From online streaming to health care systems, from retailers to researchers, the demand for knowledgeable and skilled data scientists has never been greater. (Sean Flynn/UConn Photo)
Editor’s Note: This article on a new interdisciplinary master’s degree, including two Neag School professors Betsy McCoach and Kylie Anglin, was originally featured in UConn Today.
Meeting the growing demand for data scientists to tackle the most complex problems in society.
From online streaming to health care systems, from retailers to researchers, the demand for knowledgeable and skilled data scientists has never been greater.
UConn has stepped up to meet the need with the launch of a new multidisciplinary Master’s in Data Science program and an inaugural full-time cohort of 20 students starting in the upcoming Fall 2022 semester.
“The demand has been nothing short of extraordinary,” says Peter Diplock, UConn’s associate vice-provost for the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning and co-director of the master’s program.
Based on the Storrs campus, the 11-month and 30-credit program draws from faculty expertise in five of UConn’s schools and colleges: the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources; the School of Business; the School of Engineering; the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences; and the Neag School of Education.
Beyond the 18 credit multidisciplinary core curriculum – which includes a strong focus on ethics as well as design, programming, machine learning, and data analysis – students can choose from 12 different areas of concentration within the program that range from bioinformatics to cybersecurity to social and behavioral analytics.
“Although the core set of knowledge for students who are interested in applying data science to something like marketing are the same as someone who would apply it to health informatics, the way in which it’s applied, the way you get the data, the way you deal with the data, the way you interpret the data once it’s collected, is going to be different for somebody who’s doing marketing than somebody who’s doing health informatics,” explains Kent Holsinger, UConn’s vice provost for graduate education, dean of The Graduate School, and co-director of the master’s program.
“The interest has been extraordinary, and the diversity of students interested has been affirming.”
— Associate Vice Provost Peter Diplock
“We wanted to make sure that students had a good, solid foundation in the fundamentals of data science,” Holsinger says, “with the opportunity to specialize in areas that were of particular interest to them and for pursuing careers.”
All students in the new master’s program will complete a team-based capstone project, where they’ll work to solve a real-world problem and develop practical skills through an experiential learning opportunity.
“We’re cultivating opportunities to work with employers in the state of Connecticut, and in the region and beyond, on projects – messy, sticky problems that are characteristic of the kind of projects employers face daily,” Diplock says. “These projects are critically important for students to be able to develop key competencies of practice related to data integrity and quality, surfacing assumptions, iterative model building, and communicating insights and impacts.”
While the initial cohort will partake in an in-person program, the University plans to launch a parallel and fully online program in Fall 2023, designed for people who are working but interesting in enhancing their skills or pivoting in their career.
“The interest has been extraordinary, and the diversity of students interested has also been affirming,” says Diplock. “When we envisioned this program, we thought about a student who has an undergraduate degree in economics, or in education, or in business, or in fine arts, or in history, or physics or computer science. When I say it’s been affirming, it’s because we’re seen exactly that, where the students who are attracted this program come from diverse prior academic backgrounds.”
Planning for the new program began four years ago, when Diplock – who, in his role with the University, works to take program ideas, research them, shape them, and bring them to life – received two proposals from two different department heads about launching new programs in data science. He engaged a diverse faculty team to explore the concept, to connect with industry, and to really learn what knowledge skills and abilities employers needed from data science graduates.
“It was at a time when there was a lot around data analytics, but data science was really just emerging as a sort of distinct field,” he explains, “and as I came to understand the space better, I became more convinced that it was truly a multidisciplinary space. In our program, the extent to which we have embraced and intentionally sought out a multidisciplinary approach is unique.”
As is the program’s focus on ethics – while all students in the program must complete a dedicated two-credit course in data ethics, ethical concepts have been intentionally woven throughout all elements of the curriculum.
“It’s really vital when people are dealing with data, especially these enormous datasets that are now available and widely used, that they be very careful in thinking about how the data were collected, what biases may have been incorporated into collecting the data itself, and then what biases could arise from employing different algorithms,” says Holsinger.
“Models will by their nature be imprecise,” Diplock says, “and we owe it to people to make sure that our students have a deep understanding of what the ethical implications are of the models that they’re building and to be able to take those conversations head-on, as opposed to sidestepping.”
Norwalk High School student Elise A. and teacher Louis S. explore an arcGIS Storymap. This grant will expand on previous work providing students with tools to carryout innovative local environmental projects. (Contributed photo)
Editor’s Note: This article including Neag School’s Todd Campbell, who is part of the research team, was originally featured in UConn Today.
An interdisciplinary group of UConn researchers is leading an effort to empower high school students to become “Eco-Digital” storytellers in their communities.
The science behind protecting the environment is only one piece of addressing the climate crisis; people need to communicate this information and the stories of those impacted by climate change to the public to inspire necessary action.
With this understanding, a group of interdisciplinary UConn researchers are working on a grant that will support high school students in designing multimedia projects that focus on local environmental issues in their communities. This work is supported by a $1.35 million grant from the National Science Foundation.
This project will merge environmental science, geospatial technology, digital media and education through an ambitious collaboration between faculty across disciplines. Laura Cisneros, assistant extension professor of natural resources and the environment (NRE) and director of the UConn Natural Resources Conservation Academy (NRCA), is the PI on this project. Other researchers involved in the project are Todd Campbell, department head and professor of curriculum and instruction in the Neag School of Education; Cary Chadwick, extension educator with the UConn Center for Land Use Education and Research (CLEAR); Heather Elliott-Famularo, department head and professor of digital media and design; Anna Lindemann assistant professor of digital media and design; David Dickson, extension educator and interim director of CLEAR; and Nicole Freidenfelds, extension educator and NRCA program coordinator.
