.
Blanca Rincón was one of 27 faculty members University-wide to receive a Scholarship Facilitation Fund Award from UConn’s Office of the Vice President for Research, for her project titled “The STEM Race Transfer Gap? Examining STEM Transfer Rates for Connecticut Community College (CCC) Students.” The award is designed to assist faculty in the initiation, completion, or advancement of research projects, scholarly activities, creative works, or interdisciplinary initiatives that are critical to advancing the faculty member’s scholarship and/or creative projects.
Richard Schwab, longtime commissioner for the National Commission on Teaching & America’s Future (NCTAF) helped shape a newly released national report titled “What Matters Now: A New Compact for Teaching and Learning,” aimed at helping educators reorganize the nation’s education system. Read additional coverage here, or access the full report here.
Associate Professor serves on a panel this June at Spotlight Theater in Hartford, Conn., during the UConn Science Salon focused on elite athletes and exercise. (Photo Credit: Peter Morenus/UConn)
Jaci VanHeest served as a panelist for UConn’s latest Science Salon, focused on elite athletes and exercise, in Hartford this past June.
Sarah Woulfin published “Fusing Organizational Theory, Policy, and Leadership: A Depiction of Policy Learning Activities in a Principal Preparation Program” in the Journal of Research on Leadership Education.
Kristen Juskiewicz, a third-year Ph.D. student in the Neag School’s Measurement, Evaluation, and Assessment program, recently completed an 11-week internship as a Summer Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) Fellow at the Army Public Health Center at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland. There, she worked in the Health Promotion and Wellness Division, specifically for the Public Health Assessment Directorate, which focuses specifically on conducting evaluations of public health initiatives, programs, and policies within the realm of the Army.
Laura Kern, now in her final year of the Ph.D. program in educational psychology, with a focus on special education, has received a grant from the Wing Institute, to be used this academic year for her dissertation study. Kern’s dissertation will focus on professional development for supervisors of school recess, a self-management intervention that uses a checklist and direct behavior ratings to increase active adult supervision.
Doctoral student TJ McKenna hosted a webinar titled “Spark: NGSS-Using Phenomena to Engage Students” this June, which resulted in more than 500 registrations from 36 countries.
Allison Shefcyk, master’s student in educational psychology program with a concentration in special education, recently completed an internship at the Department of State’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, where she worked under Judy Heumann, Special Advisor for International Disability Rights. As part of her internship work, Shefcyk conducted research regarding such issues as refugees with disabilities and ending gender-based violence against women and girls with disabilities, and met with international groups to offer insights into U.S. practices on education and employment of persons with disabilities.
The Neag School hosted a UConn sport management Korean alumni homecoming event this past July. (Photo credit: Shawn Kornegay/Neag School)
The Neag School hosted a UConn sport management Korean alumni homecoming event this past July. The alumni toured ESPN, attended a Boston Red Sox game, went golfing at Lyman Orchards Golf Club, and visited MLB headquarters. The group gathers at least once a year to participate in academic conferences in the U.S. and have met several times in Korea. The group includes Ph.D. and MS alumni, along with a former Neag School professor and colleagues from other institutions.
Karen Adamson ’79 (ED), ’87 MA, ’04 6th Year has been named the new executive director for Bloomfield, Conn.-based Operation Fuel. Adamson comes to Operation Fuel from the Access Community Action Agency in Willimantic, Conn., where she was vice president of community engagement and performance.
Alan Addley ’14 Ph.D. was named president of the Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents. (Photo credit: Granby Public Schools)
Alan Addley ’14 Ph.D., currently superintendent of Granby Public Schools, was named president of the Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents (CAPSS), a statewide nonprofit educational administration organization, which represents public school superintendents, assistant superintendents, and other educational leaders across the state. Addley’s term will run from July 1, 2016, to June 30, 2017.
Navy Cmdr. Anthony R. Artino ’08 Ph.D., a professor and deputy directory for graduate programs in health professions education in the department of medicine at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU), received a $1.6 million grant to study new methods for measuring clinical reasoning through a project titled “Developing Assessment Tools to Better Understand the Mechanisms of Clinical Reasoning in Military Medical Simulation.” He is an alum of the Neag School’s Cognition, Instruction, and Learning Technology (CILT) program. A fellow alum of the Neag School’s CILT program, Katherine Picho ’11 Ph.D., is part of the research team, serving as a senior research associate at USU.
