NAGC News Source (A new grant from the National Center for Research on Gifted Education is featured)
The Key to Getting Students Back in Classrooms? Establishing Connections.
New York Times (A research partnership between the Neag School and the Connecticut State Department of Education is featured)
Student Achievement and Underachievement: A Conversation with Del Siegle
The Texas Association for the Gifted and Talented (TAGT) Podcast (Del Siegle is featured about his work and research)
Annual Scholarship Celebration Returns In Person, Spotlights Students and Donors
For the first time since 2019, UConn’s Neag School of Education held its annual Scholarship Celebration in person to commemorate the students who have benefitted, financially and personally, from numerous donors’ generosity. Students highlighted their personal experiences and thanked the individuals who helped them turn their educational dreams into reality.
The ceremony was hosted by Dean Jason G. Irizarry, who began the celebration by shedding light on how important these scholarships are to students and the entire Neag School community.
“Scholarships have an immense impact on our students, who go on to impactful careers throughout Connecticut and New England, as well as throughout the nation and abroad,” he said. “We instill in our students our mission of improving educational and social systems to be more effective, equitable, and just for all. And they continue to carry out that mission after they graduate.”
This past year alone, the Neag School distributed nearly $415,000 in scholarship aid to 320 deserving students.
Strengthening Her Role as a Future Educator
Jannatul Anika, an undergraduate pursuing an Integrated Bachelor’s/Master’s degree in biology education, is one of this year’s student scholarship recipients who shared her insights during the Scholarship Celebration. She is a University Scholar and the recipient of the Paula Riggi Singer Endowed Scholarship Fund and the Fuller Scholarship for Social Justice in Education.
During a time of unprecedented challenges, scholarships have lifted enormous financial burdens for many Neag School students, including Anika.
Anika shared with the Scholarship Celebration’s guests that she likes to believe that “passion and perseverance have built the foundation for my success.” Her parents instilled those values, and she has carried them throughout her undergraduate years.
In addition, she has had “amazing opportunities to strengthen her role as a future educator” through conducting research on teaching diversity, mentoring students in UConn’s First Year Experience program, participating in leadership conferences, and building relationships with some extraordinary individuals, including her fellow scholarship recipients.
“This academic year, I am excited to continue my research, student teach in the spring, and even start a club with my friend,” Anika said. “These scholarships have helped me be able to dedicate time to those roles.”
“Today’s celebration represents the belief from our esteemed donors in the success and potential that my fellow peers and I have, and we deeply admire that trust and confidence,” she continued. “It’s the same belief that my previous advisor had in me and it changed the direction of my career path [from pre-med to teaching]. There is so much power in seeking potential in others but even more in helping those individuals see it within themselves, too.”
“Thank you once again for believing in me. I am excited to fulfill my aspirations in pursuing a career in educational policy or administration. Who knows, maybe I’ll even become the future secretary of education. Knock on wood,” she said. “You have reaffirmed that those future dreams are possible, and the time to start working toward them is now.”
Paying It Forward
Symone James ’16 (ED), ’17 MA, ’22 6th Year, a past recipient of the James and Beth Degnan Family Scholarship and current fifth-grade teacher at Roger Sherman Elementary School in Meriden, Connecticut, joined the Scholarship Celebration virtually and shared her story on how the scholarship helped her as a former Neag School student.
James, who is in her sixth year of teaching and is now considering administrative positions after completing her 092 certification this past year, spoke about her appreciation for the Degnans and how their support during college still impacts her today.
“Since graduating, I’ve been very blessed to have so many different experiences, like being an equity leader in my district and providing professional development, co-organizing the ‘Me and Magic Conference’ with fellow educators, and most recently graduating with my administrative certification from none other than UCAPP,” she said.
“When I first started as a first-generation college student who was just figuring out my next step to be a teacher, scholarships from generous supporters allowed me to experience and understand the importance of supporting others and giving to the communities that we care about,” she recalled.
James spoke about how, “As educators, we give of ourselves constantly, not only to the students in our classrooms, but sometimes to the students who are just passing by our rooms and they ask for a hug because they’re having a tough day, to parents in need of support, and of course to our colleagues we work together with to support our students.”