The College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources and the Neag School have been collaborating for a decade, working to bring learning opportunities to youth and adults so they can carry out local environmental projects through the NRCA. However, Cisneros says these efforts have missed a critical component: communication.
“The missing piece here is how these individuals can reconnect projects back to their community in a creative and innovative way, and really, that science communication piece,” Cisneros says.
This led the extension team to connect with the Department of Digital Media and Design over their shared interests in improving scientific communication skills and diversifying the voices of people telling environmental stories. Both STEM and digital media and design fields have historically been dominated by a white male perspective.
Josh F., a student at Marvelwood School, takes photographs of local fauna to create a field guide. (Contributed photo)
“We thought that if we could bring people doing the scientific research together with the people telling the stories about that scientific research and do that by encouraging new perspectives and new voices, especially within the state, well, that was what got us all really excited,” Elliott-Famularo says. “This is how we came up with the notion of developing ‘Eco-Digital Storytellers.’”
With this grant, the team will work with high schools in New Haven, Hartford, and Willimantic, which serve diverse student bodies.
Over the course of three years, the program aims to serve 270 high school students across 54 school pods. Each “pod” will include a small group of high school students and their teacher.
The team will teach the pods how to engage in educational storytelling, using geospatial technology and digital media tools as vessels to convey their messages. Participants will be taught how to use a mapping application, called ArcGIS Storymaps, to create interactive online narratives using maps and digital media. They will also learn basic digital media and design skills, such as video and animation, to share engaging stories about their environmental projects.
“We’re really thinking about narrative structures as a way for people to express their identities and their thoughts and actions about environmental issues and then using technology to support those narratives,” Lindemann says.
“I believe it’s going to open up an avenue to connect to and communicate with young audiences, on their level,” Chadwick says. “I’m really excited about the storytelling aspect of this. I think it has a real potential to reach and engage with new audiences.”
The pods will apply these skills to a project addressing a local environmental concern. These may include issues like endangered species, protecting coastal towns from the impacts of climate change, water quality, wildlife monitoring, or environmental justice based on the unique needs of each community.
“It’s really community driven and community informed,” Cisneros says.
Film still from “Designing for Intergenerational Community Conservation,” the Public Choice Winner in the “2020 STEM for All Video Showcase,” edited by DMD student, David Cai. This piece helped inspire this new collaboration. (Contributed photo)
In working with these underrepresented communities the researchers say they aim to not merely teach them a set of skills, but to learn from and with these communities.
“As we engage, we want to go beyond just thinking about how we provide access for programming,” Campbell says. “But instead, we want to let community members – students and teachers – shape the programming and let us try to stretch ourselves to recognize more expansive versions of what it could mean to do such consequential work in the communities and how we can provide support while also engaging in learning beside communities.”
“It’s going to be based on them identifying the issues they want to address in their communities,” Dickson says. “We try not to presuppose what those issues are because something we may think is an issue they may not be as impacted or motivated by, so we try to let students determine what they see as an environmental issue in their community. It’s finding that balance between helping lead them to the types of projects they could do and them charting their own adventure.”
UConn students will also play an important role in the project. In Fall 2023, a group of undergraduate UConn students will take a course to learn how to serve as “Near-Peer Mentors” for the high school pods. The students, who will come from environmental sciences, biological sciences, or digital media and design programs, will learn how to serve as culturally sustaining and trauma-informed mentors. They will also learn how to use the relevant technologies and about Connecticut-specific environmental problems. In total, the program will support the training of 36 mentors.
“Empowering college students to be mentors who will inspire high school students is one of the exciting and novel parts of this project.”
— Assistant Professor Anna Lindemann
In the late fall through spring, the mentors will work with their pods to help teach technical skills and support them in developing their projects.
“Empowering college students to be mentors who will then inspire high school students is one of the really exciting and novel parts of this project,” Lindemann says.
Campbell will lead the research portion of this project focused on cultural learning pathways. The research will focus on how those involved in the project learn as individuals and groups, with a focus on the role of identity. Campbell will collect qualitative and quantitative data from participants about if and how they feel their work is recognized, by themselves and others, as meaningful.
To support this all-important recognition, this program will include an end-of-year showcase for students to present their projects.
“Our research focus is grounded in identity and so we’re looking at ways we can support that identity development that might connect them to the [E]STEAM fields.”
— Professor Todd Campbell
These findings will provide insight into how to ensure the contributions of underrepresented individuals are valued and recognized in the E-STEAM (Environmental Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) field.
Campbell will also collect information about how students’ interest in E-STEAM careers changes over the course of their engagement in the project as they interact with professionals working in these fields.
“Our research focus is really grounded in identity and so we’re looking at ways we can support that identity development that might connect them to the [E]STEAM fields,” Campbell says.
Editor’s Note: Research led by Morgaen Donaldson was originally featured by UConn Today.
The Connecticut COVID-19 Education Research Collaborative brings together experts from across the state to understand the depth of the pandemic’s educational impact and recommend policy and ideas to mitigate effects. (iStock photo)
UConn researchers are key members in a cross-state educational COVID-19 collaboration, co-led by Neag associate dean Morgaen Donaldson.
A renowned UConn education professor is leading a collaboration of college and university researchers working to understand the depth of the pandemic’s educational impact on the state. Additionally, the members are recommending policy and pedagogical changes to help learners most affected.
Professor Morgaen Donaldson – the Neag School of Education Associate Research Dean and the Philip E. Austin Endowed Chair – is co-leader of the Connecticut COVID-19 Education Research Collaborative (CCERC). The Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) brought together researchers from UConn, Yale, Wesleyan, the University of Hartford, and other public and private institutions across the state.