Rebecca (Sanford) Borbas ’94 (SFA), ’94 (ED) was recently selected as the 2016-17 Teacher of the Year award in Watertown, Conn. Borbas is the band and music teacher at Swift Middle School in Watertown.
Cynthia Callahan’15 6th Year was named principal in East Hartford’s Langford Elementary School. Callahan comes to East Hartford from the Asian Studies Academy at Dwight Belizzi School in Hartford, Conn., where she served as the dean of students.
Christina Conetta ’06 (CLAS), ’07 MA, ’15 MA, a social studies teacher at Weston High School, in Weston, Conn., was named 2017 Weston Teacher of the Year.
Kevin Demille’13 (ED) served as support staff for the women’s basketball team at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
Frank “Chip” Gawle ’81 (ED) recently retired after 35 years of service as a music teacher at Wilton High School, in Wilton, Conn. (Photo credit: Scott Mullin /Hearst Connecticut Media)
Tony Girasoli’94 (CLAS), ’06 MA, ’09 6th Year, ’16 Ph.D. received the National Education Research Association’s (NERA) Best Paper by a Graduate Student Award for his paper “Using Digital Stories to Increase High School Students’ Writing Self-Efficacy.” His paper will be featured in the NERA Researcher and the entire paper is typically featured on the NERA website.
Melissa Gonzalez ’11 (ED) competed in the Olympics for the second time, this time as a Team USA captain for field hockey. Read the full story here.
David J. Guertin ’05 (CLAS), ’06 MA was named 2016-17 Teacher of the Year by Enfield Public Schools. Guertin, a science teacher at John F. Kennedy Middle School in Enfield, Conn., will represent Enfield at the state level in the Connecticut Teacher of the Year process.
Thomas C. Healy ’11 6th Year was appointed interim principal for Central Middle School in Greenwich.
Sarah Hodge’15 (ED), ’16 MA served as Bulkeley High School’s 2016 commencement speaker. Hodge is a graduate of Bulkeley’s Teacher Preparation Program in Hartford, Conn. Check out our profile story on Hodge, who is headed into her first year teaching this fall in Windham, Conn.
Sport management alum Melissa Gonzalez ’11 (ED) took part in the 2016 Olympics in Rio. (Photo Credit: Mark Palczewski)
Kate Lund’06 (ED), ’07 MA, ’12 6th Year was promoted to the position of supervisor of secondary English in Glastonbury Schools. She was previously the assistant principal of Smith Middle School in Glastonbury, Conn.
Sport management alum Stephanie Mazerolle’05 Ph.D., assistant professor of kinesiology at UConn, received the first-ever Emerging Educator Award from the National Athletic Trainers’ Association. She was honored at the 67th NATA Clinical Symposia and AT Expo in Baltimore this past June.
Laura Norbut’16 6th Year was appointed assistant principal of Smith Middle School in Glastonbury, Conn. She has taught history/social studies at Westbrook Middle School, Glastonbury High School, and Smith Middle School.
Christine A. Sullivan’15 Ph.D. recently joined Berchem, Moses & Devlin, P.C. in Milford, Conn., as senior counsel in the firm’s education law department. She is the former director of education and training at the UConn Health Center, A.J. Pappanikou Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, Education, Research and Service.
In Memoriam
Robert Colbert, associate professor of the Neag School, passed away on Aug. 12, 2016.
Matthew H. Brady ’72
Bernyce M. Brennan ’57 Robert Colbert, faculty
Robert V. Cramer ’66
Susan L. Fredrickson ’59
Gary Gelmini ’81
Jacqueline S. Gherlone ’60
Maria Guijarro ’14
Marilyn K. Harmon ’74
Robert H. Horton ’77
William Jellema, faculty
Mary S. Keegan ’64
Maureen F. Lange ’57
Barbara S. Lasher ’78
William A. Loughlin, Jr. ’81
Deloria L. Mabry ’76
Helene B. Mochrie ’49
Penelope P. Murphy ’67
Mary L. O’Connor ’65
Howard S. Rogers ’65
Leslie M. Sabato ’74
Brian D. Sullivan ’76
Robert R. Weigold Jr. ’52
William E. White Sr. ’62
Jane M. Wiggin ’89
William J. Wilson ’65
Neag School IB/M alum Sarah Hodge ’15 (ED), ’16 MA, who had enrolled as one of the first students in the Teacher Preparatory Studies Program at Bulkeley High School, will now enter her first year of teaching this fall in Windham, Conn. (Photo credit: Shawn Kornegay/Neag School)
When recent Neag School graduate Sarah Hodge ’15 (ED), ’16 MA was still a high schooler, she enrolled as one of the first students in the Teacher Preparatory Studies Program at Bulkeley High School, an initiative designed to prepare and encourage talented students, particularly from minority groups, to become teachers. Although she found that she liked working with students, a teaching career was not necessarily what she thought she wanted to pursue at the time.