“One of the things that I’m always reminded of is that the impact doesn’t stop with the giver or receiver,” she said. “Every year, I talk about going to college with my students and that it’s a possibility for every single one of them through financial aid opportunities like scholarships.”
She also shared a story about a former student who greatly impacted her as a teacher, including an email from the student, which read, “Hi, Ms. James. School is great, and I’m having fun with my new teachers and friends. I’m so happy you wrote back to me. You impacted my life with your help and kind words. You are a bright and smart teacher, and you gave me the smarts I’m going to need in my life, and I thank you for that. My grades are excellent, and I want to try to get a scholarship, but school is going great, and I hope you love your new class full of students.”
“It’s messages like this that, for me, impacts the work we do as educators,” she remarked. “It’s invaluable for her to think about her future, and the possibilities of earning scholarships to achieve her dreams speaks volumes to the importance of donors who choose to support students.”
“We hope that the lives we touch continue to touch others, and because of the support that I received, I’ve been able to work hard to positively impact the lives of my students and help them to imagine the possibilities for their future,” she said. “I am deeply grateful for that.”
James concluded her remarks with encouraging thoughts: “Whether it’s supporting students here in Neag or being a student who will eventually graduate, you have the power to positively impact those around you through the important work you are doing.”
Access a recording of the event, view photos from the event, and view a video of student scholarship recipients. To learn more about supporting the Neag School of Education, visit this page.
Finding Gifted Learners Through Language Barriers
UConn Today (Project EAGLE, led by Del Siegle and Betsy McCoach, is featured)
Meet the Neag School 2022-23 Alumni Board and Board of Advocates
Meet the members of the Neag School’s current Alumni Board and Dean’s Board of Advocates, who all volunteer to work toward engaging and connecting with alumni and friends of the School throughout the year.
Connecting With Alumni
The Neag School Alumni Board has a history of influencing the School’s outreach in the alumni community and supporting current and future students. With a focus on alumni engagement, the Board supported a yearlong virtual programming schedule.
Madison (Corlett) Coutu ’16 (ED), ’17 MA
Hometown: Tolland, Connecticut
As a Neag School grad, what do you want people to know about the School? The Neag School of Education is the perfect place to figure out exactly who you want to be as an educator. The Neag faculty fosters a sense of community and provides mentorship before, during, and even after you leave. I believe that their balance between support and challenge guides students to find their true passions in the field. Not only did I feel well prepared to enter the field, but built connections and relationships that continue to support my work as an educator to this day.
What do you hope to accomplish or contribute this coming year as a Neag School Alumni Board member? This coming year as a new Neag School Alumni Board member, I am excited to learn more about all the incredible work our board does. I am eager to connect and share ideas with other passionate educators.
Anna Cutaia ’07 (ELP), ’13 Ed.D.
Hometown: Mahopac, New York
As a Neag School grad, what do you want people to know about the School? The Neag School is a place of professional belonging. The support one gains while participating in studies lasts long beyond graduation day. Neag is a community practice that spans the life of a professional career.
What do you hope to accomplish or contribute this coming year as a Neag School Alumni Board member? As an Alumni Board member, I hope that our work continues to strengthen the profession so we can continue to improve learning for all students.
Danielle DeRosa ’09 (CLAS), ’16 MS, Faculty Representative
Hometown: East Haven, Connecticut
As a Neag School grad, what do you want people to know about the School? The Neag School works with students who have various professional interests, from those wanting to work in sport, on college campuses, and in schools. Faculty and staff work closely with students to help them develop, as professionals and people, who will work toward equity and inclusion to make a unique impact.
What do you hope to accomplish or contribute this coming year as a Neag School Alumni Board member? I am excited to get to know the other Neag School Alumni Board members. Each board member brings such unique experience and insight and I am excited to work collaboratively to support current students and alumni. As a board member, I hope to contribute insight from my role as a faculty member in the Neag School to help shape some of the work that we do!
