Latest Announcements

Education Policy, Organization & Leadership Professors Bill Cope and Mary Kalantzis are co-authors on a new book on literacy and modern technology.

Literacies in the Age of AI: Teaching and Learning in the Digital Era will be published by Wiley on February 17. 

From the publisher: "Literacies: Learning and Teaching in the Age of Digital Media and Artificial Intelligence" responds to a critical need in contemporary education by redefining literacy in light of digital transformation and the rise of generative AI. Moving beyond traditional definitions of reading and writing, this innovative volume situates literacy as a complex, multimodal practice involving text, image, sound, space, and gesture. Through a compelling historical and theoretical account of literacy's evolution―spanning from oral traditions and early writing systems to today’s AI-integrated learning environments―the text equips readers to navigate a shifting communicative landscape shaped by emerging technologies."

The book is co-authored with Gabriela C. Zapata, associate professor of Education at the University of Nottingham.

Jennifer Nelson, assistant professor Education Policy, Organization & Leadership, was recently published in Social Science Research.

The article is titled Is My Manager Feeling Threatened by Me? Racial Differences in Content and Activation of Threat Metastereotypes"

Her study examines an individual’s or group’s projection of how members of outgroups think about that individual or group, and the role of that projection in workplace interactions in the context of diversity and inclusion. 

The original vignette experiment explores how White and Black teachers interpret a potentially racially biased action by a school principal, and how the workplace racial composition and principal’s race moderate teachers’ perceptions of the scenario. 

Read the full article here.

Theopolies Moton III, assistant professor Education Policy, Organization & Leadership, has been named a 2026 MLK Champion by the University of Illinois  MLK Commemorative Planning Committee.

The MLK Champions recognize those who have exemplified Dr. King’s quest for social justice. The life of Dr. King illuminated many pillars for social change.  Through his direct engagement with communities and his prolific writings and speeches, Dr. King’s legacy has shaped our consciousness and touched our humanity.

Moton will be recognized at the 2026 MLK Champions Recognition Program on Thursday, January 22.

The College of Education is proud to offer two new online microcredentials on culturally responsive teaching.

Marlee Bunch, Ed.D.’ 23 EPOL, created the two microcredentials in partnership with the Illinois State Board of Education to support educators’ culturally responsive practice through sustained, reflective learning.

The two microcredentials offered this spring are The Magnitude of Us Learning Series (101) and Unlearning the Hush (102). Both are offered as four required asynchronous modules with an optional fifth module.

Illinois teachers who complete modules one through four will earn 42 professional development hours. Those who complete all five modules (one through five) will earn 50 professional development hours and become eligible for an Illinois State Board of Education microcredential.

Microcredentials provide Illinois educators with a way to demonstrate specialized competencies. Upon completing this series, Illinois educators with a professional education license will be eligible for a permanent notation on their license, indicating to current and future employers that they have completed advanced and focused training in culturally responsive teaching.

Learn more about these two microcredentials here.

University Primary School, the Reggio Emilia inspired Preschool-5^th Grade lab school here on campus for 50+ years, is accepting applications for the 2026-2027 school year January 10- March 1. Uni Primary’s families hail from campus and the greater community. Schedule a tour on our admissions page and experience Uni Primary, where “Learning is Serious Delight!”

Catherine Corr, associate professor Special Education, has been selected as a recipient of the 2026 Social & Behavioral Science Impact Award from the Center for Social & Behavioral Science (CSBS).

The Social and Behavioral Science Impact Award recognizes a faculty member whose social and behavioral science research has the potential to address a societal challenge. Recognizing that there are many forms of excellence, the research should demonstrate conceptual and methodological rigor.

Corr is one of three recipients of the award this year. She was selected by the committee for her strength of methodological approach and the societal impact of her research.

Nidia Ruedas-Gracia, assistant profesor Educational Psychology, has published an article in the School Community Journal.

The article reviews research conducted by Ruedas-Gracia on belonging among adolescent Native American students in tribal schools. It also examines an underexplored aspect of school belonging, investigating whether it varies over time, particularly among minorities.

Results suggest that future empirical work should account for potential longitudinal fluctuations in school belonging levels across student populations. 

Read the full article here.

Latina Voces was developed through a partnership between the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and community collaborators that centers youth voice, mentorship, and community-based learning. Curriculum and Instruction faculty Idalia Nuñez, Monica Gonzalez Ybarra, and Catherine Dornfeld Tissenbaum worked closely with students, alongside the Krannert Art Museum, to support artistic exploration and collaborative creation. 

The Student Art Exhibition is open in the Lower Level, Hood Classroom Gallery at Krannert Art Museum through March 21. Admission is free and open to the public.  An opening reception will take place on January 31 from 1–3 P.M.