Later enrolled as an undergraduate at UConn, she took a class with Noemi Maldonaldo-Picardi, a Neag School staff member she had previously met through Bulkeley’s teacher prep program. Maldonado’s class, “Inspiring the Urban Educator,” became the first college course Hodge immediately found enjoyable.
The class was small and had numerous guest speakers, one of whom was associate professor Jason Irizarry. He talked about culture, the achievement gap, and other topics that Hodge says particularly resonated with her on a personal level.
Maldonado encouraged Hodge, whom she always saw participating in class, to consider applying to the Neag School. A biology major at the time, Hodge switched majors to science education, ultimately allowing her to combine the things she loved most: science, working with children, and connecting with the community.
Transitioning to School in the U.S. At 9 years old, Hodge immigrated to the U.S. from Puerto Rico with her mother and two brothers. Numerous members of her mother’s side of the family were living in Hartford. Most of them had not finished high school, although many eventually earned their GEDs.
“My grandparents went [to school] up to the third grade,” Hodge says. “Preparing to go college was something my mother always wanted for me.”
Hodge’s mother was born in the U.S., so she taught her children a little bit of English. When Hodge started attending school in Connecticut in the fourth grade, she remembers feeling overwhelmed, encountering her first male teacher and a different environment, where she didn’t know anyone. “I cried because I didn’t want to go into the classroom,” she recalls.
She received English Language Learner services and, the following year, entered a bilingual class. By sixth grade, she was fully immersed in an English language speaking-only classroom.
Along the way, she fell in love with science. “I knew I wasn’t the best writer, and I wasn’t the best reader, but I could do science,” she says. She participated with a science fair and by seventh and eighth grades, became more confident in her writing and speaking skills. “It was through science that I was just like, this is it for me. I’m good at science. I like science, and I could do science.”
“The students in Windham are very lucky to have Sarah as their teacher this fall. … She is one of the most conscientious, caring, and passionate future teachers I have worked with at UConn.” René Roselle, associate clinical professor
From Mentee to Mentor Hodge’s time at UConn began with her participating in the University’s Student Support Services program (SSS), through which she met people from different towns, made new friends, and made connections on campus, even before the start of her freshman fall semester.
Through SSS, Hodge also became involved with numerous opportunities, including Study Abroad in London and peer mentoring, going on to grow active across campus with such groups as the Pre-Med Society, Tae Kwon Do, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, and, most recently, mentoring group Diverse Educators Making Outstanding Change (D.E.M.O.). She was also a Puerto Rican/Latin American Cultural Center (PRLACC) mentee. Looking back, she recalls: “Making friends wasn’t a problem because I joined every possible club.”
Through becoming a mentor with SSS students, she provided her mentees with social support, connections to the community, and insights on how to do their courses online, how to select a schedule, as well as how to find available campus resources.
“One thing I told them was to stay involved,” she says. “I feel like staying involved helps keep you grounded.”
Sarah Hodge connects with Gerardo Heredia, principal of SAND Elementary in Hartford, Conn., during the kickoff event for the new D.E.M.O. mentoring program, held this past January on the UConn Storrs campus.
Working With Children
Her involvement with Big Brothers/Big Sisters at UConn began to expose her to working with children beyond the classroom. Hodge met a young boy, Miguel, who had a story similar to hers. He was in fourth grade when they met and was also a new arrival from Puerto Rico. Hodge felt compelled to help him. “I want to share with other students, and show them they can be, what they can do, and help them grow,” she says.
