The College of Education’s new Prison Education Action Research Lab (PEARL)—led by Erin Castro—was recently spotlighted following an $8 million award from Ascendium Education Group to launch the nation’s first center dedicated to prison education research and leadership.

This announcement was featured in @theU and picked up by top national outlets, including:

Faculty members Tuba Yilmaz and Chenglu Li, along with their students, are featured on the University of Utah’s AI blog for their innovative work using artificial intelligence to support multilingual education. Li is an inaugural One-U RAI faculty fellow. 

Their course and seed-grant projects show how AI can help teachers design bilingual activities, better understand students’ linguistic backgrounds, and create inclusive, culturally responsive classrooms for multilingual learners.

Congratulations to two outstanding faculty members, Claire Son and Sydnee Dickson, who were featured in a Deseret News article highlighting a literacy and reading policy symposium hosted by Gov. Spencer Cox and First Lady Abby Cox.

Thank you to Claire and Sydnee for representing the CoEdu!

The U continues to exemplify unsurpassed societal impact. A recent @theU piece on the U's 2026 Carnegie Community Engagement designation highlighted the CoEdu-based Utah Prison Education Program (UPEP) and Prison Education Action Research Lab (PEARL), led by Erin Castro. 

Published Study on Disability and Sexual Assault Risk

Dean Frankie Santos Laanan, Professor Jason Burrow-Sanchez, and student Michael Molenaar recently published an article in the Journal of American College Health examining the intersection of disability and sexual assault victimization risk among female college students - offering insights to better support student safety and wellbeing.

Supporting AAC in Rural Communities

Susan Johnston recently served as an invited speaker at the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Conference in Washington, DC. She presented on strategies to build knowledge and skills in Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), with an emphasis on supporting rural and remote communities.

Yilmaz Wins National Grant

Tuba Yilmaz has been selected by the U.S. Department of State’s IDEAS Program as one of the 2025 grant recipients. This award will support the launch of a new study abroad program, with formal collaborations beginning this fall with a public university in Mexico and a college of education in South Korea. 

Yilmaz will serve as Principal Investigator, joined by Co-PIs José Gutiérrez and Cynthia Benally, and working in close partnership with Connor Warner.

Together, the team aims to expand international learning opportunities for undergraduate students in the College of Education.

New Book Release: Protest and Pedagogy

Alexander Hyres’ debut book, Protest and Pedagogy: Charlottesville's Black Freedom Struggle and the Making of the American High School (University of Georgia Press), was published on January 15, 2026. It traces how Black high school teachers and students—starting in Charlottesville and extending across the twentieth-century United States—used both classroom teaching and organizing to advance the Black freedom struggle, highlighting the connection between pedagogy, protest, and more just and equitable schools.

2025 JEI Reviewer of the Year: Sondra M. Stegenga

The Division for Early Childhood (DEC) has named Sondra M. Stegenga, Associate Professor in the Department of Special Education, as the 2025 Journal of Early Intervention (JEI) Reviewer of the Year.

This recognition highlights reviews that strengthen equity-oriented scholarship and support research that improves outcomes for young children with disabilities or developmental delays and their families.

CoEdu Wins USBE Award for Excellence in Science of Reading (2024-2025)

The Utah State Board of Education stopped by Tuesday's college-wide meeting to present the College with the USBE Award for Excellence in the Science of Reading (2024–2025). Mary D. Burbank facilitated the introduction, and Sammy Willey, (M.Ed., Science of Reading Education Specialist, USBE) and
Julie Clark (P-12 ELA Coordinator, USBE) distributed awards. Congrats to all the faculty—including Kerry Herman, Katherine O'Donnell, Christy Austin, and Breda O'Keeffe (pictured) —who contributed to this win! 

Connor Koppes

Administrative Assistant, HR & Finance  

Connor Koppes grew up in Alaska and graduated from Southern Utah University in April 2025 with a B.S. in Family Life and Human Development, along with a minor in Family Services. Interested in staying in post-secondary education—especially close to social science and education programs—he found his way to the University of Utah while preparing to apply for his master’s program.

Connor now works as an administrative assistant supporting Finance and HR in the College, a role that has given him a behind-the-scenes look at program operations and day-to-day administration. Before joining the U, he worked as a Registered Behavior Technician and Special Education Paraprofessional, teaching social, executive functioning, and adaptive skills—experience that helps him connect with the work happening across Special Education and Educational Psychology.

Outside of work, Connor has been a musician since elementary school, playing piano and percussion. His favorite genre is jazz, and some of his favorite artists include Billie Holiday, Chet Baker, and Nina Simone.

January

23

1 p.m

lSSB E2125

🎙️Hugo Rossi Lecture Series 

This Friday!

"Opportunities and Challenges for Designing AI Literacy Resources" featuring Victor Lee, Associate Professor in the Stanford Graduate School of Education. 

January

29

11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m

SAEC 3147

🎙️Research & Grants Talk Series: Building Better Budgets 

The RISE Office is pleased to present the first-ever event in their new Research & Grants Talk Series, "Building Better Budgets." 

Anyone interested in learning about making grant budgets is welcome! RISE staff will be on hand to answer questions. 

Lunch provided. 

Can't make it? Watch for details on upcoming events in the series. 

CoEdu Marketing & Communications Requests

The College of Education’s Marketing & Communications team supports creative, media, digital, and branding projects that showcase and advance the College’s mission.

We’re here to help celebrate your successes and bring your vision to life!

Resources

Questions about Standard Operating Procedures? Visit the Staff & Faculty Resources webpage for college resources linked to SOPs, as well as slides from the recent presentation from the Office of the Dean of Students. Check back often; this folder will be updated regularly. 

Need tools for your projects? Visit our new CoEdu Marketing & Communications webpage for logos, updated letterhead, and PowerPoint slides—all in one place!

Web Update Requests

Do you need to make a web update request? 

Please email: coedu-websupport@utah.edu.

Centralizing Finance and Administration Questions

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.

Social Media Student Feature

Help us spotlight the amazing students in your program by encouraging them to participate in our Instagram Student Feature!

This is a great opportunity for students to highlight their academic journey, represent your major, and showcase the unique strengths of your program.

Students who are interested can simply fill out the form to get started.

Read EDU Magazine online

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

Read past @theEDU newsletters online

Did you know you can access past issues of @theEDU online?

CoEdu Virtual Anonymous Suggestion Box

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.