This collaborative, community-engaged exhibition highlights the creative voices and lived experiences of Latina youth. Featuring immersive, student-created installations, the exhibition explores themes of identity, family, cultural traditions, and belonging through art rooted in personal and collective experience.

Created by high school Latina girls, the exhibition invites visitors into familiar and cultural spaces shaped by memory and storytelling through creative installations. These environments emphasize warmth, hospitality, and connection, offering a welcoming experience grounded in the message: mi casa es tu casa.

The exhibition offers visitors an opportunity to engage with student-centered art that reflects cultural knowledge, identity formation, and intergenerational storytelling. It underscores the value of university–community collaboration while celebrating inclusive, creative learning environments.

This project was supported by funding from the Racial Equity Spencer Foundation Grant.

For more information, visit: https://kam.illinois.edu/exhibition/latina-voces-student-art-exhibition

The Council of Administrators of Special Education (CASE) has announced the naming of its prestigious research award in honor of Mary Lynn Boscardin, Ph.D. ’84 EPOL. The award will now be known as the Dr. Mary Lynn Boscardin Excellence in Special Education Research Award.

For more than 40 years, Boscardin has shaped the field of Special Education Administration and Leadership at the University of Massachusetts Amherst through her work as a professor. Her guidance has prepared leaders nationwide to meet the profession’s legal, instructional, and equity-focused demands. She has also directed multiple U.S. Department of Education (OSEP) initiatives supporting the development of highly qualified special education administrators. 

Boscardin’s service to CASE has been exceptional, including her presidency from 2014–2016 and more than 25 years as Editor of the Journal of Special Education Leadership. She also served as President of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) in 2018–2019 and is a member of the prestigious Elizabeth Farrell Society Honor Roll.

The College of Education is saddened to announce the death of Educational Psychology Professor Emeritus Thomas Schwandt.

Tom was a national and international leader in evaluation, helping establish the profession’s value in democratic societies. He focused on qualitative inquiry across disciplines and how moral and ethical values shape our understanding of these practices.

During his tenure at Illinois, he served as Chair of the Department of Educational Psychology. He was recognized for his teaching at both the university and college levels, earning the University Distinguished Teacher-Scholar in 2003, the campus award for Excellence in Graduate and Professional Teaching in 2006, and receiving the Distinguished Teaching Career Award from the College of Education in 2012.

Tom was named an American Education Research Association (AERA) Fellow in 2010. He also received the American Evaluation Association’s Paul F. Lazarsfeld Award for his contributions to evaluation theory. He is a past editor of the American Journal of Evaluation.

A celebration honoring Tom’s life and legacy will be held on Saturday, January 24, at 1:00 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church, 6th and Lincoln St., in Bloomington, Indiana. A reception will follow in the church fellowship hall, where everyone is invited to join the family in celebrating Tom’s life and honoring Tom’s love for food and conversation.

Education at Illinois is proud to announce it’s first ISBE-approved fully online microcredential for teachers on Canvas Catalog.

The Microcredential in Trauma-Informed Education examines multiple dimensions of trauma-informed education, including the incidence and impact of trauma; trauma-informed strategies for children from pre-Kindergarten to age 18, including students with disabilities; and trauma’s connection to social-emotional learning, multi-lingual learners, culturally sustaining pedagogy, and parent involvement.

This professional development course comprises 10 asynchronous, self-paced modules that provide essential content, activities, and opportunities for reflection.  The course was developed by Lynn Burdick and Mia Chudzik of Curriculum & Instruction, in coordination with the Council on Teacher Education.

Interested educators can access the course here.

The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign announced its first-ever dual credit classes for Illinois high school students. One of the classes offered is housed in the College of Education.

SPED 117: The Culture of Disability will be one of four dual-credit classes. The class provides an introduction to disability culture across the lifespan. The impact of disabilities on individuals across the lifespan will be explored, and the unique culture created by disability will be addressed. The historical foundations of the disability movement and special education will be examined, including legislation and litigation that have significantly shaped the field.

This pilot opportunity marks a new approach for the university in offering its popular general education courses directly to high school students across Illinois in the form of dual credit — at no cost to those students.

“The dual-credit initiative reflects our university’s commitment to expanding access and opportunity for students and families across Illinois,” said Provost John Coleman. “Through the Learning Accelerator’s innovative learning model, we’re bringing transformative educational experiences to high school classrooms and preparing students throughout the state for success in college and beyond.”

Read more about this initiative from the Illinois News Bureau.

Mindy Chappell, assistant professor Curriculum & Instruction, is the first Illinois faculty member to be named to the Office of the Chief Information Officer's Boldly Accessible Wall of Fame.