Their relationship continued for the next three years. In addition to her assisting him with his homework – translating concepts to English or Spanish to help him along — they would also play basketball. “His thing was basketball, so we’d play,” she says. “Since UConn is the basketball capital of the world, he was a big fan.”
Hodge also spent time working at a summer camp in South Windham, Conn., working with people with a variety of development needs, from young children to adults in their 60s. Though initially an aspiring science teacher, she found that her experience with the campers led her to consider a career in special education.
“That summer changed my life completely,” she says. “It was just that moment, working with people with disabilities, that helped me determine what I wanted to do.”
She wanted to learn more about this path, so she shadowed a couple of classrooms and talked to a few teachers, to see how special education worked in a school. Through practicums at the Neag School, she was then able to teach science to special education students. “In my student teaching, we did observations, and [the students] were the scientists,” she says, coming to the realization that “you could incorporate science into anything.”
Looking Ahead Now a UConn grad looking forward to her first year as a practicing teacher — having landed a position in special education at Windham Center in Windham, Conn. — Hodge has been able to rely on the networking sources, supporters, and mentors she has connected with along the way.
Associate clinical professor René Roselle, who once served as the Neag School’s advisor to the Bulkeley teacher prep program, has been one longtime source of support for Hodge. Before Hodge got into the Neag School, they would talk frequently. “René would ask for updates, wanting to know how I was doing,” Hodge says. Roselle mentored and advised her, which continued when Hodge became a Neag School student.
“The students in Windham are very lucky to have Sarah as their teacher this fall,” say Roselle, who is currently the Neag School professional development schools coordinator for Hartford. “She is a thoughtful and creative problem solver, who will work tirelessly to find ways to reach all of her students. Sarah takes the charge of delivering special education services to students very seriously and is a person of high integrity. She is one of the most conscientious, caring, and passionate future teachers I have worked with at UConn.”
Looking back on her past years of student activities and mentoring experiences, as well as her preparation for the classroom through student teaching and internships — including a stint of student teaching at her alma mater, Bulkeley High — Hodge is both excited and nervous for her new career, while grateful for the ongoing support of Roselle and her other mentors.
Although she may not, as a high schooler, have initially imagined for herself a career in teaching, she has now come full circle — going from a Bulkeley High student to a student teacher to graduate of the Neag School’s teacher preparation program, set to begin her professional career.
“I know I have a lot of resources,” she says. “I had all this support these past three years — along with the [Bulkeley] teacher prep program — so I’m ready.”
A elementary student participates in math writing exercises this spring at Southeast Elementary School in Mansfield, Conn. (Photo credit: Shawn Kornegay)
Using Writing to Engage Your Students in Math: Key Recommendations from the NSF-Funded Elementary Mathematics Task Force
While educators have long been encouraged to engage students in writing when teaching math, specific recommendations on how to leverage writing to enhance learning of mathematics have fallen short — until now.
Due to an overall lack of research in the discipline of mathematical writing and the need to improve mathematics understanding among schoolchildren, educators from across Connecticut and the U.S. gathered this past year as a task force to research and determine best practices regarding how elementary-age students can utilize writing to increase their comprehension of mathematics through reasoning.
The 25-member Elementary Mathematical Writing Task Force — funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and co-led by faculty members from the Neag School and Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia — was charged with outlining the types of, and purposes for, mathematical writing at the elementary-grade levels. The task force’s full recommendation report is available online as a free resource for educators.
“For a quarter of a century, the mathematics education field has emphasized communication as a crucial component in learning mathematics,” according to the task force’s project description. “However, until now, descriptions of the types of and purposes for mathematical writing have fallen short in adequately informing instructional practices.”
4 Types of Mathematical Writing The task force included experts across various disciplines — including practitioners and academics from the fields of mathematics education, mathematics, and writing education — in order to guide the project. The group also drew from some members’ experience developing assessments and authoring curriculum resources that attend to mathematical writing.
“It was very important for us to draw from diverse perspectives to ensure we comprehensively addressed mathematical writing and also that, in the end, the recommendations would be applicable in actual classrooms for various student groups,” says Tutita Casa, co-principal investigator on the project and an assistant professor at the Neag School.
