District Administration (Casey Cobb quoted)
A Higher Purpose
Baylor University (Neag School alumna Chloe Pavlech is featured)
Ed Law Scholars File Brief in U.S. Supreme Court Case on State Funding for Religious Schools
National Education Policy Center (A brief co-authored by Preston Green is featured)
10 Questions: From Jonathan the Mascot to Student Affairs Leader
In our recurring 10 Questions series, the Neag School catches up with students, alumni, faculty, and others throughout the year to offer a glimpse into their Neag School experience and their current career, research, or community activities.
As UConn’s assistant vice president for student affairs and executive director of student activities, Joseph P. Briody ’86 (BUS), ’95 MA, ’96 Ph.D. is a Husky through and through.
From graduating with a bachelor’s in accounting to attaining his master’s in education and his doctorate in higher education administration, Briody shaped his career through an extensive academic career, paired with professional roles in accounting and nonprofit organizations — not to mention his earliest professional experience: dressing as UConn’s quintessential Husky mascot, Jonathan. He was also instrumental in the mascot makeover, and two generations of Briodys have donned the costume. Here, he explores the factors that fueled his academic decisions, the responsibilities and accomplishments of his current position, as well as the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on his position.
Q: Do you remember your first time as the Jonathan the mascot? If so, what was it like?
A: I have many memories from being the mascot, but I’m not sure I remember the very first time. It was most likely a football or soccer game at the start of the semester. I’m also pretty sure I was pretty darn nervous – and hot! Inside, the suit got incredibly hot – even during the coldest football games. I’d see fans all bundled up in hats and gloves, and I’d be in shorts and a T-shirt inside the suit, sweating like crazy. I would also be remiss if I didn’t mention that my favorite memory about being Jonathan is that I met my wife when I was the mascot (Diane Stackpole Briody ’87 (CLAS), ’95 MA)!
Q: What motivated you to pursue both your master’s in education and a doctorate in higher education administration at the Neag School?
A: My advisor – (Neag School Professor Emeritus) Dr. William W. Jellema – was an incredible inspiration, motivator, and source of support to me. … I began exploring what type of graduate program would best prepare me for a possible career in higher education. I met Dr. Jellema, and he invited me to take a budgeting/finance class as a non-matriculating student. The class fit with the work I was doing at the time (auditor). Through a series of conversations, he encouraged me to consider pursuing not only a master’s, but also a doctorate.
Q: How did your experiences at the Neag School prepare you for your career?
A: Dr. Jellema was a significant influence on me – and continues to be. He was very challenging and did not accept anything less than your best work. In seminars, he always invited the perspectives and thoughts of everyone. Still, he also did not hesitate to challenge our thinking and push us to question the reasoning and logic behind our assertions. Some did not respond as favorably to his pushing – I never minded it … in fact, I appreciated it. Quick story: After completing the capstone (15,000-word) paper for my History and Philosophy of Higher Education class, I went up to Dr. Jellema’s office to hand it in. As I handed it to him, he asked, “How is it?” Casually I answered, “Pretty good, I think.” He handed the paper back to me and said, “Give it to me when it’s great.” Some might not have responded well to that kind of pushback. I thought it was great! It’s the setting of a high bar and the different ways he did it that shaped my thinking and taught me to expect more of myself and my work.
Q: Did you ever imagine coming back to work at UConn?
A: Nope. Never. When I graduated from UConn with my BS in accounting and had a job lined up at a ‘Big Eight’ accounting firm, I never once thought I would be coming back. I never knew it was even possible – in any way, shape, or form. After spending a few great years in public accounting, I felt I needed to find something that I felt was more satisfying for me. So I left my job voluntarily and began looking for jobs in the non-profit sector and eventually took a job as a corporate developer in a national non-profit. While it was important work, it also wasn’t quite a fit for me. Leaning back on my financial/accounting education and experience, I was offered a position here as an auditor. It was a tremendous opportunity to learn about how this institution works – with incredible access to people and information. This experience, coupled with my graduate education – which was well underway, led to a move to Student Affairs in business and eventually into a position working directly with students and developing educational programs/services. Life is funny – you think you’re headed in one direction and then all of a sudden…
Q: What does your job entail, and what is the most challenging aspect of it?
A: I support staff of 50-plus professionals and graduate students who engage, educate, and support students across campus in various out-of-the-classroom contexts and settings – from community service and leadership programs to various student involvement, student governance, and a multitude of other organizations and programs. The most challenging aspect is perhaps having to make difficult decisions that I know are not always well received by others. Although making such tough decisions is an aspect of managing any organization, no one enjoys it, and realizing the impact that some of my decisions can have on others weighs heavy at times.
Q: Have there been any COVID-related challenges that have impacted your job?
A: Absolutely. COVID took a ‘business model’ that was predicated on bringing large groups of people together in relatively close proximity (classes, residence halls, dining halls, events, athletics, etc.) and turned it completely inside out. The ‘engagement gap’ we saw students experience over the past year-and-a-half was broad and deep, and very damaging – socially, emotionally, psychologically, and academically. My team was forced to rethink how we fill that ‘gap’ and help students engage, connect, and feel a part of this community while isolating and staying at home. Fortunately, they responded at such a high level – while dealing with the challenges of COVID themselves – that we are actually emerging from COVID, having learned important lessons and new ways of working with students that we have changed how we will move forward.
“You’re here (at UConn) because a lot of really smart people have determined you belong here – don’t doubt yourself.”
– Joseph P. Briody ’86 (BUS), ’95 MA, ’96 Ph.D.
Q: How did you get the idea to create uKindness (an initiative to connect with students during the pandemic), and how did it perform last year? What is the future of the initiative, now that things are settling back to normal?
A: The uKindness initiative was the result of countless discussions with colleagues and students about how to connect, engage, and inform students during the height of the pandemic when everyone was social distancing, remote learning, and living alone (some at home). Our data and feedback tell us that it effectively kept students informed and aware of resources available to them throughout the year. Judging from the levels of participation at some of our virtual and small in-person events, as well as web traffic and survey data, I think it served its purpose in bringing the community together during a challenging time. We’ll be re-evaluating uKindness in the coming months to determine its future and what lessons we can take from it as well.
Q: What are your goals for student affairs/student activities now that campus is back at full capacity?
A: Being back in person and close to capacity has been great for everyone – students and staff. Challenges do remain, however. The lingering effects of being socially distanced for 18 months are present in both our students and our colleagues. So, short term, my goal is to help create and support an environment where folks can readjust to being in closer proximity, perhaps relearn how to, and gain comfort with, engaging with each other in person. To that end, this past summer, I encouraged my staff to focus their training, orientations, and initial meetings/programs with students less on content and more on building back the social and interpersonal skills that would allow all of us to operate in-person with confidence, respect, and success.
Q: As someone who taught in leadership development, who has your biggest leadership role model been?
A: I think of two people right off the bat. One is my oldest brother, John (Briody) ’82 (BUS), ’14 6th Year, who led through example and support throughout my life. In many ways, I would not be who I am and where I am without him. The other individual is someone I have shared with my students in my leadership classes. His name is John Ryan – someone I met 30 years ago who is probably 20 years my senior and has taught me about perspective, humility, compassion, responsibility, and how to move through life’s challenges with grace and faith. I owe much to both Johns.
Q: What lasting piece of advice would you give to UConn students?