CSDE chief performance officer Ajit Gopalakrishnan is the other co-leader. The federal government allocated $122 billion through the 2021 American Rescue Plan Act to help states and municipalities reopen schools, improve health conditions, and account for learning loss caused by the pandemic. However, few states dedicated relief funding to research and evaluation as strongly as Connecticut.
“We are thrilled to partner with researchers in public and private universities across Connecticut through this groundbreaking research collaborative,” says Gopalakrishnan. “We have already begun to evaluate some of our pandemic recovery projects with many more in the works. It is critical that we not only study the efficacy of these significant investments but also contribute to the knowledge base of our field. Many thanks to Morgaen Donaldson and her team at UConn for working with us to coordinate this statewide collaborative with higher education faculty across this great state.”
CCERC is a multifaceted, cooperative effort evaluating how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted education and the steps to take to mitigate the harm caused to learning. The members work together on studies and projects and conduct research on emerging areas of importance, using data to inform decisions and policy.
Neag School of Education Professor Morgaen Donaldson, the Philip E. Austin Endowed Chair, co-leads the Connecticut COVID-19 Education Research Collaborative. (Shawn Kornegay/Neag School)
Donaldson says that the CSDE is the driving force behind the collaborative. UConn is heavily involved, with Neag School and College of Liberal Arts and Sciences researchers working with experts at other institutions for the benefit of school systems across the state.
“We have many fantastic researchers across the state and at UConn, but we often work in these silos and are not aware of the other good work that is happening,” Donaldson says. “The collaborative allows us to work together and break down those silos.”
COVID-19 forced school districts across the country to adapt and change in unforeseen ways. The pandemic shut down schools at the end of the 2019-20 academic year, with systems shifting to remote learning models. The 2020-21 year opened with most Connecticut schools either still remote or in a hybrid model of students attending part of the week in school and online for the remaining days before eventually shifting full-time back to in-classroom learning.
By the 2021-22 school year, students were back in class, but the effects of remote learning and absence of in-person instruction became apparent. The collaborative continues to investigate how the pandemic affected learning, behavior, attendance, and social-emotional well-being of different sub-groups of students, such as people of color or English language learners.
The collaborative’s research has yielded four projects in various stages of development or completion. The first was an evaluation of 210 grant-funded summer enrichment programs serving more than 100,000 students statewide in 2021. Camps were intended to help reengage students with their peers and prepare them to reenter classrooms. Donaldson says results were mixed, with younger students more eager to return to school than high schoolers. Two Neag professors – Neag Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Dorothea Anagostopoulos and Raymond Neag Endowed Professor of Educational Policy Casey Cobb – were the lead researchers on the project.
The second initiative is an ongoing remote learning audit evaluating the remote learning practices that school districts provided during the pandemic and student outcomes. Researchers are investigating how student learning was supported, key supports like nutrition and mental health were addressed, and analyze key outcomes such as student performance, absenteeism, and physical and emotional health. UConn education professor Michael F. Young and economics professor Stephen L. Ross join primary investigator Michael Strambler and Joy Kaufman, both from Yale, on the audit. A report is expected this fall.
“There’s really no question that teachers have struggled through the pandemic and been the frontline workers in the most critical times.”
– Professor Morgaen Donaldson
The Learner Engagement and Attendance Program (LEAP) – the third project to come from the CCERC – takes aim at absenteeism and disengagement resulting from the pandemic. The LEAP program provided funding for home visits to students who displayed high absentee rates and had the most difficulty engaging in learning during the 2020-21 school year. It focused on 15 school districts, with objectives that included helping families in need to seamlessly transition back into their school communities for the 2021-22 school year. UConn economics professor Eric Brunner is part of a team of researchers that includes lead investigator Steven Stemler of Wesleyan and Jacob Werblow of Central Connecticut State, with a report expected in the winter of 2023.
Donaldson says the state has been an excellent partner in the collaborative and is making key decisions based on the findings.
“They are understandably very concerned with data and how they are used,” Donaldson says. “Through this partnership the state is taking a risk. They are opening themselves to critique from research community and it bodes well for the future. Historically, we haven’t really had something as organized as this and I view this as a real step forward.”
As the collaborative enters its second full year, it is planning to expand its work beyond a close focus on students’ learning and well-being in the wake of the pandemic. The collaborative is considering launching studies that examine teachers and school administrators’ turnover and morale to see how educators can be better supported.
“There’s really no question that teachers have struggled through the pandemic and been the frontline workers in the most critical times,” says Donaldson. “The reverberations of COVID keep hitting them and they’re not getting the support they need to really take care of themselves and do their jobs well.”
Neag School doctoral students listen to speakers during the fall orientation session. (Shawn Kornegay/Neag School)
To better connect doctoral students across Neag School’s three departments, an orientation was held to get them acclimated and excited for the coming academic year. The orientation included a panel with Dean Jason Irizarry; Jennifer Weiner, educational leadership faculty member, and coordinator of the Neag School’s doctoral programs; Dorothea Anagnostopoulos, associate dean for academic affairs; Todd Campbell, department chair for curriculum and instruction; Laura Burton, department chair for educational leadership; and Betsy McCoach, an educational psychology faculty member. Check out photos from the orientation.
The Neag School is now offering education courses through UConn’s Early College Experience (ECE) Program, where high school students earn UConn credits and meet general education requirements by taking college courses while still in high school. UConn ECE Students will have the opportunity to choose from any of the following four UConn courses dedicated to studying diverse aspects of the education field:
EDCI 1100: If You Love It, Teach It
EDLR 1162: Health and Education in Urban Communities
Despite the teacher shortages affecting schools across Connecticut, the Neag School has seen an increase in enrollment in its teacher education programs since 2017. Plus, the number of students of color has doubled in the Teacher Certification Program for College Graduates and increased by 33% in the Integrated Bachelor’s/Master’s Teacher Education Program. Read about the increasing enrollment.