Chappell was recognized for completing the steps to ensure that her Canvas course content for her Teaching a Diverse High School Student Population class is accessible to everyone.

The initiative answers the call of the Boldly 2030 Strategic Framework by embedding accessibility into the heart of our digital infrastructure, culture, and innovation. It is a part of our campuswide movement to ensure that digital environments are accessible by design, informed by lived experience, and sustained through collaboration and leadership.

All instructors are encouraged to accept the challenge. Learn more about the challenge here.

The College of Education Awards Committee is now accepting nominations for 2025-26 awards.

The committee is seeking faculty, specialized faculty, academic professionals, staff, and teaching assistants who have demonstrated excellence in teaching, research, or work over the past year. Applications for awards are due on Monday, February 16, 2026, by 4:30 p.m.

Available awards for 2025-26 are:

• Staff Excellence Award - $1,500 (awarded up to three recipients)
• David Zola Distinguished Career Teaching Award - $2,000
• Outstanding Graduate Teaching Award - $1,500
• Outstanding Faculty Award for Public Engagement - $1,500
• Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award - $1,500
• Spitze/Mather Faculty Award for Excellence - $2,500
• Outstanding Teaching Award for Teaching Assistants - $1,000 (awarded to two recipients)
• Excellence in Online Teaching Award - $1,500
• Outstanding Faculty Mentorship Award - $1,500
• Excellence in Guiding Undergraduate Research Award - $1,500

Information on all awards and links to nominate are available here.

Prince F. Robertson, Ph.D. ’23 EPOL, has been named Interim Vice President and Dean of Student Life at Eureka College in Eureka, IL.

Robertson joins from Illinois Wesleyan University, where he previously served as Dean of Students for Community Standards and Advocacy. With extensive experience in student affairs and higher education leadership, Robertson has dedicated his career to fostering student growth, engagement, and success.

In addition, he has been appointed by the City of Champaign to the Human Relations Commission and the Citizens Review Subcommittee, working to advance equity, inclusion, and community trust.

The 17th Annual College of Education Graduate Student Conference is accepting presentation submissions through December 8. 

This year’s conference theme, The Learning Community: Education as a Force for Change, focuses on fostering interdisciplinary innovation in education to address complex global challenges. This conference provides a collaborative space for graduate students to present their research, exchange ideas, and connect across institutions.

The conference will be held March 5-6 at the University of Illinois.

The top-rated presentations in the Poster, Roundtable, and Paper sessions will also receive an award of up to $300. Submit a Proposal Here. 

Questions or accessibility requests can be made to the conference committee at gsc@education.illinois.edu.

Idalia Nuñez, associate professor Curriculum & Instruction, has published a book that explores literacy practices and theories.

She is one of five editors of Theories, Models, and Practices of Literacy, the eighth edition of a foundational text in literacy research. This edition has been reworked to include diverse perspectives and updated to include more modern theories and scholarship.

From Routledge: “This volume addresses theories across ten sections, including early, youth, and community literacies; teaching literacy and literacy teacher education; dis/abilities and disciplinary literacy theories; digital and multimodal literacies; and the disruption of colonial boundaries in language and global literacies. The chapters in this volume are curated to inspire the interrogation of literacy theory and foster its evolution.”

On-campus Ph.D. student Cecilia Vaughn-Guy and online student Ed. D. Bryant Ramirez had never crossed paths until the 24th Asian AHRD conference in Bangkok, Thailand from November 11-15. Cecilia traveled from Washington, DC, while Bryant had recently relocated to Thailand.  A chance meeting led to a great Illini photo-op. 

(Picture available upon request)

Asif Wilson, assistant professor Curriculum & Instruction, has published a new article in the journal Professional Development in Education.

His publication, co-written with former Education faculty member Rachel McMillian, is titled “Justice-centered praxis is work in perpetuity: critical professional learning as unfinishedness.” 

The study explores the experiences of P-20 social studies teachers who were part of a series of professional development sessions on the school-prison nexus and justice-centered praxes.

Sourabh Garg, a Ph.D. student in Curriculum & Instruction, presented a paper co-authored with Gloriana Gonzalez, professor of C&I, and Saadeddine Shahab, Ph.D. '19 C&I, at the Psychology of Mathematics Education Conference.

The paper, titled "Geometry teachers’ reflections-in-action for noticing students’ design thinking during lesson study," investigates teacher learning in asynchronous sessions during lesson study. Using reflection-in-action and the mathematical knowledge for teaching framework, it examines how teachers drew on different types of knowledge to plan a research lesson, anticipate students’ ideas, and consider lesson modifications. 

It is part of an NSF-funded project, "Engaging teachers in integrating human-centered design for geometry problem-based instruction."