The Elementary Mathematical Writing Task Force set out to create a set of recommendations that would have a significant and positive impact on teachers, researchers, curriculum developers, and assessment writers — while ultimately benefiting elementary students. These efforts are beginning to open up a comprehensive line of inquiry in the area of mathematical writing at a critical juncture in the history of mathematics education.
The task force’s report outlines four types of mathematical writing with overarching goals to have students engage in mathematical reasoning and communication:
Exploratory
Informative/explanatory
Argumentative, and
Mathematically creative
The purposes for engaging students in each type of mathematical writing is defined as well. The task force has also reached out regarding conference submittals and papers for possible publication. They have been accepted to present at three conferences thus far, including the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) Annual Conference at Walt Disney World, Fla., the Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators (AMTE) Annual Conference in Orlando, Fla., and the National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics (NCSM) Annual Conference in San Antonio, Texas.
How the Project Came About “The seed for this project was planted years ago when I worked on two federally funded projects that produced and researched the efficacy of advanced mathematics curriculum units,” says Casa. One of those projects, Project M3: Mentoring Mathematical Minds, involved Casa in working “very closely with grades 3-5 teachers and follow[ing] classes of mathematically promising students across three years.” She had also led efforts to help grades K-2 students write mathematically in Project M2: Mentoring Young Mathematicians.
While writing was a feature of those projects, Casa says there was limited literature available at the time describing exactly what students should be writing about in math class. “It became clear to me that the mathematics education field would greatly benefit from more clearly defined types of writing taking place during mathematics instruction and the purposes that could further students’ learning of the content,” she says.
“In terms of teaching, we can now start thinking about how these types of writing could fit within specific math lessons. Many math teachers are not well-versed in how to support writing, or even that they should.” Jack Dieckmann, associate director of curriculum at Stanford University’s Stanford Center for Assessment, Learning, and Equity
The Importance of the Recommendations As a result of the newly issued recommendations, teachers and researchers now can approach their work in much more informed ways, according to members of the task force. Writing has the potential to further individual students’ learning of any content, and having clarity on the type of and purposes for mathematical writing specifically allows educators to maximize their efforts in this particular subject area.
“The recommendations that resulted from the task force may serve to focus discussions about the types of and purposes for mathematical writing that may be most beneficial in enhancing elementary students’ mathematical understanding,” says Janine M. Firmender, co-principal investigator on the project and assistant professor at Saint Joseph’s University.
Prior to the creation of the task force, research in mathematical writing was limited. Even today, according to Casa, any recommendations on mathematical writing similar to those issued by the Elementary Mathematical Task Force do not yet appear to exist.
“There is nothing in mathematics education literature of which we were aware of, which was the impetus for this project,” she says. “There are very few mathematics educators who have comprehensively done work in this area, and, thus, we did not have explicit expectations for the task force’s outcomes. We did hope that the recommendations were going to bring much needed clarity, and are thrilled that this was the case.”
According to task force member Jack Dieckmann, associate director of curriculum at Stanford University’s Stanford Center for Assessment, Learning, and Equity (SCALE), the “recommendations are important because they provide a sort of taxonomy for the different kinds of writing in math that we value.”
“Now that we have this list, we can start examining curricula to see how these types of writing are supported, or could be supported,” he says. “Also, in terms of teaching, we can now start thinking about how these types of writing could fit within specific math lessons. Many math teachers are not well-versed in how to support writing, or even that they should.”
How Can the Recommendations Be Used? “Teachers first can realize the potential influence that writing can have on students’ learning of mathematics,” says Casa. “They can maximize the time they already take to have their students write in math class or begin to implement mathematical writing informatively.”
The recommendations provide various purposes for mathematical writing, which should drive the types of writing that students can do. Teachers will now have another tool to further students’ mathematical reasoning in addition to, for example, oral discourse and manipulatives.
Educators may utilize the task force’s recommendations in a variety of other ways as well, says Firmender. “For example, the recommendations may serve as a lens through which professional development can be offered or how teachers may view mathematical writing tasks and student writing.”
“I think the best use for now would be for teachers to read and reflect to see if they understand these types of writing,” says Dieckmann. “Some professional development or more student examples might be needed. But then teachers can start to see where they can incorporate them into their teaching.”