Participants of the MTL program gather in front of the UConn Hartford building. (Contributed photo)
This spring, the Connecticut Noyce Math Teacher Leaders (MTL) Program welcomed a cohort of 20 veteran mathematics educators from across the state. Funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and private donors, the MTL Program, led by Megan Staples with co-PIs Gladis Kersaint, Fabiana Cardetti, and Jennifer Michalek, along with doctoral student Kenya Overton as program manager, has been engaging these teachers from numerous Alliance Districts in a five-year professional learning and service program. View photos from a professional learning session.
Department of Educational Leadership (EDLR)
The Neag School’s Sport Management program hosted its annual networking reception in August in Hartford, Connecticut, for students, alumni, faculty, staff, and friends. View photos from the reception.
Members of HESA’s first-year students gather in the Gentry Building during their orientation. (Shawn Kornegay/Neag School)
Neag School’s Higher Education and Student Affairs (HESA) program hosted an orientation in August for its first-year and second-year cohorts. Check out photos from the orientation.
Neag School’s Executive Leadership Program (ELP) wrapped up its year-long program with a gathering in July to recognize the students and faculty in the program. The ELP students are now endorsed for the CT 093 Superintendent Certification. These aspiring superintendents and district leaders have gained the background and knowledge necessary to successfully meet the challenges of district leadership in the 21st century. Check out photos from the gathering. Morgaen Donaldson and Eric Loken were part of a UConn research project that found the student applicant pools in 2021 and 2022 were significantly more diverse than in prior years in terms of students’ racial and ethnic backgrounds, family incomes, and other factors. Read about the research in UConn Today.
Department of Educational Psychology (EPSY)
Students from the BRAIN Camp program enjoyed playing games outside on the UConn Storrs campus. (Shawn Kornegay/Neag School)
UConn wrapped up a week of BRAIN Camp (Bridging Reading and Intervention with Neuroscience) in July, where aspiring third and fourth-grade students who need extra help with reading participated in fun interactive activities. The free five-week summer day camp, led by Devin Kearns and Fumiko Hoeft, provided research-based reading and math instruction, with activities focused on memory and attention. View photos from the week.
A just-assembled puppet comes to life as the Proof of Concept Center (POCC) and the Ballard Museum and Institute of Puppetry collaborate on building puppets for the “Feel your Best Self” project at the Innovation Partnership Building on July 20, 2022. (Peter Morenus/UConn Photo)
Confratute hosted its 44th summer conference, including 550 attendees from 39 states and 11 countries. It was the second year in a row, Confratute was held virtually. Next year, they will be hosting the 45th annual conference July 9-14, 2023.
Interdisciplinary collaboration “Feel Your Best Self” between the Neag School and Ballard Institute went high tech with the help of the UConn Tech Park to benefit children across the state. Sandra Chafouleas, the co-director of the UConn Collaboratory of School and Child Health and the Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor in the Neag School of Education, co-created Feel Your Best Self with Emily Wicks, manager of operations and collections at the Ballard Institute. Read more about the collaboration.
The Neag School hosted the Two Summers in-person courses, where students explored a wide array of emerging technologies in the program’s state-of-the-art, wireless bring-your-own-device (BYOD) facility, complete with educational games/simulations, drones, robots, assistive resources, and video conferencing tools. Check out photos from the sessions.
UConn has stepped up to meet the need for data scientists with the launch of a new multidisciplinaryMaster’s in Data Scienceprogram and an inaugural full-time cohort of 20 students starting this Fall 2022 semester. Neag School faculty members Kylie Anglin and Betsy McCoach are among the UConn faculty teaching in the program.Read about the new program in UConn Today.
Two conference attendees observe a game board during the Frontiers in Playful Learning conference. (Photo courtesy of Stephen Slot)
Michele Back co-authored with three Neag School alums, Rebecca Joseph ’18 (ED), ’19 MA, Anna McCormick ’18 (ED), ’19 MA, and Hana Picorelli ’18 (ED), ’19 MA, an article “Homestays as a Resource for Preservice Teachers Studying Abroad” for the November issue of Teaching and Teacher Education.
Melissa Bray was guest editor of the special double issue of Psychology in the Schools on Autism Assessment. She also participated in the University of Utah’s Virtual Reality Sim Center for Psychology and Educational Training.
Norwalk High School student Elise A. and teacher Louis S. explore an arcGIS Storymap. This “Eco-Digital” grant will expand on previous work providing students with tools to carryout innovative local environmental projects. (Contributed photo)
Milagros Castillo-Montoya, and colleagues from American University and Florida International University, received a $600,000 award through the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Study title “Reconceptualizing College Teaching for Equity Playbook – Systemic Levers.”
Casey Cobb, co-author of “Public and Private Education in America: Examining the Facts,” received a book review from the School Administrator.
Jason Courtmanche, an affiliate faculty member, was recognized by UConn with a Faculty Excellence Award for his achievement in teaching and research.
Michael Coyne, the principal investigator for the past ten years of the Connecticut Partnership for Literacy Success, was featured by UConn Today.
The research team includes co-principal investigator Assistant Professor of Educational Psychology Ido Davidesco. (Peter Morenus/UConn Photo)
Ido Davidesco is part of a new multidisciplinary National Science Foundation grant across UConn that will focus on the neuroscience of learning. Check out a story in UConn Today.
Sakeena Everett recently published “Special Issues, Volume 1: Trauma-Informed Teaching: Cultivating Healing-Centered ELA Classrooms” for the National Council of Teachers of English.
Alexandra Freidus was a featured panelist on “Teaching Race History and Reading Banned Books” for the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center in Hartford, Connecticut. The panel was held virtually in June.