A: Hmmm … probably some of the same advice my wife and I have given to our own children as they haveworked their way through college:
- Sometimes there’s not a right decision, rather it’s about making the decision right;
- You’re here (at UConn) because a lot of really smart people have determined you belong here – don’t doubt yourself;
- Don’t be afraid to ask, raise your hand, and put yourself out there; and
- If you don’t make a mistake once in a while, you’re probably not trying hard enough. And of course, when your advisor/boss tells you to ‘Give it to me when it’s great,’ appreciate what they’re trying to do for you.
Neag School of Education Welcomes New Hires
Two new staff members recently joined the Neag School Dean’s Office, and the Department of Educational Psychology also welcomed new staff and faculty.
Dean’s Office
Cathleen Hammel joins the Neag School Dean’s Office later this week as a computer support technician. Hammel has five years of experience in IT support, most recently serving as a technology support specialist for Clinton (Connecticut) Public Schools. She earned her BA in anthropology at UConn.
Li He arrived in the Neag School Dean’s Office in October, from UConn’s Accounts Payable team. She serves at the Neag School as a financial/grants and contracts associate. She earned her bachelor’s degree in in accounting at Eastern Connecticut State University, and her MS in accounting at UConn.
Department of Educational Psychology
Katie Gelsomini joins the staff of the Center for Behavioral Education and Research (CBER) this month as an educational program assistant 2. Gelsomini holds an undergraduate degree in elementary education from Endicott College and a master’s degree in educational technology from Eastern Connecticut State University. She previously worked as a project manager on a large nationwide grant at UConn and says she is looking forward to her new role as an educational program assistant. Gelsomini will responsible for administrative and programmatic support for the research center and the faculty.
Meaghan McKenna is an assistant research professor of special education in the Department of Educational Psychology. Most recently, she was an Institute of Education Sciences postdoctoral fellow at Juniper Gardens Children’s Project, University of Kansas. She earned her BA in speech-language pathology/audiology and MS in speech-language pathology from Loyola University Maryland and her Ph.D. in communication sciences and disorders from the University of South Florida.
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Alumna Publishes Children’s Book on Socio-Emotional Learning
These past two years have posed a particular set of challenges for educators around the world. Not only were teachers forced to navigate a pandemic, but they also had to adapt quickly to a brand-new, online format of learning. Agnieszka Petlik ’16 6th Year, a kindergarten teacher in Simsbury, Connecticut, and graduate of the Neag School’s UConn Administrator Preparation Program (UCAPP), knows this transition all too well.
“When COVID hit, I had to make some choices because my parents live downstairs, and they’re [immuno] compromised,” says Petlik. “I was very nervous, just like the rest of the world, as to what is going on and what we are going to do.”
Personal Experience Inspires Book
Ever since her first job, Petlik, who emigrated with her parents from Poland when she was 7 years old, knew she wanted to work with kids.
“One of my first jobs was an after-school care provider at a school,” she says. “I would help all the kids with their homework and things, and I always loved that.”
After experiencing the hardships COVID-19 presented in her personal life as well as in her classroom, Petlik decided to transform these hardships into a story for children.
Follow Me to Distance Learning (Fulton, 2021) originally began as a poem. After writing the poem, Petlik realized pictures would be a great addition and asked her paraprofessional teacher if she could sketch some things to accompany the writing, and thus the book was born.
“I just really wanted to be able to have the kids see themselves in this character and know it’s OK to feel sad, and it’s OK to feel upset or to miss your friends, your hallways or your school,” she says.
In Follow Me to Distance Learning, the main character is forced to adapt to her new school routine. While she isn’t used to looking at a computer screen to receive an education, she uses her strength and perseverance to get through it with her teachers and peers. Petlik tells the story of how they got through it together, even though it was daunting and foreign in the beginning.
One of the last lines of the book reads: “Whenever things get hard, and you’re feeling blue, remember your teachers, friends, and family will see you through.”
Throughout the pandemic, Petlik recognized her students’ struggles and what they needed to hear to help them feel better. She says she stressed a sense of community in her classes and made sure her students were aware they were not alone, no matter what.
One dynamic she says she wanted to incorporate into her book was the diversity present in her classroom, which she highlighted through the illustrations.
“I was very intentional with my illustrations in the book, by having students of all backgrounds and abilities, because I wanted every student to relate to at least one of the characters in the story,” said Petlik in an interview with the Connecticut Education Association. “Equity and inclusion to me means that we meet every student’s needs based on their abilities and support them through not only academics, but also social emotional learning.”
Lifelong Learner
Petlik describes herself as a life-long learner. After completing her undergraduate degree at Central Connecticut State University, she completed her masters’ at the University of Saint Joseph and her 6th Year Diploma at the Neag School through UCAPP. She is now pursuing her doctorate back at CCSU.
“I really loved going to UConn,” Petlik says of her time in UCAPP at the Neag School. “It really opened up a lot of doors for me as far as what else I wanted to do and pursue.”
To this day, Petlik stays in touch with the friends and networks she built throughout her time as part of UCAPP’s West 27 Cohort. Her curiosity about school administration stemmed from her yearning to demonstrate her leadership skills.
“I always knew I wanted to be a leader in some component,” she says. “As I began to experience different things in different districts, I always thought that I should take my knowledge of what I know and be able to expand on it in my career, and be able to give back to whatever community as well.”
“I really loved going to UConn. It really opened up a lot of doors for me as far as what else I wanted to do and pursue.”
— Agnieszka Petlik ’16 6th Year
Petlik says she believes that, no matter what your role, it is always about how you support others and work together as a team. Being an educator during the pandemic only made this more apparent.
“One of the most important lessons I learned is to find that balance, and show kindness and grace, because you don’t know what other people are going through,” she says. “Finding that balance to be able to take care of yourself so that you can be ready to take on the challenges at work and the students.”
She explains how many teachers often bring their students home with them, on an emotional level, wondering what they can do to help them in their struggles. At the same time, she says she realizes it is just as essential that educators prioritize their self-care, to ensure they are showing up to work as the best possible version of themselves.
Along with teaching her students in person, Petlik is now responsible, as are so many educators, for preparing content for students who need to participate in distance learning.
“It’s a lot of extra work because now you’re balancing the regular classroom and the home classroom, but then you’re also finding more things that you have to plan, since you have to make sure that they have access to reading books, videos, and activities,” she says.
Petlik’s school administrators continuously remind staff members of the unusual nature of this time period to help them get through it.
“One of the things my administrator said is that our bodies are not built to be in this constant state of distress because we’re always either worried about COVID or whether we need to do something or change something,” she says
“While being there for one’s students is imperative,” she says, “it’s also necessary for teachers and staff to take care of themselves and their well-being.”
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In Memoriam: Dean Emeritus Mark Shibles
Mark R. Shibles of Wilton, Maine, a former dean and professor emeritus of the Neag School of Education, was a highly respected scholar and leader in educational leadership and policy. With his passing on Aug. 24, 2021, at 83, the Neag School honors Shibles’ impact and his legacy.
Leading as the Dean
Shibles had a 40-year career at UConn that included serving as dean of the School of Education from 1975 to 1987, a faculty member in educational leadership until his retirement in the mid-2000s, and an advisor for more than 130 Ph.D. students.
“As dean, he was well-liked and respected by faculty and staff, and he created an academic foundation that enhanced the national visibility and esteem of our School and our faculty, ultimately leading to highly regarded national rankings,” says Thomas DeFranco, professor emeritus and former dean of the Neag School.
