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The spark: How a graduate student is reimagining ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� orientation for Spanish‑speaking families

Hannah Fletcher — Wed, 29 Jul 2026 16:24:27 +0000

The spark: How a graduate student is reimagining ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� orientation for Spanish‑speaking families Hannah Fletcher Wed, 07/29/2026 - 10:24

Last fall, Master’s in Higher Education students were asked a perennial question: “If you had a magic wand, what would you change about ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� to better support students?”

Graduate student and ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� alumna Nuvia Mendoza thought about the students she works with as the College Success Director at DSST Montview High School.

She thought about her experience as a first‑generation college student whose Spanish-speaking parents were supportive but lacking a higher education roadmap.

She thought about all Coloradans who speak a language other than English—16% according to the U.S. Census with 81% of multilingual learners speaking and reading in Spanish according to the Colorado Department of Education.

Mendoza’s magic-wand wish was clear: ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� needs an orientation for Spanish-speaking families.

“My parents were always there to motivate me,” she said. “They had high expectations for me, but they didn't understand the educational system. That limited their ability to participate and put the burden on me.

“[The question] made me think about what the educational system can be doing to take away that heavy lift for our first-generation, multilingual students. If we’re saying we serve all students equally, I believe sharing that burden is an institution’s responsibility.”

Mendoza’s wish wasn’t hypothetical for long. Her fall idea became her spring practicum project and summer reality with support from Higher Education faculty and peers.

Her instructor, Scarlett Pontón de Dutton, is on the orientation planning committee as Director of Campus Advising Initiatives and Strategy. She connected Mendoza with the committee and New Students and Family Programs that oversees orientation.

“I wasn’t sure what I was getting myself into, but I thought, ‘I'm going to own this,’” Mendoza said. “It was a lot, but in a good way.”

Mendoza drew from research and her own experiences. She was born and raised in Denver, where her Mexican immigrant parents were clear college was “the goal.”

She describes her community in Far Northeast Denver as diverse and supportive, with college readiness a major focus at her high school, also in the DSST charter network where she now works. She was set on ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� after a single field trip in ninth grade. When she applied, her advisor faxed her application to the McNeill Academic Program, a collaborative learning community.

I would have loved to have this myself, and I feel humbled and privileged to be able to do this for others.”

Even so, Mendoza felt underprepared for the college transition as a self-described low‑income student of color.

“I was a good student, so I wasn’t intimidated by academics. The social and cultural shift was heavy,” she said.

Though she was initially interested in pre-law, Mendoza’s experiences and McNeill work‑study job introduced her to education.

“I started to ask, ‘Is this what I’m really passionate about?’” she said. “I enjoyed working with communities that grew up in similar circumstances as I did. That’s where I was making a difference, and I started gravitating towards spaces in academic access and opportunity.”

Today, as Mendoza helps high school students navigate postsecondary options, she’s adamant everyone’s journey is different. Yet, she sees similarities for her college-bound multilingual students, whose families crave resources.

Mendoza and classmates launched ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� first centrally coordinated Spanish‑language orientation pilot programs in June and July with translated materials and small-group conversations. They recruited bilingual faculty and staff volunteers, and they were delighted when more 20 volunteers “showed up in force,” said Pontón de Dutton, with some staff noting they longed for something similar as students or parents themselves.

“It was amazing to meet family members and to talk through their concerns in a familiar language and see them make connections with each other and staff on campus that they can later reach out to as their student goes on the CU journey,” Pontón de Dutton said.

“This super supportive family-centered session stems from Nuvia’s brilliant suggestion and it could not have happened without her passion, dedication and expertise.”

Wearing a CU shirt reading “Vamos Búfalos,” Mendoza open the first session fully in Spanish and could see her own mother in the audience to support her, a full-circle moment.

“I would have loved to have this myself, and I feel humbled and privileged to be able to do this for others,” she said. “It’s been healing to know that it is going to make a difference, even for one family.

“I don’t want it to be just a cool practicum project and that’s it. I want this to become something offered every orientation season. We need to start somewhere.”

After meeting in the Master's in Higher Education student development course, instructor Scarlett Pontón de Dutton, left, and students, from left, Vivicca Pineda, Israel Sanchez, Nuvia Mendoza, and Nancy Mora Domínguez, got to work designing the pilot orientation session for families.

��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� faculty and staff volunteers at the first Spanish-language orientation session.

Last fall, students in the student development class were asked a perennial question: “If you had a magic wand, what would you change about ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� to better support students?” Nuvia Mendoza’s magic-wand wish was clear: ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� needs an orientation for Spanish-speaking families.

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Two ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� education scholars earn prestigious National Academy of Education/Spencer early career honors

Hannah Fletcher — Wed, 24 Jun 2026 17:43:30 +0000

Two ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� education scholars earn prestigious National Academy of Education/Spencer early career honors Hannah Fletcher Wed, 06/24/2026 - 11:43

The National Academy of Education (NAEd) announced recently two University of Colorado Boulder education scholars, doctoral candidate Danielle Aguilar and alumnus Christopher Saldaña, have been selected for two of the nation’s most competitive honors for emerging education scholars.

The NAEd/Spencer fellowships recognize exceptional research and provide funding and professional development to early-career scholars whose projects address critical issues in the history, theory and practice of education nationally and globally.

Aguilar was selected as one of just 35 dissertation fellows nationwide chosen from nearly 500 applicants.

Her dissertation, “From Systemic Rupture to Sacred Space: A Multi-Methods Study of Educational Pushout and Healing,” explores how youth of color who have experienced criminalization and heightened surveillance understand what culture, resistance and healing means to them, including how they understand and reimagine resistance through Indigenous cultural practices.

Working alongside Denver-area youth, Aguilar uses community-based participatory research while also offering “love and dignity to all persons involved in the research process” to examine how community cultural wealth and healing justice frameworks illuminate the wisdom, creativity and knowledge that young people carry. Her work challenges deficit-based narratives about justice-system-impacted youth and seeks to transform the systems that shape many lives.

As a first-generation scholar from a working-class Chicanx family, Aguilar brings strong personal and community commitments to her research and hopes to become a professor at a minority-serving institution, where she can continue to focus on transformative research that uplifts young scholars. She said it’s a deep honor to be a PhD candidate, and she feels an immense privilege that’s rooted in responsibility to her community.

“As a first-generation college student and former Pell Grant recipient, I see the NAEd/Spencer Dissertation Fellowship as a collective endurance and manifestation of ancestral dreams,” Aguilar said. “This fellowship invites me to bring methodological innovation and experiential knowledge to the intersections of youth, carcerality and education. By anchoring my work in QuantCrit, Indigenous ways of knowing and community-based participatory research, I am not just analyzing data but rather working alongside community to untangle the punitive practices that restrict far too many lives.

“This recognition honors the brilliance of my community partner, the deep love and sacrifice of my family and loved ones and the strength and wisdom of ancestors. Here’s to imagining and working towards liberatory futures.”

Additionally, Saldaña, a ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� alumnus (PhDEdu’22) and current assistant professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, received a 2026 NAEd/Spencer Postdoctoral Fellowship.

Saldaña, who is also a fellow in ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� National Education Policy Center (NEPC) and host of the NEPC Talks Education podcast, was selected as one of just 25 postdoctoral fellows nationwide from a pool of nearly 500 applicants. His project, “Platform Promises, District Realities: Examining How Organizational Capacity Shapes the Adoption of K–12 Educational Technology,” investigates how school districts navigate the adoption of educational platforms such as Google Classroom, Canvas and ClassDojo.

Saldaña’s work examines whether disparities in school district organizational capacity are creating a new digital divide, one defined not by access to technology but by the ability to manage complex, ongoing relationships with platform providers. His multi-method study aims to deepen understanding of platform-driven inequality and support more equitable technology adoption across districts.

“It’s hard to put into words how grateful I am for the opportunity offered to me by the National Academy of Education and the Spencer Foundation,” he said. “The NAEd/Spencer Postdoctoral Fellowship will give me the time and space to dig into the complex world of education platforms, organizational capacity and district adoption processes.

“I owe an enormous thank you to everyone who has supported me along the way, including my partner, family, friends, mentors and advisors and colleagues. A special shoutout goes out to the ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� School of Education, the National Education Policy Center and the Miramontes Fellowship program, all of which offered crucial support during my time as a graduate student.”

NAEd/Spencer fellowships play a vital role in cultivating the next generation of scholars across diverse fields and investing in education research is increasingly important amid declines in research funding.

“Danielle’s and Chris’ research approaches are innovative and deeply needed at a moment when rigorous, transformative education research is more important than ever,” said Amanda Haertling Thein, dean of the ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� School of Education.

“These fellowships are more than recognitions—they reflect our school’s national impact in cultivating emerging scholars whose work advances justice, equity and community-rooted approaches to education research. We are proud of Chris and Danielle, and excited about how their work will expand our understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing education today while pointing toward new and important directions for the field.

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��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� launches inclusive workshops on biliteracy, queer justice and community-based teaching

Hannah Fletcher — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 15:09:30 +0000

��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� launches inclusive workshops on biliteracy, queer justice and community-based teaching Hannah Fletcher Fri, 06/19/2026 - 09:09

Educators will engage in virtual workshops focused on biliteracy, queer justice and creating inclusive learning environments

��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� is launching a new 10-month professional learning series designed to help educators create safe, affirming and culturally sustaining learning environments for LGBTQ+, multilingual and immigrant students.

The Chords of Esperanza Learning Collective—led by the School of Education’s BUENO Center for Multicultural Education and A Queer Endeavor—will bring together educators, scholars and community leaders from July 2026 through spring 2027 for a series of virtual professional development workshops focused on biliteracy, queer justice and community-based teaching.

The series will emphasize practical strategies, peer collaboration and research-informed approaches designed to support educators and youth-serving adults creating inclusive and supportive learning environments for all students. For Colorado educators, this support aligns with the state's commitment to safe, inclusive, culturally responsive and sustaining learning environments, outlined in state legislation such as HB19-1192.

The virtual series begins with a kickoff event July 15, followed by eight, 90-minute sessions. Participants may choose from multiple learning tracks while engaging in small-group discussions, collaborative problem-solving and communities of practice.

Educators will explore, among other themes:

Hands-on workshops on biliteracy, translanguaging and culturally sustaining teaching
Youth-led panels and conversations centering student voice and leadership
Practical tools for advocacy, policy navigation and educator agency

Education reporters are invited to interview faculty leadership from Chords of Esperanza Learning Collective and can submit requests to cunews@colorado.edu.

Learn more and register.

This project is supported by a ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� Impact Grant and Public and Community-Engaged Scholarship Grants.

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William Penuel elected to prestigious American Academy of Arts & Sciences, an historic first for ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� School of Education

Hannah Fletcher — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 05:26:09 +0000

William Penuel elected to prestigious American Academy of Arts & Sciences, an historic first for ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� School of Education Hannah Fletcher Tue, 04/28/2026 - 23:26

Penuel, whose election alongside ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� physics professor June Ye and other exemplary scholars nationwide was announced April 22, is the first faculty member from the School of Education ever elected to the Academy. He is also the first person from ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� elected to the Academy’s Class III: Social and Behavioral Sciences since 2003, and only the third CU scholar ever elected in this area since the Academy’s founding in 1780.

His election recognizes his pioneering leadership in the learning sciences, including his influential work on research‑practice partnerships, fostering and studying equitable and engaging STEM learning, and compassion‑centered approaches to schooling. Penuel’s scholarship has shaped how educators and researchers collaborate to address systemic inequities and create learning environments that honor students’ identities, experiences and well‑being.

As a faculty member in the School of Education and the Institute of Cognitive Science and a faculty fellow in the Renée Crown Wellness Institute, Penuel partners closely with educators and communities to design curriculum, assessments and professional learning that support more just and meaningful classroom experiences. His contributions include developing an approach to education research and development called design‑based implementation research and authoring foundational books on research‑practice partnerships and, most recently, compassionate and dignity-affirming schools.

“Bill is an exceptional scholar whose work has transformed how educators and researchers collaborate to create more equitable, compassionate learning environments,” said Amanda Haertling Thein, dean of the School of Education.

“Additionally, he is a generous and thoughtful colleague and mentor, who brings care, humility and purpose to everything he does. His work reflects the values we hold as a school, and his election illustrates the impact our faculty are making in the world.”

��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� Chancellor Justin Schwartz noted that election to the Academy “is among the highest honors a scholar can receive,” adding that Penuel’s induction affirms the university’s role in advancing knowledge that strengthens public education and society.

Penuel, Ye and new members will be formally inducted at the Academy’s 2026 ceremony in Cambridge, Massachusetts in October.

William “Bill” Penuel, Distinguished Professor of Learning Sciences and Human Development in the School of Education, has been elected to the American Academy of Arts & Sciences—one of the highest honors in academia and a historic milestone for the school. Penuel, whose election was announced on April 22, is the first faculty member from education ever elected to the Academy.

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��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� School of Education announces first awardees of new Dean’s Public Scholarship Fund

Hannah Fletcher — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 22:03:55 +0000

��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� School of Education announces first awardees of new Dean’s Public Scholarship Fund Hannah Fletcher Mon, 04/27/2026 - 16:03

The University of Colorado Boulder School of Education has selected two initial projects to launch the new Dean’s Public Scholarship Fund, an initiative designed to strengthen public‑facing scholarship and deepen the school’s impact in communities across Colorado and beyond.

Established by Dean Amanda Haertling Thein, the initiative helps faculty and staff build skills essential for public engagement, from grant writing to media communications to community-partnership development. Awards range from $1,000 to $5,000. Thein announced the new initiative this spring semester to advance the school’s mission striving to center democracy, diversity, equity and justice in educational research and practice and support faculty and staff.

The fund offers four categories of support: incentives to develop and submit grant proposals; media training and guidance for pitching stories to major education media outlets; financial assistance to attend external professional development opportunities; and seed funding to initiate or sustain community partnerships.

“School of Education faculty are very successful in competitive campus research and public scholarship opportunities through the Research and Innovation Office and the Offices for Public and Community-Engaged Scholarship,” said Joe Polman, associate dean for research.

“Dean Thein’s new initiative aims to build on that success by deepening the communication, grant writing and partnership capacity across our School."

In April, two projects and faculty were granted inaugural support:

Evolution: Shifting How We Think about Learning

Awardee: Erin Furtak, professor of STEM education

Category 3: External Professional Development Award

Furtak will participate in a summer nonfiction writing workshop to advance a public‑facing essay that uses biological evolution as a metaphor for how ideas about learning have changed over time. Drawing on her expertise in science education research, Furtak aims to translate dense theories of learning into accessible writing for parents, families and the broader public. Furtak will submit the essay to a public-facing outlet that publishes narrative nonfiction. Her project directly supports the school’s mission by bridging scholarly knowledge and public discourse to influence how society understands learning.

Supporting Food Security in Qikiqtaaluq, Nunavut

Awardee: Vandna Sinha, associate research professor in learning sciences and human development

Category 4: Initiate or Sustain a Community Partnership

Sinha will use the award to produce a public‑facing accessible final report on a major community‑engaged study examining food insecurity in the Qikiqtaaluk region of Nunavut, Canada’s only Indigenous territory. Food insecurity is a major challenge to efforts to fully realize Indigenous self-determination in the region, where eight out of ten Inuit children experience food insecurity. Conducted in full partnership with Inuit organizations and funded by the regional Inuit governance body, the project documents the implementation and abrupt discontinuation of a universal food security program. The funding will support graphic design and the purchase of photographs and artwork from Inuit artists. Sinha and her partners hope the report will inform future policy efforts that ensure access to food with dignity and serve as a community and research resource. By centering Indigenous voices and addressing the deep connections between food security and equity, the project embodies the school’s commitment to justice‑oriented, community‑rooted scholarship.

“The inaugural awardees and their thoughtful projects reflect the breadth and ambition of the public scholarship initiative,” Thein said.

“We look forward to learning alongside of Vandna and Erin and hope others will consider joining them in thinking creatively about their scholarship and the additional skills and supports they are interested in developing.”

Dean’s Public Scholarship Fund applications are reviewed monthly by a committee that includes Dean Thein, Associate Dean for Research Polman, Jenna Abrams, executive assistant to the dean, and Michelle Renee Valladares, associate director of National Education Policy Center and faculty affiliate.

Dean Thein and the award committee hope that the initiative will inspire more faculty and staff to engage in public scholarship and reinforce the school and university’s commitment to serving the public good.

If you are interested in donating to the fund, contact Assistant Dean for Advancement Micah Abrams.

The ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� Boulder School of Education has selected two initial projects— professional development in nonfiction writing and deepening a community partnership—to launch the new Dean’s Public Scholarship Fund, an initiative designed to strengthen public‑facing scholarship and deepen the impact in communities across Colorado and beyond.

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Your ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� Guide to AERA 2026

Ichigo Takikawa — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 18:37:56 +0000

Your ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� Guide to AERA 2026 Ichigo Takikawa Tue, 03/31/2026 - 12:37

Each year, the American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting represents the world's largest gathering of education researchers and is a showcase for groundbreaking, innovative research.

AERA Colorado Reception

Attending this year's AERA? Join Colorado colleges and schools of education for the AERA Colorado Reception in Los Angeles.

Friday, April 10, 7:15-9:15 p.m.

Westin Bonaventure Hotel & Suites Floor 3, Emerald Bay Room

Enjoy food, drink and good company. Please register to join.

The 2026 AERA Annual Meeting will take place in Los Angeles from April 8 to 12. The theme for this year’s meeting is "Unforgetting Histories and Imagining Futures: Constructing a New Vision for Education Research."

Our faculty, students and alumni will be busy presenting, learning and exchanging ideas. Use this guide to follow and support ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� researchers and their work. This year, we have current ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� faculty and students featured in over 50 sessions!

See the full ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� AERA guide

Each year, the American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting represents the world's largest gathering of education researchers and is a showcase for groundbreaking, innovative research. The 2026 AERA Annual Meeting will take place in Los Angeles from April 8 to 12. Read the ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ��'s guide to AERA to see our faculty and graduate students participating in this year's conference.

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2026 School of Education Scholarship Celebration celebrates students and supporters

Hannah Fletcher — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 22:28:23 +0000

2026 School of Education Scholarship Celebration celebrates students and supporters Hannah Fletcher Wed, 02/25/2026 - 15:28

In January, the ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� School of Education welcomed more than 200 students, families, donors, faculty, and staff to the 2026 Scholarship Celebration, an annual event recognizing scholarship and fellowship recipients and the community that supports them.

This year’s program highlighted the remarkable expansion of scholarship support over the past three decades. What began in 1993 with five scholarships totaling $2,500 has grown into 92 scholarships totaling more than $550,000.

Attendees also heard from Jackie Bristol, a PhD candidate and Miramontes Baca Fellowship awardee, and Barbara Quinlan, alumna and longtime supporter, about the powerful impact of scholarships, their potential, and steady growth of offerings. The school now offers more than 40 named scholarships, along with six future scholarships established through legacy commitments. Other attendees shared stories at their tables, connected with one another around their work, and took photos with friends, families and supporters. The dean noted that these voices reflect why education matters, even in challenging times.

“Tonight, we are here to celebrate our students—their achievements, their persistence, their curiosity, and their deep commitments to education, equity and community,” said Dean Amanda Haertling Thein. “Across our programs, School of Education students are doing remarkable work. They are teaching and learning in classrooms, schools, and communities. They are conducting research that informs policy and practice. They are juggling complex personal and professional responsibilities while staying grounded in why education matters. Scholarships help make that work possible.”

The dean thanked faculty and staff for their mentorship, donors for expanding opportunities and support, and students for the work they are doing—and will do—to shape classrooms and communities.

View photo album

Give to the School of Education Scholarship Fund

The ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� School of Education recently welcomed more than 200 students, families, donors, faculty, and staff to the 2026 Scholarship Celebration, an annual event recognizing scholarship and fellowship recipients and the community that supports them. View the photos.

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Best Should Teach Ceremony on March 5 to honor outstanding educators at CU, local schools

Hannah Fletcher — Tue, 24 Feb 2026 17:43:28 +0000

Best Should Teach Ceremony on March 5 to honor outstanding educators at CU, local schools Hannah Fletcher Tue, 02/24/2026 - 10:43

Keynote to focus on moving across differences in classrooms

The University of Colorado Boulder will celebrate and center excellence in teaching at the 2026 Best Should Teach Awards Ceremony on Thursday, March 5 at 6 p.m. in the Chancellor’s Auditorium in the Center for Academic Success and Engagement (CASE) building, 1725 Euclid Ave.

Free and open to the public, the event will honor outstanding ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� faculty members, graduate student instructors and K-12 teachers in local school districts to highlight the essential role teachers play in shaping inclusive and thriving learning communities.

Professor Mollie Blackburn of The Ohio State University—one of the nation’s leading scholars on literacy, language and the experiences of LGBTQ+ youth—will deliver this year’s keynote. Blackburn brings deep expertise, and she will lead an engaging conversation about equity in education.

Her talk, “(For)Giving in Moving Across Differences,” draws on research from an LGBTQ+-themed literature course and examines how students and teachers can navigate differences by rethinking forgiveness and embracing the act of giving. She highlights how these practices open the door to ethical, humanizing encounters in classrooms—an especially topical message for educators today.

Best Should Teach Awards Ceremony and Lecture

If You Go

Who: Welcomes educators and open to the public

What: Awards Ceremony and Keynote with Mollie Blackburn: (For)Giving in Moving Across Differences"

When: Thursday, March 5, 6 p.m.

Where: Chancellor’s Auditorium, the Center for Academic Success and Engagement (CASE) building

Blackburn’s scholarship appears in top journals such as Reading Research Quarterly, Research in the Teaching of English and Teachers College Record and has earned national recognition from National Council of Teachers of English, the American Educational Research Association and more. She is the author of “Interrupting Hate: Homophobia in Schools and What Literacy Can Do ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� It” and co‑editor of the award‑winning “Acting Out!: Combating Homophobia through Teacher Activism.”

The Best Should Teach Awards Ceremony is co‑hosted by the Center for Teaching and Learning and the School of Education in conjunction with the College of Arts and Sciences. Students from across the university nominate instructors who have made a meaningful difference in their academic experience. The initiative was established in 1996 by lifelong educator Lindley Stiles and his wife, Marguerite Stiles, to celebrate excellence in teaching.

The 2025–2026 ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� Faculty Gold Award recipients are:

Heidi Day, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience
Erin Furtak, School of Education
Danielle Hodge, Department of Communication
Akhil Khanal, Department of Biochemistry
Meghan McCarroll, Masters of the Environment
Bhuvana Narasimhan, Department of Linguistics

The 2025–2026 K–12 Gold Award recipients from partner school districts are:

Ace Engelmann, English Language Arts Teacher, Boulder High School, Boulder Valley School District
Valerie Franzke‑Munro, Science Teacher, Northglenn High School, Adams 12 Five Star Schools
Abby Martinez, Middle School Music Teacher, Erie Middle School, St. Vrain Valley School District
Vicky Ortiz, 4th Grade Spanish Environment Teacher, Foster Dual Language PK–8, Jeffco Public Schools
Paula Ospina, 3rd Grade ELA‑S Literacy Teacher and Early Literacy and Language Senior Team Lead, College View Elementary, Denver Public Schools

The Best Should Teach awardees were selected for their embodiment of the behaviors and skills of exemplary teachers who commit to supporting other educators and sustain strong classroom learning communities where students thrive and experience belonging.

The Best Should Teach Initiative continues to be guided by Lindley Stiles’ enduring motto: “To those who come, I leave the flame! Hold it as high as you can reach. If a better world is your aim, all must agree: The Best Should Teach.”

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Getting into the Groove: Derek Briggs is the new Associate Dean of Faculty

Hannah Fletcher — Wed, 04 Feb 2026 21:22:24 +0000

Getting into the Groove: Derek Briggs is the new Associate Dean of Faculty Hannah Fletcher Wed, 02/04/2026 - 14:22

With more than two decades of distinguished service to the School of Education community under his belt, Derek Briggs embarked on his new role of as school's Associate Dean of Faculty on Jan. 1.

A respected faculty member of the Research and Evaluation Methodology (REM) program, Briggs has shaped the school’s research and faculty culture through teaching, mentorship and his methodological expertise. Since 2016, he has also directed the Center for Assessment, Design, Research and Evaluation (CADRE), where he has guided its impact across campus and with partners statewide.

Briggs was drawn toward the role because of this varied experiences with faculty development and reappointment, promotion and tenure processes. He has chaired numerous Primary Unit Evaluation Committees, contributed to the school’s merit and salary reviews and served on the Vice Chancellor’s Advisory Committee. He is currently a Faculty Salary Equity Fellow in the Provost’s Office.

Briggs' selection—shaped by an internal search committee and faculty feedback—aims to bring his principled, collaborative approach to School of Education leadership team and faculty support processes. His entire tenured faculty experience has been spent in the ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� School of Education, and he sees this new role as an opportunity to give back and contribute both continuity and a fresh perspective to this important role.

To help us get to know him in his new capacity, we caught up with Briggs for a conversation about his hopes for the role and to learn more about his passions at work and at play.

Q. Why were you interested in the Associate Dean for Faculty role and why now?

Briggs: There are a lot of reasons, but ultimately it just felt like it would be a good fit for me at this stage of my career. I’ve been a faculty member in the School of Education my entire professional career, for 22 years. I’ve benefited a lot from the leadership of faculty that came before me. So, this seems like the right time for me to give back, and do what I can to maintain a legacy that has been built up over decades.

I’ve always considered myself fortunate to be a faculty member at an institution of higher education where I can pursue the research that interests me, and where I am rewarded for teaching and being creative. I know how hard our faculty work, and I appreciate all that they are able to contribute. I worry about the rising tide of anti-intellectualism and restrictions on civil liberties making its way into national policies that are likely to have negative effects on teaching, learning and research at every level. