College of Education News

Katherine O’Donnell and Christy Austin, assistant professors in the University of Utah College of Education, have been selected to serve on Utah’s Science of Reading Panel. Their appointments bring College expertise in literacy, reading disabilities, educator preparation and evidence-based instruction into statewide efforts to strengthen reading outcomes.

Tuesday, August 25, 2026 08:56 PM

The University of Utah Reading Clinic (UURC) has received a $7.13 million, five-year Education Innovation and Research (EIR) Mid-Phase Striving Readers Support grant to expand evidence-based reading support for students in Grades 4–12, with a focus on rural and highly impacted communities.

Monday, August 17, 2026 09:09 PM

A U of U College of Education scholar co-authored an award-winning article in Psychotherapy examining therapist effectiveness in a national sample of university counseling center clients. The study sheds light on differences in counseling outcomes for students from sexual minority backgrounds and contributes to research on student mental health and university counseling center practice.

Monday, August 10, 2026 06:20 PM

An interdisciplinary University of Utah team received a 1U4U seed grant to study how virtual reality navigation may help promote physical activity and support better health outcomes for people with low vision.

Monday, August 10, 2026 05:34 PM

The University of Utah College of Education will join Utah’s statewide Read-A-Thon on Friday, Oct. 2, inviting faculty, staff, and students to gather in the SAEC Auditorium for an hour of reading in support of literacy.

Friday, July 31, 2026 07:00 PM

Utah researcher argues that schools should slow down before adopting generative AI at scale, and should ask whether a given technology does more harm than good.

Thursday, July 23, 2026 07:00 PM

University of Utah College of Education faculty recently traveled to Mexico through a U.S. Department of State IDEAS Program initiative to strengthen international education partnerships and future study abroad opportunities.

Tuesday, June 02, 2026 10:24 PM

The College of Education's Lauren Aimonette Liang was recognized by Wiley for a top viewed article on teacher training and classroom book choices. Her research shows that courses on diverse and global children’s literature can help teachers choose more...

Thursday, May 28, 2026 10:00 PM

David Stroupe, Associate Dean of Research and Professor in the University of Utah’s College of Education, has been recognized by Wiley Online Library for authoring a top viewed article published in the Journal of Research in Science Teaching.

Friday, May 22, 2026 07:00 PM

University of Utah College of Education Dean Frankie Santos Laanan has received the Marilyn J. Amey Senior Scholar Award from the Council for the Study of Community Colleges (CSCC).

Thursday, May 14, 2026 07:15 PM

The University of Utah’s College of Education has joined the Talent Ready Apprenticeship Connection (TRAC) Teacher Youth Apprenticeship program, a multi-partner initiative designed to create clear, supported pathways for students to pursue careers in education.

Thursday, May 07, 2026 09:20 PM

Dr. Udita Gupta, associate professor in the Urban Institute for Teacher Education at the University of Utah’s College of Education, has been selected for a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Award, one of the nation’s most competitive and prestigious international academic honors.

Thursday, May 07, 2026 07:00 AM

College of Education Researchers Join $375K Spencer Foundation Grant on Family-Friendly Education Policies

Tuesday, April 07, 2026 06:56 PM

This week, Jason Taylor, associate professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy in the University of Utah’s College of Education, is helping lead the 2026 Council for the Study of Community Colleges (CSCC) conference in Salt Lake City, one of the nation’s leading scholarly gatherings focused on community colleges.

Monday, March 30, 2026 11:50 PM

University of Utah Reading Clinic Director Kelly Patrick recently appeared on FOX 13’s Good Day Utah to discuss a key message in literacy instruction: strong spelling skills are built through understanding how language works, not through memorization alone.