Known for his very sharp and dry sense of humor, keen intellect, and outstanding leadership qualities, Shibles was recognized by principals and superintendents across the nation and developed policies that set the standard for effective administrative leadership at the K-12 level.
“His leadership helped the Neag School reach prominent status,” says Casey Cobb, Neag Professor of Educational Policy.
Shibles was a main reason Cobb says he took a position at UConn. Shibles, he says, had a “strong commitment to bettering the lives and children and uplifting communities through education … and it was a real draw to work alongside him.”
“Mark’s legacy lives on in those who had the privilege of coming in contact with him.”
— Casey Cobb, Neag Professor of Educational Policy
Looking back at Shibles’ 50-year career in education, which included teaching high school history, Cobb recalls how Shibles made significant contributions to the field of educational leadership and policy through his research, advocacy, teaching, and advising.
At the national and international levels, Shibles served on the board of directors of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education and was president of the National Association of Colleges and Schools of Education in State Universities and Land Grant Colleges and Affiliated Private Universities.
Cobb was impressed by Shibles’ ability to make connections in the field. “Maintaining relationships was important to him. He cared about the people he came in contact with, and his actions showed it,” Cobb says.
Even as a busy dean, and later as a professor, some days Shibles would get in his car and drive to see superintendents across the state. Most were current or former students with whom he kept in touch.
“He brought the administrators valuable information and direction,” says Mary Anne Doyle, professor emerita in curriculum and instruction. “He was also really respected by the State Department of Education. In addition, Shibles and the commissioner were very respectful of one another. Because of that, Mark had quite an impact on education at the state level as well.”
“He was a respected, go-to person, and educational leaders trusted his opinions and his insights.”
— Mary Anne Doyle, Professor Emerita
“Mark was an intelligent, very thoughtful, and a quiet leader,” she adds. “He was a respected, go-to person, and educational leaders trusted his opinions and his insights.”
UConn Board of Trustees Distinguished Professors Joseph Renzulli and Sally Reis recall Shibles helping them in their work in gifted and talented education.
“Mark took a personal interest in advancing the research of the faculty,” they say. “On one occasion, he arranged an important meeting with the Connecticut Commissioner of Education and several state superintendents of schools. This meeting resulted in research that changed guidelines for expanding the criteria for identifying gifted and talented students for participation in special enrichment programs.”
Dean Emeritus and Raymond Neag Endowed Professor of Educational Leadership Richard Schwab describes Shibles as always strategizing behind the scenes.
“He was forward-thinking, an educator who understood what it took to lead complex organizations,” says Schwab. “Shibles pretty much went about his business and was very smart. He knew how to work politics and to work politically, and he had great relationships with the education commissioner because he was respected and thoughtful.”
“He was forward-thinking, an educator who understood what it took to lead complex organizations.”
— Richard Schwab, Dean Emeritus
While serving as dean, Shibles was also superintendent of E.O. Smith High School in Storrs, Connecticut. E.O. Smith, located next to UConn Storrs, provided the opportunity for partnerships, research, and hands-on training for Neag School teacher education students. E.O. Smith would later become part of a school district, versus being managed through the Neag School, but it was something of which Shibles was proud.
During his deanship, he also was interested in expanding the School of Education’s educational leadership and policy expertise. “There was no real policy analysis center in Connecticut. So, Shibles founded the center, and we tried to turn it into a regional policy center for New England and the land grants. We worked hard at that,” says Schwab.
Establishing the center, says Cobb, “fulfilled a career-long desire” for Shibles. “He was among the first educational leaders to see the importance of policy and its potential impact to make lives better.”
“Mark was heavily devoted to low-income communities, whether in urban Connecticut or rural Maine. So much of his policy work targeted those areas, as he was always looking out for those at a structural disadvantage and finding ways to empower them,” adds Cobb.
One project that Shibles worked on through the Neag School’s Center for Education Policy Center was helping to develop a 2011 report titled “NextEd: Transforming Connecticut’s Education System,” which provided recommendations to the Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents on revising its vision of schooling and social, economic, and political systems.
The center, Cobb says, “is thriving today because of Mark’s leadership and vision, and it has Mark’s signature all over it.”
Now known as the Center for Education Policy Analysis, Research, and Evaluation (CEPARE), the Center brings together faculty and graduate students to conduct research and advocate for policies that improve learning opportunities and environments for individuals and their communities.
Making an Impact Through Mentoring
Shibles was also known for lifting the people around him, helping launch and advance their careers. For example, during his deanship during the 1970s, Shibles hired one of UConn’s first African American associate deans, David Carter. Carter would later become president of Eastern Connecticut State University, the first African American to lead a four-year institution of higher education in New England.
As an advisor to numerous Ph.D. students, Shibles was known to stay in touch. Former doctoral student and former superintendent Bob Villanova, now a faculty member in the educational leadership department, recalls how Shibles made sure Villanova finished his doctoral work.
“I was an active principal in West Hartford, and I kind of lost track of my work,” recalls Villanova. “Mark reached out to me and pulled me back in, got me back involved to ensure that I stayed on track and finished.”
Villanova attributes completing his Ph.D. to Shibles. “The most important thing for me was the way he operated as I finished my coursework. He was influential in so many ways.”
While Shibles shied away from being in the spotlight and was known for being a behind-the-scenes leader, he committed to building leadership capacity among the people he worked with and advised.
Known as an influential professor, all the educational leadership doctoral students sought to take his courses. “That was one of the important hurdles to get through and benefit from,” recalls Villanova.
A former doctoral student, Schwab recalls Shibles walking the halls with his hands in his pockets, always deep in thought. “One of my first memories of him as a professor was that he was someone who asked tough questions,” says Schwab. “His classes were nondirective, getting the students to talk, but he would ask the critical questions to make you stop and think.”
“When they write the history of the Neag School of Education, Mark will be remembered as one of the most influential educators in its history, and one who provided the leadership that set the School on its current trajectory as one of the top schools of education in the nation,” says DeFranco. “He will be missed by all who knew him.”
“It remarkable to think of the hundreds of students Mark had in class and advised over his career, how much influence he had on them as individuals and professionals, and then the ripple effects of these relationships – the countless school children and families ultimately impacted,” says Cobb.
“Mark’s legacy is limitless and enduring,” Cobb adds. “Mark’s legacy lives on in those who had the privilege of coming in contact with him.”
To honor Shibles’ memory, gifts can be made to the Mark R. Shibles Graduate Fellowship. For more information, contact Marcy Jarzabek at MJarzabek@foundation.uconn.edu.
New Book Tackles Controversial Questions on Education in America
Public and Private Education in America: Examining the Facts (ABC-CLIO, 2021) — a new book co-authored by Neag Professor of Educational Policy Casey Cobb — is the latest installment in a series that examines controversial claims surrounding major political and cultural issues in America.
In the book, released this month, Cobb and his co-author Gene V Glass answer a broad selection of the most contentious questions facing education in the United States today, among them:
- Do today’s full-time virtual schools offer a high-quality education for students?
- Are charter schools more innovative than traditional public schools?
- Are American schools less safe now than in the past?
- Does homeschooling lead to better outcomes for students than traditional public schools?
- Do school vouchers produce better student outcomes?
- Are small schools better than large schools in providing a quality education to students?
Addressing such topics as standardized testing, school choice, bilingual education, and school safety, Cobb and Glass seek to “give readers a clear and unbiased understanding of current issues by informing them about falsehoods, half-truths, and misconceptions — and confirming the factual validity of other assertions — that have gained traction in America’s political and cultural discourse.”