Betsy McCoach’s co-authored book An Introduction to Modern Modeling was reviewed by Structural Equation Modeling: A Multidisciplinary Journal.
Adam McCready is the editor of The Research Journal of Association of Fraternity & Sorority Advisors. (Shawn Kornegay/Neag School)
Adam McCready, the editor of The Research Journal of Association of Fraternity & Sorority Advisors, published with Neag School doctoral student Luz Burgos Lopez and others an article titled “Fraternity & Sorority Live During 2020.”
Meaghan McKenna was awarded a Research Excellence Program award from UConn for her project entitled “Investigating Kindergarten and First Grade Science Writing.”
NaRi Shin is a co-researcher for a National American Society for Sport Management (NASSM) Janet B. Parks research grant with a project titled “Toward a Critical Understanding of Asian Women Experiences in Sport Management Programs Across North America.”
Tracy Sinclair was elected president of the Connecticut Council for Exceptional Children and secretary for the Connecticut Association for Behavior Analysis (CTABA).
Stephen Slota and Mike Young published EOS-503, a free web browser-based game for teacher education.
Megan Staples, Neag School alumnus Jeff Corbishley ’07 (CLAS), ’08 MA, and others co-authored “Equity in Mathematics Education: A Joint Position Statement for Connecticut.”
Saran Stewart is the newly appointed director of academic affairs at UConn Hartford. (Contributed photo)
Eli Wolff co-led the virtual forum “Athletes and Social Change: Creative Expression” for the Muhammad Ali Center, held in July.
Students
Anamaria Arteaga’19 MA, a doctoral student in educational psychology, was named a Holmes Scholar of the Month in July by the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE). Arteaga is a board-certified behavior analyst who has worked with children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders and other related disabilities.
Luz Burgos-López, a doctoral student in educational leadership, was elected to Wesleyan University’s Board of Trustees.
Brianna Chance ’23 (SFA)(ED) is interviewed at the Benton Museum for “The College Tour” a television program on Amazon on April 5, 2021. (Peter Morenus/UConn Photo)
Brianna Chance has been selected as Youth Choir Director for the Consonare Choral Community.
Amanda Batty ’95 (CLAS), ’99 MA has been appointed assistant principal at Waterford High School in Waterford, Connecticut. She has been at the school for 22 years as a science teacher and has served as the chair of the school system’s science board since 2007.
Carissa Brizzi’18 (ED) has been named assistant equipment manager at the United States Military Academy. She previously worked in a similar position with Seton Hall University. As a UConn student, Brizzi was a D1 softball player and former UConn Women in Sport president.
S. Kent Butler’93 Ph.D. was the Commencement Speaker for Palo Alto University. The in-person ceremony was held in June.
Batouly Camara ’17 (ED), ’19 MA, former student-athlete for UConn women’s basketball and current head basketball coach at Blair Academy, was a panelist for “50 Years of Title IX: The Progress, Impact, and Promise” for Barnes and Noble Education. The virtual panel was held in June.
Kevin DeMille’11 (ED)authored a blog post about the importance of Pride Month for Vanderbilt University’s Commodores athletics website.
Justin Eaddy’20 MA has been promoted to basketball operations coordinator/scout for the Atlanta Hawks. He most recently served as a seasonal assistant for the Atlanta Hawks.
Derek Flynn graduated from Masuk High School in 2008. Now as a new science teacher, he will help other generations of students to earn their degrees. (Photo credit: Monroe Sun)
Derek Flynn ’18 MAaccepted a new position as a science teacher at Masuk High School in Monroe, Connecticut. He most recently served as a science teacher at Naugatuck High School.
Morgan Handy ’18 MA, a TCPCG graduate in Spanish language education, was recognized with a Teaching Excellence Award at South Hadley High School in Hadley, Massachusetts.
Roszena Haskins ’13 Ed.D. was promoted to the newly created position of executive director of equity advancement for West Hartford Public Schools and the town of West Hartford. She previously held the position of director of equity advancement for West Hartford Public Schools.
Patricia “Pat” Jepson ’78 (CAHNR), ’81 MA, ’06 Ph.D., who retired after a 40-year-career at UConn’s College of Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources, was featured by UConn Today about her commitment to agricultural education programs. Read more about her story.
Melody Li was selected as a “Leaders Under 40.” (Photo courtesy of Leaders in Sport)
Melody Li ’14 MS, senior director of sales and marketing for SPORTFIVE, was selected as a “Leaders Under 40” by Leaders in Sport. She spearheads SPORTFIVE’s business development in Greater China.
Marijke Kehrhahn ’80 MA, ’95 Ph.D., Neag School alumna and former Neag School administrator, recently retired as head of the school from Independent Day School in Middlefield, Connecticut.
Bryan Kirby’18 (ED), ’19 MA and Jessica Stargardter’16 (ED), ’17 MA co-published “How to Start Blogging with Gifted Students” for the August issue of Teaching for High Potential.
Christopher Melillo ’91 (ED), assistant superintendent of Hamden Public Schools in Hamden, Connecticut, was recently appointed superintendent of Newton Public Schools.
Candace Morell was named director of teaching and learning for Mansfield Public Schools in Mansfield, Connecticut.
Candace Morell’96 (ED), ’97 MA, ’05 6thYear was named director of teaching and learning for Mansfield Public Schools in Mansfield, Connecticut. She was previously the principal of Mansfield Middle School. Willena Kimpson Price ’01 Ph.D., director of UConn’s H. Fred Simons African American Cultural Center (AACC) since 1993, retired over the summer. Price guided the AACC over the years as it has created cutting-edge programming and services in response to the changing needs of new generations of African American students who matriculate to UConn and guided expanded efforts to serve the local communities UConn serves.
Nellie Schafer ’16 MS was recognized by the University of Oregon as this year’s “Staff Member of the Year.” Schafer works as director of operations for Oregon volleyball and women’s lacrosse.
Christopher Todd ’16 MA was appointed executive director of UConn’s Office of Early College Programs. He recently served as the bureau chief for the Connecticut State Department of Education’s Talent Office.
Kristina Wallace’09 (CLAS), ’12 MA, ’17 6thYear was appointed principal of Avon Middle School in Avon, Connecticut. She most recently served as assistant principal of Avon Middle School.
Neag School alumnus Noam Watt ’22 ED reporting a stand-up from the top of Mount Masada in Israel. (Photo courtesy of Noam Watt)
Noam Watt ’22 (ED) reported from several locations as an undergraduate student, including Gampel Pavilion, Rentschler Field, Elliot Ballpark, and numerous road venues, including Clemson University. He added a new location to his reporting journey this summer: Israel. Watt spent the summer covering the Maccabiah, frequently referred to as the Jewish Olympics. Check out his story.
Christine Wenzel’03 (CLAS), ’05 MA has been named UConn’s interim executive director of the Center for Students with Disabilities. Wenzel has been at the Center for Students with Disabilities since 2003.
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 email usany news items or story ideas.
“It is a program that has a very holistic approach to education and personal growth. [The agriculture education program] had an impact on me, and that was something I wanted to be involved in from the other side, impacting others and helping others in a similar way,” says Jepson. (Jason Sheldon/UConn Photo)Editor’s Note: This article about Neag School alumna Patricia Jepson ’78 (CAHNR), ’81 MA, ’06 Ph.D. was originally featured in UConn Today.
Throughout her career, Patricia Jepson worked to promote excellence and diversity in UConn’s agricultural education programs – a commitment she maintains even now.
Patricia “Pat” Jepson’s history with UConn spans several decades – from her time as a high school student to her retirement in 2017. Throughout her career, Jepson worked to promote excellence and diversity in Connecticut’s a gricultural education programs – a commitment she maintains even now.
As a student at Wilson High School (now Middletown High School), Jepson was involved in her school’s agriculture program and took UConn co-op credits. Jepson, a first-generation college student, went on to study animal science at UConn.
Jepson was originally on the pre-veterinary track, but moved into the agricultural education program after learning the impact she could have.
“It is a program that has a very holistic approach to education and personal growth,” Jepson says. “[The program] had an impact on me, and that was something I wanted to be involved in from the other side, impacting others and helping others in a similar way.”
Jepson graduated with her bachelor’s degree in animal science in 1978 and her master’s in 1981 from the UConn School of Education, later renamed after Ray Neag to honor his $23 million gift to the School.
“It felt like a way to put together the educational background and perspective that I had with the content, my love of agriculture and all the broad fields, and my connection to UConn,” Jepson says.
“It felt like a way to put together the educational background and perspective that I had with the content, my love of agriculture and all the broad fields, and my connection to UConn.”
— Patricia “Pat” Jepson
Advancing Agricultural Education
High school agricultural programs differ significantly from other subjects. Connecticut’s agricultural education programs have a three-pronged approach that involves experiential education, leadership development, and career readiness. The nature of these programs also relies on greater family and community involvement.
The inter-connected fields within agriculture are also intrinsically applicable to daily concerns surrounding food, health, and the environment.
“[Agriculture] isn’t isolated. It is so interconnected with human concerns, as well as science concerns, and policy decisions — so many different things that relate,” Jepson says.
During her time at UConn, Jepson played a major role in increasing the profile of Connecticut’s agricultural education program. The program was less visible in Connecticut and nationally until Jepson began reaching out to high school teachers and students in agriculture programs across the state and getting involved in national organizations.
Jepson was recently honored for her dedication to the field with a lifetime achievement award from the American Association for Agricultural Education. Awardees support the organization’s mission to “foster excellence in the discovery and exchange of evidence-based solutions for social science challenges in agriculture and related sciences.”
“Getting the award was sort of an acknowledgment of the program at UConn even more so than of me, but certainly knowing that I had a big impact on that,” Jepson says.
A Lifelong Commitment to Diversity
Jepson is driven by a commitment to meaningful human connection and helping others. Part of this commitment has involved Jepson’s championing the importance of diversity throughout her career.
During her master’s program, Jepson taught in Hartford Public Schools, exposing her to students with diverse backgrounds.
“That really was so meaningful for me, that I felt that awareness and desire to impact a broader audience, and knowing education is so important for people’s lives in the long term,” Jepson says. “The impact of the Hartford experience stayed with me throughout my whole career.”
Through her position at CAHNR, Jepson worked with students in the two-year, associates of applied science program at Ratcliffe Hicks School of Agriculture. Working with more non-traditional students underscored the importance of looking beyond a high school transcript for Jepson.
“What you see on paper is only part of who someone is,” Jepson says. “Seeing that growth in students who other people may not have seen the potential in and knowing they had opportunities was very meaningful.”
Jepson would attend meetings at the African American Cultural Center and listen as Black students shared, intentionally exposing herself to and learning about a culture she is not part of.
“Taking advantage of these opportunities to learn made me, I hope, more valuable and a resource to other people.”
Jepson earned her Ph.D. from the Neag School of Education in 2006. For her dissertation, Jepson worked with deaf students to study the impact of having deaf role models on their self-efficacy in career planning and working in science.
“I’m much more about trying to help students see some of the things that work well for them as opposed to me telling them what to do.”
— Patricia “Pat” Jepson
Jepson consistently lends philanthropic support to causes across the University. Previously, she started a fund for UConn Ag Ed students.
She also established a memorial scholarship in her parents’ honor for high school students graduating from the Middletown Regional Agricultural Science and Technology Program, where Jepson was a student and teacher.
Jepson also supports scholarships and funds in CAHNR, the Neag School, and University-wide diversity initiatives. Jepson still holds a position as an associate professor-in-residence in the Neag School.
“So many other people have helped me in my years of moving forward both in education and career that it feels very much like giving back and helping other people have opportunities I feel other people helped me have,” Jepson says.
The Difference Advising Can Make
As an advisor, Jepson, who could never have predicted the turns her own career would take, helped students avoid feeling they were locked into the first path they chose.
“I do look at things from a multi-dimensional perspective and that helps students to think differently, because very often, especially at a young age, you get locked into a plan and you think that’s the only way to go,” Jepson says. “And sometimes a discussion with somebody helps you see some different paths that will be a good match.”
Jepson encouraged students to come to conclusions about their academic and career goals on their own.
“I’m much more about trying to help students see some of the things that work well for them as opposed to me telling them what to do,” Jepson says.
Jepson says that students regularly tell her she made a difference in their choices, careers, and approach to the world.
“Knowing I’ve had a positive impact on others is the most rewarding part,” Jepson says.
If you have a college degree and would like to explore the possibility of becoming a teacher in less than one year like Jepson, be sure to check out the Teacher Certification Program for College Graduates. Learn more ats.uconn.edu/teach. To honor programs at the Neag School, visit the UConn Foundation’s website.
Mikala Kane, Director of Communications and Digital Strategy
Mikala Kane has been named the director of communications and digital strategy. Before joining Neag, she was the publicity/marketing coordinator for UConn School of Nursing, where she elevated the visibility of the School of Nursing locally and nationally, led a comprehensive website redesign and reorganization, and introduced a variety of successful digital strategies. This work earned her recognition as a Rising Star Award finalist for the 2022 UConn Spirit Awards.
Before her career in higher education, Kane spent several years working in journalism. During that time, she held various editing roles at The Hartford Courant and The Post-Star in upstate New York. While in Hartford, she tackled print and digital projects, including leading the nightly production of the newspaper and creating a digital news brand for Connecticut millennials. Kane earned her BA degree in Media Studies, Journalism, and Digital Arts from St. Michael’s College in Vermont. She is also dually certified by the Digital Marketing Institute and the American Marketing Association as a Digital Marketing Professional.
Department of Curriculum and Instruction
Sakeena Everett, Assistant Professor of Curriculum and Instruction
Sakeena Everett is an assistant professor of curriculum and instruction in the Neag School of Education at the University of Connecticut. She is a native New Yorker (Brooklyn), avid literacy advocate, and expert in urban education, teacher education, and literacy education. Her work centers the intersectionalities of race, gender, socioeconomic class, and justice as a praxis in education. Furthermore, Dr. Everett has taught elementary and secondary students, prepared prospective teachers, and provided professional development for in-service educators across multiple school districts in the U.S. Her research and teaching focus on the consequential literacy development of Black male students in elementary and secondary schools, literacy teacher preparation, culturally sustaining pedagogies, as well as transformative, humanizing, and decolonizing research methods in education. Recently, her research agenda has expanded to investigate and support grief among educators, with a special emphasis on supporting grieving Black women K-12 educators and university faculty. Her research is nationally recognized by the American Educational Research Association (AERA); National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE); and the Spencer Foundation.
Alyssa Hadley Dunn, Director of Teacher Education and Associate Professor
To fill the director of teacher education position with Michele Femc-Bagwell returning to faculty after successfully serving in that role for five years, the Neag School will welcome Alyssa Hadley Dunn officially starting in January from Michigan State’s College of Education. Dunn will virtually attend Teacher Education Committee monthly meetings and begin to engage faculty and staff during the fall semester. With support from Niralee Patel-Lye and Sandra Quiñones, Dorothea Anagnostopoulos and Ann Traynor and have generously offered to provide leadership for the unit until Dunn begins in earnest in January.
Dunn’s research centers on urban teacher education and support and the sociocultural and political contexts of urban schools, with a focus on issues of race, justice, and equity. She approaches her work with the understanding that education can represent spaces for creating a more liberatory world and that quality research critically examines the way that schools operate in just or unjust ways. Previous strands of research include teachers’ pedagogy in the wake of the 2016 presidential election; teacher morale and pedagogy; the connection between teachers’ experiences and neoliberal reforms; racial equity and teacher preparation; and teachers’ public resignation letters.
A committed public scholar, Dunn’s work has been featured onThe Huffington Post, CNN, and National Public Radio, as well on education blogs and podcasts. In addition to publishing in journals such as theAmerican Educational Research Journal, Teachers College Record, Journal of Teacher Education, Urban Education, and Teaching and Teacher Education, Dunn recently published “Teaching on Days After: Educating for Equity in the Wake of Injustice” (Teachers College Press, 2021). She is the author of “Teachers Without Borders? The Hidden Consequences of International Teachers in U.S. Schools” (Teachers College Press, 2013); “Urban Teaching in America: Theory, Research, and Practice in K-12 Schools” (Sage Publishers, 2011); and is also senior associate editor of the journal Multicultural Perspectives.
Sandra Quiñones, Director of University-School Partnerships and Associate Clinical Professor
Joining the Neag School as the director of university-school partnerships and associate clinical professor, Sandra Quiñones most recently served as an associate professor and program director at Duquesne University. As a faculty member of the Department of Instruction and Leadership in Education (DILE), Quiñones taught undergraduate and graduate teacher education courses in the Leading Teacher program. She has eight years of teaching experience in public and private schools in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Rochester, New York.