Friday, March 20, 2026 05:13 PM

Through the mentorship of College of Education Dean Frankie Santos Laanan and Educational Psychology Professor Jason Burrow-Sanchez, Honors College student Michael Molenaar has published research in the prize-winning, peer-reviewed Journal of American College Health. The journal provides information related to health and well-being in institutions of higher education. The faculty/student research team’s article, “The intersection of disabilities and the risk of sexual assault victimization among female college students,” was officially released on November 3, 2025

Thursday, January 08, 2026 05:12 PM

Dr. Erin L. Castro received an $8 million award from Ascendium Education Group to launch the first national center dedicated to prison education research and leadership housed in the College of Education at the University of Utah. Building upon more than a decade of groundbreaking research, the Prison Education Action Research Lab (PEARL) will continue to engage work that advances educational justice for people and communities impacted by incarceration. The Lab will serve as a vital resource in a rapidly growing field in need of the next generation of prison education researchers, leaders, and practitioners.

Tuesday, December 02, 2025 05:48 AM

Lauren Barth-Cohen, Associate Professor of Educational Psychology, has been named a 2025 U of U Presidential Scholar. Professor Barth-Cohen joins the ranks of three other CoEdu professors who have shared this honor over the past decade:

Wednesday, October 29, 2025 09:38 PM

This fall, veteran College of Education advisor Sara Hatch Southwick (left) moved into a new role in the Navigate U Hub. The hub unites the U's most community-centered disciplines, Education and Social Work, to focus on undergraduate advising and support in the areas of elementary and secondary education, social work, educational psychology, behavioral health, special education, and related fields. Hatch brings 11 years of advising experience to the hub.

Tuesday, October 28, 2025 06:20 PM

College of Education faculty members Madeline Hafner and Peggy Kong have secured acceptance to the Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate (CPED), a national knowledge forum of colleges of education across the country. With their successful application, Professors Hafner and Kong have plugged the University of Utah College of Education into a vibrant and impactful network of 150+ colleges working together to “undertake a critical examination of the doctorate in education (Ed.D.) through dialogue, experimentation, critical feedback, and evaluation.”

Wednesday, September 10, 2025 04:51 PM

The University of Utah College of Education and College of Science have announced David Stroupe’s appointment as director of the Center for Science and Mathematics Education (CSME), a program based in the College of Science that works to enhance K-12 math and science instruction, undergraduate support and increase access that promotes success in science and mathematics for K-12 and undergraduate students.

Tuesday, September 09, 2025 09:17 PM

Sheryl Sudakar, a first-year doctoral student in the College of Education's Counseling Psychology Program, was recently recognized for her research at the 56th International Society for Psychotherapy Research (SPR) Conference, held at Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Poland. Her poster won second place out of 100+ student presentations.

Monday, August 11, 2025 10:34 PM

The University of Utah College of Education has appointed David Stroupe as interim associate dean for research (ADR), effective July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026. Stroupe, who was recently promoted to Professor in the Department of Educational Psychology, brings exceptional research leadership experience and a proven track record of securing significant grant funding to support the college's research mission.

Monday, August 04, 2025 10:14 PM

Distinguished Professor William A. Smith has been recognized as one of IMPACT Magazine’s 2025 Men of Impact , a national honor celebrating those who create lasting change in their communities. Smith is widely known for introducing the framework of Racial Battle Fatigue, a language that has helped scholars, students, and individuals better understand and articulate the emotional and physical toll of racism. He is distinguished not only by his substantial contributions to the field but also by his eminent positions within the university.

Friday, July 11, 2025 04:50 PM

The College of Education has appointed Sydnee Dickson as Clinical Professor in the Department of Educational Leadership & Policy and inaugural Special Assistant to the Dean for Strategic Initiatives. Dickson retired as Utah State Superintendent of Public Instruction and will join the college this fall, having stepped down from her superintendent role in July 2025. She returns to the college where she earned her doctorate in Educational Leadership & Policy in 2007, bringing with her an impressive 43-year career spanning roles as teacher, counselor, principal, district administrator, and state superintendent for the past nine years.

Friday, July 11, 2025 04:06 PM

On May 6, 2025, the Utah School Mental Health Collaborative (USMHC) and Mending Minds Village hosted the Youth Mental Health Advocacy Event at the Utah State Capitol, honoring National Children's Mental Health Awareness Month. With support from Voices for Utah Children, Live Like Sam, and WeBeWell, the event welcomed about 80 attendees, including parents, community members, and policymakers, to raise awareness and foster advocacy for youth mental health.

Monday, May 12, 2025 04:49 PM

Researchers from the Utah Education Policy Center (UEPC) published a chapter in STEM Century: It Takes a Village to Raise a 21st Century Graduate – Utah Edition. The group’s co-authored chapter "STEM Action Center as Innovation Intermediary: Through the Lens of a Research Practice Partner" examines the Utah Stem Action Center (STEM AC) role as an innovation intermediary within Utah’s STEM ecosystem. The UEPC is housed in the College of Education.

Thursday, May 08, 2025 09:02 PM

Associate Professor of Educational Psychology David Stroupe has been elected as an incoming Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) for his “distinguished contributions to the fields of science education and teacher education, particularly for scholarship on innovative, equitable and responsible teaching practices in diverse classrooms.”

Monday, April 28, 2025 05:40 PM

We’re excited to share that Zac Imel, Assistant Professor in the Counseling Psychology Program at the University of Utah’s Department of Educational Psychology, has been named the recipient of the 2025 University of Utah Distinguished Research Award. This recognition highlights Professor Imel’s significant contributions to the field of mental health research, particularly his innovative work in improving psychotherapy and mental health treatment. Professor Imel is the second faculty member from the Department of Educational Psychology to receive this prestigious award, following William A. Smith, who received the honor in 2021.

Monday, April 28, 2025 05:10 PM

Laurence Parker, outgoing chair and professor of Educational Leadership & Policy in the College of Education, has been honored with the Division G: Social Context of Education Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Educational Research Association (AERA). This recognition celebrates his decades of contributions to the field, to student mentorship, and to educational research, particularly through the lens of Critical Race Theory (CRT).

Monday, April 28, 2025 04:51 PM

Lynne Zummo, Assistant Professor of Educational Psychology and Curator of Learning Sciences at the Natural History Museum of Utah (NHMU), has been awarded a Faculty Small Grant Program (FSGP) award from the VPR Office for her project, “Scaffolding Data Practices for Museum Learning: Deepening Experiences with Data, Evidence, and the Cleveland Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry.”

Monday, March 24, 2025 09:51 PM

Assistant Professor of Educational Psychology and One-U Responsible AI Initiative fellow Chenglu Li discusses advances in his AI-augmented Learning by Teaching to Enhance and Renovate Math Learning (ALTER-Math) project.

Monday, March 24, 2025 04:26 PM

The American Educational Research Association (AERA) has announced the selection of 29 exemplary scholars as 2025 AERA Fellows, Distinguished Professor of Education, Culture, & Society William A. Smith among them. Dr. Smith joins Laurence Parker, Chair and Professor of Educational Leadership & Policy, as the second AERA fellow in the College of Education.

Saturday, March 08, 2025 04:06 PM

Udita Gupta, Associate Professor (Career Line), Urban Institute for Teacher Education (UITE), has been awarded the 2025 Public Service Professor Award from the Office of Undergraduate Studies. The university-wide award was designed to help faculty deepen relationships with community partners and enhance community-engaged learning experiences for students.

Monday, March 03, 2025 03:16 PM

Meet Abbey Salamera, a CoEdu graduate student in Education, Culture, and Society (ECS), who was recently featured in the video “Supporting mental wellbeing to empower success” presented by the David Eccles School of Business and produced by the BBC. As the Program Coordinator for Student Engagement & Belonging (SEB), Abbey plays a key role in planning belonging events and collaborating with affinity organizations to build community.

Thursday, February 20, 2025 09:49 PM

We are thrilled to share that doctoral student Amy Query has been selected for a competitive summer internship through the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) at the U.S. Department of Education. This internship gives great opportunities for doctoral scholars to gain hands-on experience in federal education policy, administration, and research-to-practice initiatives.

