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. 

Dickson earned her doctorate in Educational Leadership & Policy from the College of Education in 2007. She brings  with her an impressive 43-year career spanning roles as teacher, counselor, principal, district administrator, and state superintendent for the past nine years. Read more.

On June 11, Assistant Professor Tracy Dobie,  Educational Psychology, co-hosted an online seminar with David Janda of Charles University. As part of the session, Dobie presented a talk titled "Teaching Cases as a Tool in STEM Teacher Education," highlighting her team’s NSF-funded work focused on using teaching cases to support pre-service teacher learning related to culturally grounded pedagogy in math and science. She shared the goals of the project, the case development process, tools and approaches used to measure impact, and examples of teaching cases developed to date.

The seminar created a space for participants to discuss similarities and differences in their educational contexts. Dobie introduced ideas for a cross-university partnership centered on the teaching cases work, which was met with strong interest from both institutions. Thank you to Professor Dobie for continuing to foster international collaboration between Charles University and the College of Education! 

Sharlene Kiuhara, Associate Professor of Special Education, was selected by the Graduate School to serve as the College of Education’s representative on Graduate Council for a 3-year term.

Members of the Graduate Council of the University of Utah review and evaluate graduate programs and policies; proposals for new graduate degrees and certificates as well as substantive revisions to units; and university academic centers and institutes.   The Graduate Council also administers reviews of graduate degree-granting programs every seven years in order to assure and advance the quality of academic programming at the University of Utah.

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 people better understand and articulate the emotional and physical toll of racism.

Smith's work continues to resonate across disciplines and communities, offering both insight and healing. We celebrate his powerful contributions and well-deserved recognition. Read more.

A report has been released celebrating the University of Utah Reading Clinic’s (UURC) partnership with Granite School District and Utah Promise Partnership. In 2024, the UURC supported James E. Moss, Woodrow Wilson, and South Kearns Elementary Schools with professional development trainings for approximately 55 teachers, impacting over 1,000 students!

“The model and instructional strategies that we're helping teachers learn–we've looked at the data and see that it helps all kids. Through the Promise Partnership, things are becoming much more integrated. And that effort is going to improve the outcomes for kids faster, more efficiently, and more effectively than we've been able to do in the past,” said Kelly Patrick, director of the University of Utah Reading Clinic.

From June 9-11, the CoEdu welcomed 11 students with varied needs, abilities, and assets, ages 18-27, and some family members from across the Wasatch Front, to experience people, places, and activities at the U! Utah for All 2025 was the result of efforts across stakeholder groups including the Office of the President; the College of Education, led by Associate Dean Mary D. Burbank; Salt Lake City School District; and Elizabeth Academy to serve a range of young people in their pursuits of higher education.

Congratulations to David Stroupe, Professor of STEM Education and Director of Research at the Usable STEM Research and Practice Hub, who was recently recognized at the AAAS Fellows ceremony in Washington, D.C. He is pictured here with AAAS President Theresa Maldonado. This honor celebrates Dr. Stroupe’s continued contributions to STEM education and research. 

Congratulations, Professor Stroupe!

Meet Emma Trueba, Graduate Coordinator for the Department of Educational Leadership & Policy. Originally from San Diego, Emma grew up moving often with her Navy family and relocated to Salt Lake City in 2023 when her partner joined the Huntsman Cancer Institute. Since starting at the CoEdu in 2024, she’s loved supporting graduate students through important milestones, from admissions to dissertation defenses. Being surrounded by so many accomplishments makes her proud and grateful to be part of such meaningful moments in students' lives.

Outside of work, Emma is training for her first marathon and enjoys discovering new parts of the city on her runs. She has a cat named Josie who she loves dearly; her portrait even hangs in Emma’s office. Emma earned her B.S. in Business Analytics and is a very curious person, always open to intriguing learning and new ways of thinking!

As you may have seen in a recent collegewide email, the University of Utah announced plans to develop the Navigate Hub for Education and Social Work. 

What is the Navigate Hub for Education and Social Work? 

· The Navigate Hub will focus primarily on undergraduate advising and support in the areas of elementary and secondary, social work, educational psychology, behavioral health, and related fields

· The Hub will bring together the University’s most community-centered disciplines, Education and Social Work 

Who can I find in the Hub? 

· The Hub will house Academic Advisors, Career Coaches, Student Success Coaches, and other key partners in Education and Social Work

Where is the new Navigate Hub? 

· The Hub will be located in Suite 319 of the College of Social Work

When does the Hub officially launch? 

· The search for an Associate Director of the Navigate Hub for Education and Social Work will soon be underway. This new Director will report jointly to Dean Laanan and Dean Osteen (Social Work).

Additional information will be available ahead of the hub's planned fall semester launch. We will keep you posted!

The Marketing and Communications team at the College of Education supports a wide range of creative, media, digital, and brand related projects that amplify and advance the college’s mission, vision and values.

Now, we have a new way for you to request support:

CoEdu Marketing & Communications Request form

Let us help you celebrate your successes and bring your vision to life! 

In addition to our new request form, you can also find resources like:

· Logos
· *Updated* Letterhead
· and Powerpoint slides

on our new CoEdu Marketing & Communications webpage. Check it out! 

Do you need to make a web update request? 

Please email: coedu-websupport@utah.edu. 

Are you a faculty or staff member with questions about HR, finance, or administration? 

Please email:  CoEdu.Support@utah.edu. 

By newly centralizing these services, the dean's office aims to ensure that faculty and staff won’t have to navigate institutional systems on their own when in need of assistance.

We are collecting feedback on our social media channels from CoEdu students.

Please consider sharing this survey with your undergraduate and graduate summer classes: 

CoEdu Student Social Media Survey.

Did you know you can access the latest editions of EDU Magazine online? 

Read all issues here. 

The College of Education values open communication with you. We invite you to take advantage of this simple and anonymous way to share success stories, suggestions, and informal feedback that do not require a direct or immediate response.

All entries will be routed to the email address coe-feedback@utah.edu.

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