Her research focuses on teachers’ experiences and perspectives around ser bien educada/o and being well educated from Chicana/Latina feminist and critical biculturalism theoretical frameworks. In addition, her scholarly interests include critical literacy development, qualitative research methodology, Latino education, and family-community engagement in education. Most recently, Quiñones has engaged with the Self-Study of Teaching Practices (S-STEP) methodology to better understand and improve her practice as a teacher educator and program director.
In her new role, she will be cultivating mutually beneficial partnerships with Connecticut schools as part of UConn’s Integrated Bachelor’s/Master’s (IB/M) Teacher Preparation Program.
Department of Educational Leadership
Kelly Lyman, Coordinator of the Executive Leadership Program Kelly Lyman, who was appointed coordinator of the Executive Leadership Program after the retirement of Bob Villanova, has served as a school leader in Connecticut for nearly 30 years. Most recently, she retired as a superintendent for Mansfield Public Schools after serving for seven years. During that time, she focused on systemic improvement efforts designed to develop students’ knowledge, skills, and understandings necessary for success in a rapidly changing global environment. In addition, she has long advocated for collaborative leadership that seeks to empower all members of the learning organization.
Lyman has been an adjunct professor of practice for nearly ten years in the University of Connecticut Administrator Preparation Program, teaching courses focused on school culture and instructional leadership. Through a partnership with the Jordanian Ministry of Education, the Queen Rania Teacher’s Academy, and the University of Jordan, she brought this work to Jordan, where she was part of a team for five years that trained Jordanian principals in advanced leadership practices. In addition, Lyman has been an instructor in the Executive Leadership Program for three years focusing on human capital and financial management. Lyman’s other pursuits include continued involvement in accreditation and consulting with international schools across the globe and engagement with superintendents throughout the United States focused on re-imagining schools to ensure the development of 21st-century skills that prepare students to meet today’s challenges.
Department of Educational Psychology
Latoya Haynes-Thoby, Assistant Professor of Counseling
Latoya Haynes-Thoby has been appointed an assistant professor of counseling. She came to the Neag School from the University of Florida’s College of Education, where she served as an assistant professor. Haynes-Thoby’s work explores the benefits of trauma prevention and trauma-responsive counseling that is culturally relevant and promotes resilience. As such, her research focuses on individual and community healing from trauma.
Haynes-Thoby’s current research foci are in trauma and resilience and counselor development. Her research on trauma and resilience focuses on factors that contribute to resilience, access to care, and trauma’s impact on human development, including spiritual development. Haynes-Thoby’s research on counselor development includes trauma-informed care in counselor training, cultural competence, and trauma-informed supervision.
Her research agenda is brought forth through applied research methods, including exploring culturally specific factors that contribute to resilience and the operationalization of trauma-informed counseling that promotes success. Haynes-Thoby approaches her work with a trauma-informed lens and through perspectives rooted in Black-feminist and intersectional frameworks. Her research aims are to broaden what we understand about human resilience, especially related to marginalized communities. Other related research interests include community resilience, career development, access, and accessibility, especially in counselor training, supervision, and preparation.
Additional New Appointments, Hires, and Retirements
Neag School’s Teacher Certification Program for College Graduates (TCPCG) has hired two individuals to lead the regional TCPCG programs: Cara Zimon for the UConn Stamford campus and Christine Pearson for the UConn Hartford campus. Zimon has most recently served as the university supervisor in Neag School’s Teacher Education Program, where she supported student candidates enrolled in the IB/M and TCPCG programs. Zimon has a Master of Science degree in education and human resources from the University of Bridgeport and is pursuing a Doctor of Education in organizational leadership from Northeastern University.
Christine Pearson came to the Neag School from the Connecticut Teacher Residency Program, where she served as a special projects assistant focusing on database management, special events, and recruitment. Previously, she was a freelance graphic designer and education assistant with Middlesex Community College. Pearson has a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Eastern Connecticut State University.
Neag School’s Department of Educational Psychology (EPSY) welcomes two new administrative staff, including Frances Nicholas as an administrative program coordinator and Katie Gelsomini as an educational program assistant. Gelsomini came to the EPSY department from the Center for Behavioral Education and Research (CBER) that is housed within the department, and she previously served as a first-grade teacher in East Hartford. Nicholas joined the Neag School from the University of Florida where she served as an office manager.
(L-R) Katie Gelzomini, Frances Nicholas, Christine Pearson, and Cara Zimon.Richard Schwab (UConn)
The Neag School announces the retirement of Richard Schwab, the Raymond Neag Endowed Professor of Educational Leadership. A two-time Neag School alumnus, Schwab had a 25-year exceptional career at the Neag School that included two stints as dean. He is recognized as the longest-serving dean in the history of the Neag School and the only UConn alum to hold that position.
During his 14 years as dean, Schwab worked with faculty to craft and implement two strategic plans to raise the quality of programs, research, and scholarship while moving the Neag School toward its goal of becoming one of the top education schools in the country. The effort sparked the interest of Ray Neag, a UConn alum and successful entrepreneur, who decided to make what he called a “strategic investment” in the School and public education. His $21 million gift in 1999 — matched by $3.5 million in state incentive funds that same year — was, at the time, the largest any school of education had ever received and today remains the largest in UConn’s history.
Schwab and his wife, Kristin, recently welcomed their first grandchild and have been enjoying time at their home in Rhode Island.
In the spring, Dean Jason Irizarry also announced the retirements of long-serving faculty and staff, including Jeff Crouse, Gary West, Judith Matthews, Lisa Rasicot, and Sally Reis. They were recognized during the May faculty/staff meeting.
This fall, the Neag School welcomes its incoming hires, congratulates existing faculty members on new appointments, and gives thanks to retirees.
To fill the director of teacher education position with 
Joining the Neag School as the director of university-school partnerships and associate clinical professor, 
Latoya Haynes-Thoby