Elizabeth “Liz” DeVitto ’14 (ED), ’15 MA, Secretary
Hometown: Wolcott, Connecticut
As a Neag School grad, what do you want people to know about the School? The saying “Huskies forever” definitely holds true with the Neag School! I graduated from the Neag School over six years ago and still feel like a huge part of the School. They provide resources, events, and ways to stay involved as an alumni. The Neag School provided me with much more than an unbelievable education — it landed me a dream job, helped me create lifelong friendships, and allowed me to continue involvement in an institution that changed my life!
What do you hope to accomplish or contribute this coming year as a Neag School Alumni Board member? This year I hope to expand the Neag School’s Alumni Board through involvement of new members from different areas of the state, as well as more virtual opportunities for alumni across the U.S.
Ryan Haynes ’20 MA
Hometown: Santa Cruz, California
As a Neag School grad, what do you want people to know about the School? I want everyone to have the chance to get to know the amazing staff and faculty that are part of Neag. The amount of love, care, and support they provide is incredible, and I have enjoyed learning with so many of them.
What do you hope to accomplish or contribute this coming year as a Neag School Alumni Board member? I'm excited to see how the alumni board can support career networking and I hope to bring some more Husky pride out to the West Coast.
Sharon Fuller ’83 (ED), ’87 MA, ’94 6th Year
Hometown: Wakefield, Rhode Island
As a Neag School grad, what do you want people to know about the School? UConn is an exciting, welcoming, and diverse community — it’s a great place to live, learn, and grow into “the change you want to be in this world” (based on a quote from Mahatma Ghandi).
What do you hope to accomplish or contribute this coming year as a Neag School Alumni Board member? I hope to continue the commitment of UConn alumni to give back to UConn, our communities, and our professions. By beginning my tenure on the UConn Alumni Board and by participating on the Recruitment, Scholarship, and Philanthropy Committee, I hope to support aspiring and current UConn students.
Carl Johnson ’03 (CLAS), ’04 MA, ’15 6th Year, Past President
Hometown: West Hartford, Connecticut
As a Neag School grad, what do you want people to know about the School? I would want people to know how well Neag has prepared me for every phase of my career, whether it was being a first-year teacher coming out of the IB/M program or as a building administrator after completing the UCAPP program. I believe that both prepared me incredibly well to be successful as a teacher and administrator. Additionally, the connections I have made continue to impact my career in terms of professional growth.
What do you hope to accomplish or contribute this coming year as a Neag School Alumni Board member? I hope to continue and support the growth of the Neag School Alumni Board. In my brief time on the Board, I have seen the strides that have been made to further connect and support alumni from the School of Education. I want to see that continue to develop and find new ways to achieve those goals.
Bryan Kirby ’18 (ED), ’19 MA, Chair, Alumni Awards and Traditions Committee
Hometown: Orange, Connecticut
As a Neag School grad, what do you want people to know about the School? I want people to know that the Neag School prepares you immensely well for your first year of teaching. Now that’s not to say that it won’t be tough, but the Neag School equips you with all the tools you need to succeed.
What do you hope to accomplish or contribute this coming year as a Neag School Alumni Board member? My hope for the Neag School Alumni Board this year is that the awards ceremony gets the best reviews yet. We are working hard to create an interactive and professional ceremony that is unlike any other.
Kelly Lyman ’92 MA, ’93 6th Year, ’10 ELP
Hometown: Simsbury, Connecticut
As a Neag School grad, what do you want people to know about the School? I would like people to know that UConn prepares its students with practical knowledge and experience to allow its graduates to start strong. It also instills a love of learning and belief that we all must be lifelong learners. This allows its graduates to excel in the workplace.
What do you hope to accomplish or contribute this coming year as a Neag School Alumni Board member? This year I hope to help the Alumni Board continue to find ways to support and recognize the outstanding work of its grads.
Faith Celeste McCarthy ’17 (ED), ’18 MS, Chair, Student and Alumni Networking Committee
Hometown: Unionville, Connecticut
As a Neag School grad, what do you want people to know about the School? The Neag School of Education houses the Sport Management Program. I look forward to connecting with people and discussing why that is.
What do you hope to accomplish or contribute this coming year as a Neag School Alumni Board Member? I hope to do both. I aim to educate former, current, and prospective Sport Management Program students about Neag's mission and purpose. I'd also love to get a better understanding of the education system in Connecticut and Neag's position.
Emmanuel Omokaro ’11 (ED), ’12 MA
Hometown: Danbury, Connecticut
As a Neag School grad, what do you want people to know about the School? That the Neag School of Education also features the sport management program.
What do you hope to accomplish or contribute this coming year as a Neag School Alumni Board member? As a Sport Management graduate, I would like to get a better understanding of the other Neag programs so I can be a better contributor to the committee. Get a full understanding of the School of Education and all the things it has to offer.
Kim Wachtelhausen ’08 6th, President
Hometown: Cranston, Rhode Island
As a Neag School grad, what do you want people to know about the School?: When I was seeking my 6th year in Ed Leadership, the UCAPP program was my first choice. It was undergoing a change in design and included a partnership with CT Association of Schools to support the clinical internship portion of the program. Having the opportunity to study alongside a cohort of future leaders in education with some of Connecticut’s most experienced educators as our mentors was invaluable. Being a part of Neag allowed me to broaden my view of public education and put me on a path of continuous reflection. Years later, I remain grateful for the people who still have influence and impact on me, but more importantly on Connecticut’s children and their families.
What do you hope to accomplish or contribute this coming year as a Neag School Alumni Board member?: As the new president of the Neag Alumni Board, I look forward to the opportunity to reimagine our work after a global health crisis. We have only just begun to discover the impact of these past few years on our Neag students, colleagues, and broader community. As alumni, we can use our collective talents to engage, support, and amplify the Neag mission to improve educational and social systems to be more effective, equitable, and just for all.
For a complete list of the Neag School of Education's Alumni Board, visit the website.
Advocating for Advancement
The Neag School Dean’s Board of Advocates supports, promotes, and advocates for the advancement of the Neag School. Its members assist in efforts to raise funds and build relationships through their networks while engaging in Neag School activities.
Crisanne Colgan ’72 (CLAS), ’81 6th Year, ’84 Ph.D.
Hometown: Wethersfield, Connecticut
What do you want people to know about the Neag School? I am proud that U.S. News & World Report has ranked the Neag School among the top 20 public graduate schools of education for the past six years. Given my three degrees from UConn, including the Sixth-Year Diploma and Ph.D. degree from the Neag School, I can attest to the robust preparation I received for a 40+ year career in K-12+ education. I personally experienced the Neag School’s strong commitment to tailoring programs to individual goals. I was able to design a doctoral program that provided coursework and best practices in curriculum, instruction, and administration – the trifecta for success as a school administrator. In addition to my personal experiences, I want people to be aware of the caliber of today’s students. In all interactions with students, I witness firsthand their impressive talents, contagious enthusiasm, and passionate commitment to making this world a better place. The Neag School has, and continues to be, a beacon for higher education.
What do you hope to accomplish or contribute this year as a Neag School Board of Advocates member? I would like to host an event for area alumni so they can learn about The Neag School’s remarkable success and its inspiring students. I look forward to supporting Dean Irizarry in actualizing his vision for the Neag School, and to collaborating with the other board members in this important effort.
Steven W. Edwards ’85 MA, ’90 Ph.D.
Hometown: Jamestown, New York
What do you want people to know about the Neag School? The Neag School of Education is a top 20 public graduate school of education nationally. It is a school that is clearly setting the standard for excellence and innovation in the field of education with world-renowned faculty and facilities. The School continually strives to improve both undergraduate and graduate programs through research and practice.
What do you hope to accomplish or contribute this year as a Neag School Board of Advocates member? As a new Board member, I look to learn from my fellow Board members, the dean, and Neag School faculty and staff on ways I can continue to effectively promote the School. In addition, I hope to add value in support of the mission and vision of the School through my personal and professional experiences and network.
Carmen Effron ’72 (ED), ’81 MBA
Hometown: Westport, Connecticut
What do you want people to know about the Neag School? The Neag School has a new dean who has both a Connecticut focus but also a national one. On a national basis, the School ranks very highly; among the top 20 for public graduate schools of education. Programs to support this are based on a strategy of access, excellence, and engagement.