The expectation is that students will also benefit directly. “Students now can have an additional medium from which to make sense of mathematics and further their reasoning,” says Casa. “Mathematicians write all of the time, and having students learn that this is a key component of the discipline can allow them to have a more authentic vision of the discipline.”
Learn more about the Elementary Mathematical Task Force — and access the final recommendations for free — at mathwriting.education.uconn.edu.
Joseph Madaus is now serving as the Neag School associate dean for academic affairs. (Photo Credit: Ryan Glista/Neag School)
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.
Starting at the Neag School as a graduate assistant in the ’90s while working toward a special education doctorate from UConn, Madaus rose up through the ranks to become professor, then director of the Center on Postsecondary Education and Disability (CPED), followed most recently by an appointment as interim director of UConn’s Avery Point campus.
“When this [associate dean] position at the Neag School became available, it was an opportunity to learn more, to continue to develop my skills, but also to give back to the Neag School,” Madaus says. “I’ve been extremely fortunate, going from graduate assistant to professor here. I wanted to give back to the School in that role.”
“One of my main goals is to help Dean Kersaint get adjusted and do whatever I can do to help her,” Madaus says. “I have some knowledge of the University and School, with 19 years here at UConn; I hope I can be helpful to her.”
In addition, he looks forward to working with the faculty and staff across the School. “I know that one of the big things that I’m working on right now, and will continue, is accreditation, both for the School and for the different programs,” he says.
“[The Neag School] is really a dynamic place that’s continuing to grow. … It’s been described as a family; I really do believe that that’s true.” Joseph Madaus, associate dean for academic affairs
Madaus will continue his work with the CPED, although other Neag School faculty, including assistant professor Allison Lombardi, will take on larger roles. Already, they are planning for one of the Center’s main programs, the Postsecondary Disability Training Institute, which recently celebrated its 28th year this past June with sold-out attendance. The 29th Institute will take place in Boston.
Madaus and Lombardi have been considering other opportunities for the Center, including possible realignments, and collaborating and sharing more resources. “I’m going to continue as the director,” Madaus says. “Time will tell how much time I will actually have to apply to that part.”
Currently serving on several University committees, Madaus also anticipates working with fellow associate deans from other Schools and Colleges on campus — while making connections beyond campus as well.
“Another big area is working with people from the State Department of Education, getting to know that network, the policymakers and school administrators,” he says. “There are a lot of dynamic people that I know I’ll be crossing paths with over the next several months and years, so I’m very excited. That will always give me the opportunity to learn more.”
From Neag School Student to Leader Most recently having served for one year as interim director of UConn’s Avery Point location in Groton, Conn., Madaus worked with staff and faculty, trying to identify common goals and create opportunities or problem-solve based on available resources and challenges. There, he says he came to realize how large and complex the University is and how many people are involved in different aspects of its operation — giving him a kind of bird’s-eye perspective that will prove valuable in his new position.
Having earned his doctoral degree at UConn, Madaus has a strong understanding and appreciation of the quality of faculty and students within the Neag School, and of the School itself — and says he envisions that the School will continue to climb, in terms of its national rankings and in terms of the number and quality of students from underrepresented populations admitted to its undergraduate and graduate programs.
Looking back, he says the Neag School has “always been a very supportive place to work. As a young faculty member, you had mentors who took care of you, and I know that’s still happening. I think we do a great job of putting young faculty into positions where they can be successful, and get them into research teams, so they are part of a research agenda.”
Meanwhile, Madaus sees the Neag School with a strong future. “It’s really a dynamic place that’s continuing to grow. … It’s been described as a family; I really do believe that that’s true.”
Adam B. Feinberg, Ph.D., a board-certified behavior analyst (BCBA-D), is an assistant research professor in the Department of Educational Psychology and the director of the Northeast PBIS Network. His research and clinical interests include the development and implementation of Multi-Tier Systems of Supports in schools and districts, with a focus on developing and supporting coaching knowledge, skills, and networks. He earned his Ph.D. in school psychology from Lehigh University and currently is a licensed psychologist in Massachusetts.
Eric Loken, Ph.D., is an associate professor in the Department of Educational Psychology, affiliated with the Measurement, Evaluation and Assessment program. His interests focus on latent variable models, Bayesian inference, and methods for reproducible science. He received his Ph.D. from Harvard University and studies advanced statistical modeling with applications to large scale educational testing.
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