Each Q&A entry throughout the book is accompanied by a detailed explanation, citing research studies, combing through conflicting data, and dispelling myths.
To offer a glimpse into the volume, the following excerpts from Public and Private Education in America are shared here with permission:
Q: Has time that students spend preparing for and taking standardized tests increased dramatically in U.S. public schools?
A: Testing, in its various forms, can play an important role in education. It can serve as a diagnostic tool to determine how well students are learning certain concepts and skills. Testing can also help policymakers and administrators gauge how schools are performing in core subject areas over time and for specific subgroups of students. However, “you can’t fatten cattle by weighing them,” goes the Midwest adage, and numerous educators have emphasized that time spent on testing is time taken away from more interactive and creative methods of teaching and learning. Taking into consideration the time that students spend preparing for and taking exams, the comparably small amount of testing done in other countries with high-performing education systems, the financial motivations of standardized testing companies, and perceptions of many educators, parents, and students, the answer is an emphatic, Yes.
Q: Do later school start times make a difference in children’s learning?
A: Unequivocally, yes, particularly for older adolescents. Moving school start times to later in the morning is supported by research from some of the most prominent child health and wellness organizations. For the most part, their recommendations go unheeded.
Q: Does homework increase student achievement?
A: The research findings on whether homework increases student learning are mixed, and the studies themselves have been criticized for alleged design flaws. Many education researchers contend that homework assignments are often structured in ways that lead to only superficial learning, like memorization of facts or filling out worksheets. Negative effects of homework on learning are evident when certain characteristics like amount and level of difficulty are out of balance. Homework assignments can benefit learning, however, when the instructional purposes are clear and when appropriately structured to challenge and engage students. Some evidence suggests that homework is associated with helping to develop good work habits, while other evidence indicates homework leads to stress for students. Daily homework remains a common classroom tradition despite the lack of consistent evidence of its worth.
Q: Are American schools less safe now than in the past?
A: Although mass school shootings remain a fear of parents, students, teachers, and school administrators around the country, those incidents have been on the decline. Likewise, reported victimizations among students ages 12–18 have decreased since the turn of the twenty-first century. Moreover, these decreases have been consistent across race and gender. Physical bullying has also declined overall, but in its place, there has been a sharp increase in online or cyberbullying. With respect to the bullying of female students specifically, the evidence is less clear, with one major review reporting that face-to-face bullying increased between 1998 and 2017, while federal survey data showed a decline in bullying (broadly defined) between 2005 and 2017. LGBTQ students remain at the greatest risk of being bullied or harassed.
Learn more about Public and Private Education in America, published by ABC-CLIO.
Neag School Accolades: Fall 2021
Throughout the academic year, the Neag School is proud to share the latest achievements of its faculty, staff, students, and alumni.
Explore their most recent promotions, research grant announcements, publications, and more:
- Dean’s Office
- Department of Curriculum and Instruction and Teacher Education
- Department of Educational Leadership
- Department of Educational Psychology
- Faculty/Staff
- Students
- Alumni
- In Memoriam
Dean’s Office
This past month, UConn alumni, staff, and students as well as members of the public gathered virtually for “#ThisIsAmerica: Critical Race Theory in Schools.” The panel featured four education professionals, including faculty and alumni from the Neag School of Education: Alexandra Freidus, Saran Stewart, and superintendent of Guilford (Conn.) Public Schools and Neag School adjunct professor Paul Freeman ’07 ELP, ’09 Ed.D. Read more about the event. On the same topic, Stewart and Freeman were part of a WNPR panel.
In September, the Neag School’s Leadership in Diversity (L.I.D.) organization hosted “Back to School Kickoff 2021” at UConn Storrs. The event featured Dr. Donovan Livingston, an award-winning educator, spoken word poet, and public speaker.
Dean Jason Irizarry was featured in a virtual UConn Alumni event, “Meet Neag School of Education Dean Jason G. Irizarry.” Held in October, the discussion was moderated by Neag School Alumni Board President Carl Johnson ’03 (ED), ’04 (MA), ’15 6th Year, and Dean’s Board of Advocates Chair Dr. Julie Wood ’71 (ED), ’72 (MA). View the recording.
Dean Jason Irizarry visited with school leaders across the state this semester, including Norwich Free Academy Head of School Brian Kelly and Vernon Public Schools Superintendent and alum Joe Macary ’94 (ED), ’08 ELP, ’16 Ed.D., to tour classrooms, visit with staff and students, and learn about new programs and initiatives.
The University of Connecticut recognized several faculty, staff, and students with the annual Provost’s Awards for Excellence in Community Engaged Scholarship. One of the honorees for the faculty team category was Environment Corps (E-Corps). This program combines classroom instruction, service learning, and extension outreach with hands-on practica in the community. Neag School team members include Rebecca A. Campbell-Montalvo, Todd Campbell, Gladis Kersaint, doctoral student Hannah Cooke, and alum Byung-Yeol Park’21 Ph.D.
In October, the Neag School of Education sponsored the Connecticut Education Association’s teacher tailgate during the UConn Football Homecoming game and co-sponsored the UConn book discussion Red Pedagogy: Native American Social and Political Thought featuring Sandy Grande, held at UConn Storrs earlier this month.
Neag School alumnus Michael Conner ’14 ELP; Terrell Hill, a Neag School Board of Advocates member; and Donald D. McAulay, a doctoral student in educational leadership, were selected as “100 Most Influential Blacks” by the NAACP in Connecticut. They were recognized at an awards event at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut, in October.
Department of Curriculum and Instruction (EDCI)
The Neag School of Education received a $400,000 gift from the Neag Foundation to establish the Neag Foundation Scholarship for the Integrated Bachelor’s/Master’s (IB/M) Program. The scholarship will support fifth-year IB/M students with demonstrated financial need. Read more about the scholarship.
Todd Campbell has received grants from the National Science Foundation and Google to make next-generation science education more justice-oriented and accessible. Read more about the grants.
The Connecticut Noyce Math Teacher Leaders (MTL) received $1.5 million in federal funding from the National Science Foundation, in addition to another $250,000 in private support, to support researchers at the Neag School and College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, as well as the Connecticut State Department of Education. MTL, led by Megan Staples, aims to support the development and retention of exceptional math educators in Connecticut’s highest-needs school districts — while also building these districts’ future leadership capacity in math education.
In October, the Neag School hosted the annual Celebration of Diversity in Education event at UConn Storrs. Check out photos from the Celebration of Diversity event.
This fall, secondary English students, led by Danielle Filipiak, hosted a speaker series on the UConn Storrs campus titled, “(Re)Imagining a More Just English Education.” The speaker topics included “Supporting Critical Language Awareness,” “Navigating Tough Topics,” “Queering ELA,” “Nourishing Youth Activism,” and “Reading the Word and the World.”
Neag School faculty, students, and alumni, led by Alan Marcus, developed a website to assist Connecticut high school teachers with the instruction of courses on Black and Latinx history.
Department of Educational Leadership (EDLR)
Two long-running educational programs at UConn for Supplemental Nutrition Assistant Program (SNAP) recipients are combining under a new $4.2 million USDA grant. This grant will combine Husky Sport and Husky Nutrition. Jennifer McGarry is the PI. Husky Sport is a collaborative effort between the Neag School and the Department of Kinesiology in the College of Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources. Read more about the grants.
The Wallace Foundation has announced its newest funded project, the Equity-Centered Pipeline Initiative. UCAPP will serve as a mentor/partner provider to other universities participating in building equity-centered principal pipeline. Casey Cobb and Erin (Walsh) Murray ’17 ELP will co-lead this work.
The Sport Management Program participated as a virtual mentorship site in the annual Global Sport Mentorship Program (GSMP). Laura Burton and Danielle DeRosa acted as the hosting mentors. As part of the GSMP, they hosted Fatma Ahmed from Zanzibar. Ahmed spent time with sport management faculty to learn more about the context of sport in the U.S., nonprofit development and social entrepreneurship, and gender and leadership development in sport. She will visit UConn next year in person. In October, Burton and DeRosa were introduced as mentors during the espnW Women + Sports Summit in San Diego.
In October, the Sport Management Program hosted a “Beyond the Field” virtual event titled “Olympics, Paralympics, Human Rights,” featuring Charley Nordin, U.S. Paralympian; Moushaumi Robinson, U.S. Olympian; Yannick Kluch, Center for Sport Leadership at Virginia Commonwealth University; and Eli Wolff, who served as the moderator. View the event recording.
Department of Educational Psychology (EPSY)
David Card was a co-recipient of the 2021 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences. Card, a faculty member at UC Berkeley, is a co-PI at the UConn National Center for Research on Gifted Education. Recently, he studied the impacts of gifted programs that increase the access of high-achieving minority and low-income students to advanced academic programs.
The Neag School of Education’s Transition Program has been accepted for accreditation for the Council for Exceptional Children’s Division on Career Development and Transition (DCDT).
In September, two faculty members from the Neag School of Education, Michael Young and Stephen Slota, were instrumental in planning UConn’s participation with the Connecticut Festival of Indie Games in Hartford, Connecticut. A dozen games were showcased, one of which included a Ph.D. doctoral student, Colter Moos.
Aditya Birla Education Academy (ABEA), India’s leading professional development institute for teachers, has partnered with the Renzulli Center for Creativity, Gifted Education, and Talent Development. The purpose of the collaboration is to introduce a six-week-long Schoolwide Enrichment Program for teachers.
Faculty/Staff
Joseph Abramo published “Where Culture and Epistemology? Dialectical Materialism and Music Education” for the fall issue of Philosophy of Music Education Review.
Michele Back co-wrote with alumni Karli Golembeski ’20 (ED), ’21 MA; Alexander Gutierrez ’20 (CLAS), ’21 MA; Tyler Macko ’20 (CLAS), ’21 MA; Sean Miller ’20 (CLAS), ’21 MA; and D’Lanie Pelletier ’20 (CLAS), ’21 MA an article titled “‘We Were Told That the Content We Delivered Was Not as Important:’ Disconnect and Disparities in World Language Student Teaching During COVID-19” for the December issue of System.
Laura Burton co-published with alumna Ajhanai Newton ’21 Ph.D. a chapter titled “Organisation-Level Practices to Support Women in Coaches” in Improving Gender Equity in Sports Coaching (Routledge, 2021).
Todd Campbell co-published “Instructional Materials Designed for A Framework for K-12 Science Education and the Next Generation Science Standards: An Introduction to the Special Issue” for the September issue of Journal of Science Teacher Education. Campbell was also invited to serve on a National Academies of Science panel as part of the Teacher Education Preparation Panel, held virtually in October.
Rebecca Campbell-Montalvo co-published with Todd Campbell and Byung Yeol-Park ’21 Ph.D., along with UConn faculty members Chester Arnold, John C. Volin, Maria Chrysochoou, and Peter Diplock, an article titled “E-Corps’ Implementation of Environmental Sustainability-Focused Service-Learning: Conditions Supporting the Establishment of an Epistemic Community” for the November issue of Journal of STEM Outreach.
Milagros Castillo-Montoya co-authored with Ajhanai Netwon ’21 Ph.D. and Garret Zastoupil ’17 MA “Developing Critical Consciousness: The Gains and Missed Opportunities for Latinx College Students in a Sport-Based Critical Service-Learning Course” for the winter issue of Michigan Journal of Community Service Learning. Castillo-Montoya and Jillian Ives ’12 MA, a doctoral student in educational leadership, co-authored “Transformative Practices to Support First-Generation Students as Academic Learners: Findings From a Systematic Literature Review” for the April issue of Journal of First-Generation Student Success. Castillo-Montoya and Omar Romandia, a doctoral student in educational leadership, released new episodes for season two of The Higher Education Anti-Racist Teaching (H.E.A.R.T) Podcast, focusing on the arts.
Sandy Chafouleas published “Why Mental Well-Being Promotion Must Extend to Youth Sports” for her blog in Psychology Today. She was also a keynote speaker at the 11th Annual Maine PBIS Conference, held virtually in November.
Chen Chen was part of the core planning team that organized the inaugural Junior Scholars of Color Mentoring Program for the North American Society for the Sociology of Sport (NASSS) virtually in November.
Casey Cobb co-published Public and Private Education in America: Examining the Facts (ABC-CLIO Publishers, 2021). Read an excerpt from the book. He also secured a $149,000 grant with the Connecticut State Department of Education to evaluate the AccelerateCT Summer Enrichment Program. The grant supports Kiah DeVona, a doctoral student in educational leadership. Cobb also co-published a chapter titled “Social Justice Leadership Design” for the Handbook of Social Justice Interventions in Education (Springer Link, 2021).
Michael Coyne co-published “Making Personal Connections to Words to Increase Early Childhood Vocabulary Learning” for the September issue of The Reading Teacher.
Ido Davidesco co-published “Students Learning About Science by Investigating an Unfolding Pandemic” for the January-December 2021 issue of AERA Open.
Hannah Dostal was co-featured in an Inside IES Research article titled “Literacy and Deafness: Helping Students Who are D/HH Improve Language and Writing Skills.”
Alex Freidus was awarded the Concha Delgado Gaitán Presidential Fellowship by the Council on Anthropology & Education. In addition, she published “Looking Smart: Race and Academic Ability in Diversifying Middle School” for the October issue of Anthropology and Education.
Rachael Gabriel was a featured speaker on “The Impact of Reading Laws on Educators” for the Connecticut Association for Reading Research. She was also a featured speaker on “How Research, Interpretation, and Science Fuel the Craft of Teaching” for Heinemann Publishing. Both events were held virtually in October.
Nicholas Gelbar and Joe Madaus co-published an article titled “Factors Related to Extended Time Use by College Students With Disabilities” for the December issue of Remedial and Special Education.
Doug Glanville was featured in UConn Magazine about his MLB experience and his current work as a faculty member and ESPN contributor.
Richard Gonzales and alumna Tricia Lee ’20 6th Year were invited by the Wallace Foundation, along with superintendents and a state commissioner of education, to meet with the U.S. Department of Education to discuss educational leadership policy and advocate for systemic support of school leaders. The virtual event occurred in October. Gonzales was also a speaker for the Council of Chief State School Officer’s Fall Virtual Collaborative, held in October. In addition, he began his service as a member of the University of Texas advisory council for the University of Texas leadership preparation programs.
Preston Green co-wrote “How Reparations Can Be Paid Through School Finance Reform” for The Conversation. He was also an invited speaker for the Education Commission of the States Virtual Forum on Education Policy, held virtually in October.
Robin Grenier published “Cabin Fear Learning: Escaping the Pandemic When There’s No Place to Go” for the May issue of New Horizons in Adult Education and Human Resource Development.
E. Jean Gubbins was recognized with the 2021 NAGC Distinguished Scholar award from the National Association for Gifted Education. NAGC honors an individual who has made significant contributions to the field of gifted education and the organization’s development for more than 10 years and has a record of ongoing scholarly productivity.
Emily Iovino ’15 (ED), ’16 MA, ’20 Ph.D. and Jessica B. Kosoulski, postdoctoral students, and Sandra Chafouleas co-published “Teaching Simple Strategies to Foster Emotional Well-Being” for the November issue of Frontiers in Psychology.
Hansika Kapoor, a research affiliate, co-authored “Does Conspiratorial Blame Mediate the Relationship Between Political Ideology and Risk Perception? Evidence From India and the US” in Ideology, Conspiracies, and Risk Perception and co-published with James Kaufman “Unbound: The Relationship Among Creativity, Moral Foundations, and Dark Personality” for the October issue of Journal of Creative Behavior.
James Kaufman co-published “Building off Creativity to Move From Gifted to Gifting” for the October issue of Gifted Education International; co-published with Hansika Kapoor and others “Explaining Standardized Educational Test Scores: The Role of Creativity Above and Beyond GPA and Personality” in the 2021 issue of APA PsychNet; co-published The Cambridge Handbook of Animal Cognition (Cambridge University Press, 2021); and co-published “Creativity Myths: Prevalence and Correlated of Misconceptions on Creativity” for the November issue of Personality and Individual Differences. Kaufman also participated in an Apple podcast episode, “James Kaufman, Creativity Researcher,” in October and published an essay “How to Nurture Creativity in Your Kids” for The Conversation.
Devin Kearns co-published “Implementation of Data-Based Decision-Making: Linking Research From the Special Series to Practice” for the August issue of Journal of Learning Disabilities.
Allison Lombardi’s research grants on career readiness and employment outcomes for students with disabilities were featured by IES Research.
Joseph Madaus co-published with Nicholas Gelbar, former Neag School faculty member Michael Fagella-Luby, and Lyman Dukes an article titled “Experiences of Students With Disabilities During the COVID-19 Interruption of In-Person Instruction” for the spring issue of Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability. Madaus also co-published with Gelbar, Dukes, Fagella-Luby, and Ashley Taconet, a doctoral student in educational psychology, an article titled “Are There Predictors of Success for Students With Disabilities Pursuing Postsecondary Education?” for the November issue of Career Development and Transition for Exceptional Individuals.
Alan Marcus and Thomas Levine co-wrote “Mapping the Pandemic: Teaching Critical Map Literacy with Interactive COVID-19 Maps” for the October issue of Social Studies Research and Practice. In addition, Marcus, along with colleagues from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Virginia Tech, received a grant of $164,000 from the Holocaust Educational Trust to study the educational uses of virtual reality with Holocaust survivors at the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center.
Adam McCready presented “Masculinities, Problematic Outcomes, and the Return to the In-Person Experience” for the Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors Region I in July and co-presented “Validation and Development of Racial/Ethnic Mistrust Online Scale” for the 46th Annual Conference of the Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE) in San Juan, Puerto Rico. McCready also co-published an article titled “Does Experiencing Racialized Aggressions on Social Media Influence Perceptions About the Campus Racial Climate” for the 2021 Research in Higher Education issue and was named the incoming editor of Oracle: The Research Journal of the Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors. His two-year term will begin in January 2022.
Bianca Montrosse-Moorhead co-published “Integrated Big Data Into Evaluation: R Code for Topic Identification and Modeling” for the October issue of the American Journal of Evaluation. In addition, she co-presented “The Role of Youth and Young and Emerging Evaluators in Advancing Evaluation Practice” earlier this month at the American Evaluation Association’s 2021 virtual conference, Eval21 Reimagined.
David Moss was an invited symposium speaker and Jon Simmons, a doctoral student in curriculum and instruction, for a “Developing Intercultural and Global Competencies for Teachers through Global Education” at the Northeastern Educational Research Association (NERA) virtual conference in October. Also presenting at the conference doctoral student Sandra Silva-Enos; Joseph Abramo, with alumni Marcia Delcourt and Rex Sturdevant; and Eric Loken.
Kenny Nienhusser co-authored with Milagros Castillo-Montoya and Shaun Dougherty, a former Neag School faculty member, and others, “If You Fund Them, Will They Come? Implications From a Ph.D. Fellowship Program on Racial/Ethnic Student Diversity” for the September issue of AERA Open.
Byung-Yeol Park ’21 Ph.D., a postdoctoral research associate, co-published with Todd Campbell and David Moss, UConn faculty members Chester Arnold, Laura Cisneros, Cary Chadwick, David Dickson, John C. Volin, and Neag School alumna Laura Rodriguez ’20 Ph.D. an article titled “Improving NGSS Focused Model-Based Learning Curriculum Through the Examination of Students’ Experiences and Iterated Models” for the September issue of Research in Science and Technological Education.
Diandra J. Prescod is a recipient of the UConn President’s Commitment to Community Initiative for a project entitled “Inclusive Career Conversations: Reducing Bias and Career Choice Disparagement and Bullying.” In addition, she is part of a UConn team leading a $2.5 million NSF LSAMP grant, which supports historically underrepresented students in the STEM fields and was recently renewed through 2026.
Grace Player is a co-author and the artist for Where Is the Justice? Engaged Pedagogies in Schools and Communities (Teachers College Press, 2021).
Sally Reis, Nicholas Gelbar, and Joseph Madaus co-published “Understanding the Academic Success of Academically Talented College Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders” for the September issue of Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. Reis also co-published with Sara Renzulli and Joseph Renzulli “Enrichment and Gifted Education Pedagogy to Develop Talents, Gifts, and Creative Productivity” for the October issue of Gifted Education, Creativity, and Leadership Development.
Joseph Renzulli was recognized by the Mensa Foundation with the 2021 Lifetime Achievement Award. The Award honors his 40-plus years of research and advocacy focused on identifying and developing creativity and giftedness in young people. His organizational models and curricular strategies have resulted in numerous pedagogical breakthroughs. He also received the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC)’s 2021 President’s Award. In addition, Renzulli co-published a book with Neag School alumni Jennifer Foreman ’13 Ph.D. and Laurel Brandon ’13 MA, ’19 Ph.D. titled Things My Child Likes To Do (Routledge 2021); co-published an article with Ron Beghetto, a former Neag School faculty member, Laurel Brandon ’13 MA, ’19 Ph.D., and another colleague “Development of an Instrument to Measure Opportunities for Imagination, Creativity, and Innovation (ICI) in Schools” for the September issue of Gifted Education International; and co-published an e-book with Katherine Gavin, Sally Reis, Del Siegle, and Neag School alumni Linda H. Smith ’76 Ph.D.; Alan J. White ’79 Ph.D.; Carolyn Callahan ’87 (ED), ’89 MA, ’91 Ph.D.; Karen L. Westberg ’80 MA, ’90 Ph.D.; and Rachael E. Sytsma Reed ’04 MA, ’03 Ph.D. titled Scales for Rating the Behavioral Characteristics of Superior Students (Routledge 2021).
Lisa Sanetti is a co-PI for a new federally funded project, Total Worker Health® Center of Excellence — a collaborative program between UConn Health, UConn Storrs, and the University of Massachusetts-Lowell.
Del Siegle will receive the 2021 National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC)’s Ann F. Isaacs Founder’s Memorial Award for distinguished service to NAGC and gifted education. He will be formally recognized at the NAGC Annual Convention in Denver, Colorado, in November. In addition, Siegle published an e-book, The Underachieving Gifted Child: Recognizing, Understanding, and Reversing Underachievement (Routledge 2021), and gave the opening keynote with Betsy McCoach, co-presenting “Rethinking Gifted Education: Where is Gifted Education Going From Here?,” for the Council for State Directors of Programs for the Gifted virtual meeting in November.
Megan Staples is featured in a Mathematics Teacher Education podcast on math education.
Saran Stewart was recognized by the Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE) with the 2021 Council on International Higher Education (CIHE) honorable mention award for significant research on international higher education for her book Decolonizing Qualitative Approaches For and by the Caribbean (Information Age Publishing, 2020).
Students
Pauline Batista, a doctoral student in educational leadership, was selected by UNESCO to participate in the Intergenerational Dialogue as part of the #BiennaleLuanda 2021 in October. Only two people are chosen per country. In September, she was also one of three presenters for UConn’s TEDxUConn event at UConn Storrs.
Robert Cotto, a doctoral student in educational leadership, co-published with Sarah Woulfin, a former Neag School faculty member, “Choice With(out) Equity”? Family Decisions of Child Return to Urban Schools Pandemic” for the September issue of Journal of Family Diversity in Education.
Shannon Holder, a doctoral student in educational psychology, has been named a pre-doctoral fellow in the Educational Leadership & Professional Studies department at William Paterson University.
Jillian Ives ’12 MA, a doctoral student in educational leadership, presented two online workshops at the Teachers College Reimagining Education Summer Institute: “Improving Equity in College Access Through Development a Culturally Relevant College-Going-Culture” and “Do Students Resist Equity Pedagogy?: Digging Into Students’ Sense-Making of Teaching.”
Corine Matarasso, a fellow of the PK-3 Leadership Program, was selected assistant principal of Toquam Magnet Elementary School in Stamford, Connecticut.
Ashley Robinson, a doctoral student in educational leadership, presented at the Teachers College Reimagining Education Summit Institute in July, the Southeast Association of Housing Officers in June, and the UConn Women’s Advance Conference, in May. She was also awarded the first-ever research grant from the College Student Educators International (ACPA)’s Commission for Housing and Residential Life.
Kaitlynn Styles, a junior secondary education student, was elected to Wolcott (Connecticut)’s Town Council.
Alumni
Will Aloia ’12 (ED) is assistant director of athletics for UConn Compliance in Storrs, Connecticut. He previously worked at Seton Hall University in a similar role.
Amable Aristy ’21 (ED) is working for the game night staff at the Washington Wizards as he completes his master’s degree in sport industry management at Georgetown University.
Susan Austin ’78 (ED) was appointed superintendent of Groton (Connecticut) Public Schools.
Manjushri Banerjee ’07 Ph.D. co-published with Adam Lalor ’15 Ph.D., Joseph Madaus, and another colleague “A Survey of Postsecondary Disability Service Website Information” for the 2021 special issue of Learning Disabilities: A Multidisciplinary Journal.
Harold Bentley ’17 MS is working as a coordinator for Competitive (Club) Sports in Campus Recreation at UConn Storrs. Bentley previously worked as the director of championships for the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.
Amy Briesch ’05 MA, ’09 6th Year, ’09 Ph.D. co-published with Sandra Chafouleas; Emily Iovino ’15 (ED), ’16 MA, ’20 Ph.D., a postdoctoral student; and other colleagues, “Exploring Directions for Professional Learning to Enhance Behavior Screening Within a Comprehensive, Integrated, Three-Tiered Model of Prevention,” for the October issue of Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions.
Joseph Briody ’86 (BUS), ’95 MA, ’96 Ph.D. was appointed assistant vice president/executive director of UConn’s Division of Student Affairs. Read more about his story.
Carissa Brizzi ’20 (ED) oversees equipment operations at Seton Hall University Athletics in South Orange, New Jersey. She previously worked as a graduate assistant at the East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania.
Virginia Cabrera ’16 MA, who currently works for Orientation Programs at Purdue University and is now a doctoral student in curriculum studies at Purdue, was awarded the NODA Innovative Program Award for her development of a Sensory Guide dedicated to building a more inclusive and accommodating program for students with neurodiverse needs.
Shaleighne “Shay” Canter ’13 6th Year, a former special education teacher, was a competitor in UConn’s Wolff New Venture Competition in October. Canter is the CEO of Engagement Solutions, a cloud-based and multilingual platform that captures and stores personal information for most enhanced-service applications.
Dan Carrick ’18 (ED) was promoted to senior member services account manager with the Philadelphia 76ers. Prior to the 76ers, he worked as a sales associate with Harris Blitzer Sports and Entertainment.
Michael Corral, ’18 Ph.D., associate partner for research and insights at Promise 54, recently shared the report in which he and his colleagues examine the unrealized impact of diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in education.
Ricardo “Rico” Destinvil ’18 MA started a new position as a talent recruiter for Uncommon Schools in Brooklyn, New York. He most recently served as a college and career success counselor for Achievement First.
Kolin Ebron ’21 Ph.D. serves as a postdoctoral student in support of Neag School’s Husky Sport program.
Symone James ’16 (ED), ’17 MA was featured by Teachers of Connecticut. James is an elementary school teacher for Meriden (Conn.) Public Schools.
Taylor Kielpinski-Rogers ’12 (ED) is vice president for communications for the Boston Celtics in Boston, Massachusetts. She previously worked as the director of communications for the National Football League.
Tracey Lafayette ’15 (ED), ’16 MA, a teacher in East Hartford (Conn.) Public Schools, was featured by the Connecticut Education Association.
Brent LeClair ’18 (ED) is the assistant director of the Dean Smith Center at UNC-Chapel Hill in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. He previously served as the assistant director of facilities and events at James Madison University.
Josh Lockhart ’20 (ED) is the new coordinator of Olympic Sports Operations at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey.
Charles Macaulay ’17 MS, ’21 Ph.D. is as an assistant professor in the Mark McCormick Department of Sport Management in the Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
Justin Michaud ’12 (BUS), ’14 MA, was hired as a math teacher for Mercy High School in Middletown, Connecticut. He most recently worked at Sacred Heart High School in Waterbury, Connecticut.
Jackie Millisits ’18 (ED) is a media strategist at Fandom in New York City, New York. She previously worked at World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).
Sabina Rak Neugebauer, a former postdoctoral student, co-published with Michael Coyneand another colleague “Making Personal Connections to Words to Increase Early Childhood Vocabulary Learning” for the September issue of The Reading Teacher.
Nate Nugent ’20 (ED) is a corporate partnerships coordinator in University Advancement at the University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida.
Wura Olusekun ’16 MS was recently hired by Major League Soccer as a senior coordinator in New York City, New York. In this role, she will be involved in community engagement and outreach. Before that, she worked for the National Hockey League in social impact, growth initiatives, and legislative affairs.
Kailee Ostroski ’10 (ED), ’11 MA, was recognized by Hartford Business Journal as a “2021 40 Under Forty.” Ostroski is the director of operations at Connecticut Wealth Management in Farmington, Connecticut.
Irvine Peck’s-Agaya ’20 MA is program administrator for the Children with Incarcerated Parents Initiative in the Institute for Municipal and Regional Policy at the Department of Public Policy at UConn Hartford in Hartford, Connecticut.