- Access: High school program scholarships dollars needed. TCPCG programs needs scholarships.
- Excellence: Support for doctoral programs; more fellowships help professors get more grants.
- Engagement: Outreach to superintendents to educate them on what the school is doing.
- Find a way to provide in-state tuition for out-of-state students close to regional campuses.
What do you hope to accomplish or contribute this year as a Neag School Board of Advocates member? Get the right people on the Board to support the mission. Create outreach and donation opportunities that are fun and also supportive of the School; e.g., a golf outing in 2022.
Sandra Hastings ’89 MA, ’94 Ph.D.
Hometown: Bristol, Connecticut
What do you want people to know about the Neag School? As a nationally ranked school, the Neag School tackles the barriers that prevent equity in education. The Neag School’s researchers inform the practice of education throughout Connecticut and help school districts implement strategies to reduce the disparity that exists in school experiences. I’m proud to be an alumna of this university, which promotes the development of global student citizens, actively recruits minority students to be teachers, and addresses the social-emotional needs of students in the classroom.
What do you hope to accomplish or contribute this year as a Neag School Board of Advocates member? I’d like to continue to spread the good news about the Neag School while helping to expand alumni support for Neag School programs. I’m interested in developing new strategies to build alumni support for the Neag School – large and small gifts – to enhance research and scholarship opportunities for all students.
John Robert “Bob” Jones III ’73 (BUS)
Hometown: Bloomington, Indiana
What do you want people to know about the Neag School? I want the world to know what a first-class, highly ranked educational institution it is for our future teachers. Our country and the world have never needed great teachers more.
What do you hope to accomplish or contribute this year as a Neag School Board of Advocates member? Besides making a five-year financial commitment, we want to assist the dean and the Board of Advocates to get the word out about the quality of the Neag School and also help to improve the quality of students and faculty that we attract.
Karen S. Jones
Hometown: Moline, Illinois
What do you want people to know about the Neag School? The Neag School is known for the quality of educators it produces, and for the innovative methods it employs to ensure a breath of experiences for its students.
What do you hope to accomplish or contribute this year as a Neag School Board of Advocates member? I hope to contribute as a sounding board for the dean, with a breadth of experience in IB/M and nonprofit governance.
Neag School Alumna Liz DeVitto Self-Publishes Children’s Book, Shares Insights on Being a Special Education Teacher
Elizabeth “Liz” DeVitto ’14 (ED), ’15 MA, a special education teacher for the past eight years at Roaring Brook Elementary School in Avon, Connecticut, had a goal to write a children’s book before she turned 30. When she looked for a book to help her students deal with emotions, she couldn’t find anything appropriate. Since she couldn’t find the right book, she decided this was her chance to fulfill her goal by publishing Finding a Safe Spot, to help her students when they become overwhelmed with emotion.
DeVitto has always loved children’s books and is amazed by the illustrations and words. “The words can have such simple phrases and hold so much meaning,” she says.
While she previously joked with friends, saying, “Someday I’ll write a children’s book,” DeVitto was determined with her goal, and she knew this was the perfect opportunity.
It began as simply as writing notes on her phone. She would constantly write ideas and go back and change them. Then she shared them with her younger sister, who would start writing ideas for simple pictures and would eventually create the illustrations. Finally, DeVitto researched book publishing and found the most practical route was self-publishing through Amazon.
“My goal was just to do it and be able to share it with my students in the school, and if it impacted at least one kid or one parent, then I did exactly what I wanted to do,” she says. “Amazon was the easiest way to go about it (for self-publishing) because it wasn’t like I was looking to make a bunch of money.”
“If we’re feeling mad, we can solve our problem differently. We can go to that safe spot and sit there until we are ready to face the world.”
— Elizabeth “Liz” DeVitto
DeVitto’s book, which has sold 500 copies so far, helped her fulfill her goal. “I wanted to make a difference and make it easy.”
The topic was essential to DeVitto as she wanted to make it clear to adults and students through the book that it’s okay to feel emotions. “It’s okay to be mad, it’s okay to be sad, it’s okay to feel anything, and sometimes you don’t know why you feel those things,” she says.