Monday, February 10, 2025 08:39 PM

The College of Education is proud to share that Professor Keith Radley and Professor Aaron Fischer have been recognized on the list of “Top 50 School Faculty Scholars” through their contributions and representation to the field of school psychology.

Monday, January 13, 2025 11:13 PM

We are delighted to announce that Distinguished Professor William A. Smith has been named in the national 2025 RHSU Edu-Scholar Public Influence Rankings! This marks Professor Smith's second appearance on the distinguished list, following his previous recognition in 2023.

Thursday, January 09, 2025 04:17 PM

Science Education, an international touchstone for the latest issues and trends in science curriculum, instruction, policy, and teacher preparation, has announced its incoming co-editors. David Stroupe, Ron Gray, and Scott McDonald will take over from Sherry Southerland and John Settlage in January of 2025.

Tuesday, December 17, 2024 04:17 PM

Kara Mitchell Viesca, a renowned multilingual teacher-education scholar, delivered the last CoEdu Dean’s Distinguished Speaker Series lecture of 2024: “Co-imagining/Creating Transformative Educational Futures in a Shifting Global Landscape Through Social Design-based Teacher Education Research Collectives.”

Friday, December 06, 2024 07:02 PM

On November 4, the College of Education community gathered for our second Dean’s Distinguished Speaker Lecture of the 2024-2025 academic year: “Understanding the Transnational Lives and Literacies of Immigrant Children.” This enlightening event featured Jungmin Kwon, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Teacher Education at Michigan State University, and was generously co-sponsored by the University of Utah Asia Center.

Monday, November 18, 2024 08:57 PM

Earlier this month, the College of Education Dean’s Distinguished Speaker Series kicked off for the first time. Students, faculty, and campus community members converged in the SAEC auditorium to hear Dr. Cristóbal Salinas, Jr.’s October 2 lecture, “The Politics of Latin American Labels: Names that Divide.”

Wednesday, October 23, 2024 07:31 PM

Dean Frankie Santos Laanan has been named a Utah Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) 2024 Preceptor of the Year. AHEC preceptor awards are reserved for individuals who go above and beyond to guide tomorrow's healthcare professionals.

Friday, October 18, 2024 04:30 PM

The College of Education is proud to announce that Cydney Y. Caradonna, a third-year Ph.D. student in Educational Leadership & Policy, has been awarded the highly competitive 2025 American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education (AAHHE) Graduate Student Fellowship.

Monday, October 14, 2024 06:59 PM

“It’s a really incredible phenomenon to have my nephew and grandsons all studying at the U at the same time,” Dean Laanan says. “I have been telling all of them the story of the U in terms of academic reputation, the opportunity to study with scholars and leaders, and the benefits of studying in a state capital where our research affects policy and practice. We are truly at the center of teaching, research, and innovation.”

Thursday, September 26, 2024 12:25 AM

In September 2024, Susan Johnston, Professor in the College of Education’s Department of Special Education, will depart for Tbilisi, Georgia as an awardee of the competitive Fulbright Specialist Program. Just over 400 such specialists receive support from the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board and the U.S. Department of State each year.

Thursday, September 05, 2024 07:48 PM

The Utah School Mental Health Collaborative, an effort driven by the Huntsman Mental Health Institute and the College of Education, is happy to share that they are teaming up with the Live Like Sam Foundation and WeBeWell.

Monday, August 19, 2024 09:31 PM

The College of Education announces the appointment of Kirsten Butcher as Interim Associate Dean for Research, effective July 1, 2024. Butcher has served as Associate Dean for Faculty and Student Affairs since July 1, 2023 and will continue on in this role through June, 2025.

Tuesday, July 16, 2024 04:00 PM

The Urban Institute for Teacher Education in the University of Utah College of Education is pleased to announce Connor K. Warner as its new director, as of July 1, 2024. Warner follows inaugural director Mary D. Burbank, who has served in the role for over a decade.

Monday, July 01, 2024 04:00 PM

Celebrate the appointment of William A. Smith as a Distinguished Professor at the University of Utah’s College of Education. Recognized for his pioneering work on racial battle fatigue and his commitment to equity in education, his influence extends globally.

Thursday, May 02, 2024 05:16 PM

Mary D. Burbank’s new co-authored book, Meeting the Learning Needs of All Children: A Model for Montessori Practitioners and Stakeholders Committed to Inclusive Education, examines the relationship between special education and Montessori principles within the context of private and public schools in Salt Lake City.

Friday, February 16, 2024 04:32 PM

AACTE (American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education) today announced David Stroupe, Ph.D., associate professor of STEM education and director of research of the USTEM Hub at the University of Utah, as the 2024 recipient of the AACTE Gloria J. Ladson-Billings Outstanding Book Award for Growing and Sustaining Student-Centered Science Classrooms.

Tuesday, January 16, 2024 11:11 PM

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded Lynne Zummo, Assistant Professor of Educational Psychology, an Advancing Informal STEM Learning Program (AISL) grant to study learning around climate change at the landmark Natural History Museum of Utah exhibit “A Climate of Hope,” along with Co-PI and NHMU Exhibit Developer Lisa Thompson. Zummo holds a joint appointment at NHMU as the Curator of Learning Sciences.

Tuesday, January 16, 2024 11:06 PM

Professor Laurence J. Parker of the Department of Educational Leadership & Policy received the 2023 University Council for Education Administration (UCEA) Linda C. Tillman Social and Racial Justice Award in Minneapolis on November 16.

Friday, December 08, 2023 08:41 PM

The Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) announced today that the Teacher Licensure and Educational Leadership programs at the University of Utah have received full accreditation approval for their educator preparation programs.

Friday, December 01, 2023 12:39 AM

Professor William A. Smith will receive the 2023 Albert B. Fritz Civil Rights Worker of the Year Award on Friday, October 27, 2023, from the NAACP Salt Lake Branch Life Membership and Freedom Fund.

Thursday, October 26, 2023 05:17 PM

This past June the park played host to a remarkable group of visitors: Utah educators participating in a groundbreaking professional development program called Learning to Observe: Unpacking the Development of Science Teacher Observational Expertise in Field Settings.

Monday, October 09, 2023 09:54 PM

Dr. Paula Smith was recently honored for service and outstanding contributions to the Society for Prevention Research.

Monday, October 09, 2023 07:35 PM

Dean Frankie Santos Laanan has been awarded a $49,998 grant from the Spencer Foundation. The project, Ingram State Technical College (ISTC) Exploratory Case Study of Incarcerated Adults in Career and Technical Education.

Monday, October 11, 2021 07:39 PM

Monday, October 11, 2021 06:14 PM

Dean Nancy Songer is training a new generation of problem solvers with innovative and future-oriented curricula.

Friday, September 24, 2021 07:31 PM

Dr. Chris Linder Awarded Presidential Scholarship

Monday, August 09, 2021 06:09 PM

Former Educational Leadership & Policy graduate, Sandra Leu Bonanno has won the 2021 AERA Social Justice Dissertation Award. We wish to congratulate Sandra and her Chair, Dr. Irene Yoon.

Tuesday, April 06, 2021 03:38 PM

Numerous faculty across the College of Education will be presenting at this year's virtual AERA. Read more for a list of presentations by day.

Thursday, April 01, 2021 07:57 PM

The 2020-21 Scholarship Celebration was a huge success! We brought together over 68 attendees of donors, students, faculty, and staff. Read more to see donor and student highlights, access the evening's program, and watch a video!

Thursday, April 01, 2021 07:50 PM

Dr. William Smith, Department Chair of Education, Culture, and Society has been awarded the University of Utah 2021 Distinguished Researcher Award. This honor recognizes Dr. Smith's work on racial battle fatigue and other high-level scholarly activities.

Wednesday, March 10, 2021 04:49 PM

Aaron Fischer, Assistant Professor in the Department of Education Psychology recently had the chance to weigh in on how COVID-19 will reshape education in an interview panel with University of Utah Magazine

Monday, January 25, 2021 09:59 PM