Justin Paluch ’12 MS is a coordinator for Competitive (Club) Sports in Campus Recreation at UConn Storrs. Before that, he worked as a customer service representative for BSN Sports, Inc.
Alfredo Ramirez ’19 is assistant director for programs and marketing for the Department of Student Activities at Temple University in Philadephia, Pennsylvania. He previously served as the assistant director for student engagement at Lehigh University.
Jennifer (Puskarz) Skitromo ’07 MA, ’15 MA was featured in UConn Today about her being a breast cancer survivor.
Emily Tarconish ’21 Ph.D. co-published with Ashley Taconet, a current doctoral student, Nicholas Gelbar, Joseph Madaus, Neag School alumnus Lyman Dukes ’01 Ph.D., and Michael Fagella-Luby, a former Neag School faculty member, an article titled “The Spectrum of Disability Documentation Requirements at 12 Institutions A Thematic Analysis” for the 2021 special issue of Learning Disabilities: A Multidisciplinary Journal.
Melanie Thomas ’11 MA, ’20 6th Year, a third-grade teacher at Truman School in New Haven, Connecticut, was selected as New Haven’s 2021 Teacher of the Year.
Patricia Virella ’21 Ph.D. is a tenure track assistant professor position at Montclair State University. In July, Virella successfully defended her dissertation, “Número 85: A Critical Analysis of Ley De Reforma Educativa de Puerto Rico.”
Nancy Wong ’16 MA, a research associate for Rankin & Associates Consulting, began her doctoral studies at the University of Maryland, College Park in the Higher Education, Student Affairs, and International Education Policy Program.
Kayla (Kay) Wong ’19 MA is the Pride Center Coordinator at San Diego State University in San Diego, California. She most recently worked as a social worker for the Aurora Behavioral Health System.
In Memoriam
Gail E. Beach ’59
Virginia “Ginny” McCormick Blanch
Donald A. Booth ’68
Richard “Dick” C. Bowman ’83
Patricia J. Brown ’83
Patricia Lois Cella ’66
David L. Emery ’81
Dorothea M. Isleib ’63
Lynn M. Jefson ’88
Helen Susan Kearns ’69
Claire Glennon Lonsdale ’81
Helen B. McNair ’81
Darrell J. “D.J.” Moore ’73
John Fenwick Rea ’61
Vivian Sihshu Yenika-Agbaw ’86
Using Book Clubs as a Professional Learning Tool
When we think of book clubs, some may visualize a group of older women sitting in a circle and discussing their favorite novels while sipping tea. It may be rarer to stumble upon the idea of a book club as an educational tool that can aid individuals in their professional learning.
In a newly published journal article, Neag School Professor and adult learning expert Robin Grenier examines, with colleagues including Neag School alumna Kristi Kaeppel ’20 Ph.D., the use of book clubs and literature as a tool for enhancing the professional learning of employees across various organizations — from the military to nonprofits to health care. Voluntary, fiction-based book clubs, the researchers say, offer employees a nonformal setting for learning while critically raising consciousness within an organization.
“We argue that fiction-based book clubs are effective vehicles for tackling challenging social issues because they facilitate three things particularly well: building relationships, fostering learning, and stimulating culture change,” says Grenier.
“What this means,” she adds, “is that the book clubs we describe in our paper might be excellent spaces for having tough conversations and addressing issues within organizations (and society), since participants can ask questions or raise important points by projecting onto fictional characters and situations.”
Voluntary, fiction-based book clubs, the researchers say, offer employees a nonformal setting for learning while critically raising consciousness within an organization.
The article describes this “public pedagogy” as standing at the “crossroads of culture, learning, and social change.”
“Public refers not to a physical site of educational phenomena,” the researchers write, “but rather to an idealized outcome of educational activity: the production of a public aligned in terms of values and collective identity.”
Three Pillars of Effective Book Clubs in Organizations
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Relationship Building
While the purpose of coming together in a book club is to discuss literature, the true value lies in the relationships built among the participants, Grenier and her colleagues say.
“Book clubs provide a space for creating relationships with people that an individual might otherwise not have associated with, but with whom they nevertheless formed a committed community,” the researchers write. “For marginalized members of a workplace, friendships can serve as spaces of social support that challenge internalized notions of inferiority and propel individuals’ personal and professional growth.”
Through book clubs, individuals can get to know one another on a professional level and a deeper personal level, which in turn, the researchers attest, can foster a healthier work environment.
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Fostering Learning
Historically, book clubs have often served as a site of learning for groups who could not participate in traditional forms of education, according to the researchers. The nonformal learning environment of book clubs also can create a more pleasant experience and lead “to greater retention of the material than formal professional development.”
The process of learning does not always have to equate to acquiring new knowledge. Instead, it can contribute to shifting perspectives, building previous knowledge, and using critical thinking skills.
“Although book clubs can in some instances initiate transformational learning that occurs through members having their existing perspectives challenged or broadened, leading to new perspectives, more often engagement encourages critical thinking among members,” the researchers write.
Book clubs can promote critical public pedagogy by encouraging readers to question the existing structures of society.
While reading certainly provides an opportunity for learning, it is the discussion element of book clubs that they state is “at the heart of the learning process.”
Grenier and her co-authors point out that “book club discussions can be intentionally tied to the workplace and professional practice, where the act of literary reading can be interwoven with organizational themes as members of the book club align ‘with institutional practices and priorities’.”
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Cultural Change
Book clubs can also promote critical public pedagogy by encouraging readers to question the existing structures of society.
“Book club members use texts and subsequent discussions to learn as they work through, reflect on, or address the social or political issues they encounter in their lives — at home, in their workplaces, or in society more generally,” the researchers write.
In reading critically, individuals taking part in book clubs engage with the shared experiences of their peers, as well as of the characters in the books they discuss. This can lead to a greater understanding and empathy for those who have identities different from one’s own. That is, “when readers are willing to stand in another’s shoes … book clubs can become a space for engaging in cultural change work.”
Initiating cultural change, Grenier says, relies on “empathy-building, democratic communication platforms, and challenging hegemony.”
Book clubs may not only serve as safe spaces for this kind of engagement, but also can “hold the promise of moving beyond simply being an instrument of employee learning to a means of critical consciousness raising within organizations,” says Grenier.
How It All Began
Before writing the article, Grenier and her colleagues hosted their own book club session at the Academy of Human Resource Development Conference in 2019.
“We wanted to use a book of fiction that addressed a pressing social concern,” says Grenier. They decided on Damian Barr’s You Will Be Safe Here, a novel set in South Africa during the 20th and 21st centuries. “The discussion in the conference session led us to explore voluntary book clubs as a source of nonformal learning in organizations that we use in our paper.”
To make book clubs work as a critical pedagogy in professional organizations, a few things should be in place, according to Grenier and her co-authors. For one, participation in the book club must be voluntary to ensure the process of learning and reading is the most enjoyable it can be for all members. In addition, the entire process, including choosing the novels, must rest with the individuals in the group — not the organization’s managers.
The book club,” the researchers say, “is a simple yet potent counter to workplace exclusion” that can “facilitate inclusion by simultaneously connecting employees from a range of departments while breaking down silos and minimizing workplace hierarchies.”
On a more personal level, they can help individuals who may be more reserved and introverted than their colleagues connect with co-workers.
“When we engage in reading and discussing fiction with others, it can produce an emancipatory form of adult learning,” says Grenier. “It creates a space that provides social and cultural influence among book club participants and supports a way to reveal, question, and possibly counter hegemonic practices in their organization.”