She notes how individuals react is very important. “We can’t feel mad and tear a whole room apart, she says. “That’s not socially acceptable, but if we’re feeling mad, we can solve our problem differently. We can go to that safe spot and sit there until we are ready to face the world again.”
Setting Up a Safe Spot
DeVitto, who shares a classroom with another teacher, moved to a new, larger classroom this fall that has a big workspace with tables and stations. Each student also has their own bin. In the room, she set up a “safe spot,” a quiet corner in the back where the students could calm down.
Setting up the new classroom was an undertaking, with moving and organizing all her materials, resources, and equipment, but she’s excited about the bigger space.
“Having a designated space at school is important,” she emphasizes. “Students like to create that space with you. That also makes a difference for some kids. It’s so valuable to have them help build that space with you.”
DeVitto enjoys that the safe spot makes students feel happy and safe. “Being able to have a relationship and build relationships not only with the kids but also with the parents, who for many of them at the elementary level, this might be a completely new and sometimes scary experience when they’re trying to navigate the world of special education.”
“In my classroom, I always set up a safe spot they can go and sit at any time, even if they’re not in my room,” she says. “They know they can leave a space and go sit there.”
Having that designated space is huge, because DeVitto says that each one of the kids comes in with their backpack that teachers can see, but that they also have an “invisible backpack” that teachers must unpack.
“We need to figure out, did something happen this morning?” she says. “Did they get in a fight with their sister or brother?”
There are so many things that the teachers can’t see. “Unpacking that invisible backpack will really help you as a teacher figure out how to help them regulate their emotions and get them in a good state,” DeVitto says.
“To me, being able to do that is the root of building relationships with kids first and foremost,” she says. “If they can trust and have a relationship with you, it makes it much easier to unpack that backpack.”
Managing Life as a Teacher
Ever since childhood, DeVitto has always wanted to be a teacher, including playing school in her parent’s basement. Her mom would bring her to the teacher store, and DeVitto would buy all the supplies. Her best friend’s mom was a teacher who would let them go into her classroom every year to set up her first-grade classroom. She thought that was “the coolest thing.”
DeVitto loves being a special education teacher. She has thought about going into educational administration but likes her current position. “I like being able to be and work with kids every day in the capacity that I do. I can’t see myself doing anything else,” she says.
Over the past eight years in the classroom, she has realized that the teaching world looks drastically different than it once did.
“It’s not just the teaching, it’s adapting to change and having that mentality of asking, ’Okay, this is where we are in today’s world. What are we going to do?’” she says.
“Something happens that kind of makes [teaching] the most rewarding job and makes it all worth it.”
— Elizabeth “Liz” DeVitto
She understands that change is hard, but with change comes growth.
Over the past few years, she has learned to focus on work-life balance because she can’t be the best teacher she can be unless she’s taking care of herself.
“I will wake up every morning and work out before I go to work,” she says. “I like to get to work early. This sets me up for success and I like the routine of working out.”
While she gets in early, she doesn’t stay late. “Even if I think I can get more done, I will not,” she says. “This is something I’ve promised myself. I will go home and be with my family or do what I must do.”
DeVitto has benefitted from work-life balance and thinks teaching is the “most rewarding job.” However, there are days when she thinks, “Oh my gosh, what am I doing?”
But there is always that “one moment of the day,” she says. That one hug from one student or a smile from another that makes her day.
“Something happens that makes it the most rewarding job and makes it all worth it,” she says.
If you’ve ever considered becoming a teacher through the Neag School of Education, visit teachered.education.uconn.edu to learn more.
New Multidisciplinary Data Science Master’s Starts this Fall
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.”
For more information about UConn’s new Master’s (MS) in Data Science program, visit masters.datascience.uconn.edu.
E-STEAM Ahead: CT High Schoolers to Become ‘Eco-Digital’ Storytellers Through Interdisciplinary Grant
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.
“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.
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.
Research Leading Way to Connecticut Schools’ COVID Recovery
Editor’s Note: Research led by Morgaen Donaldson was originally featured by UConn Today.
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.
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.”
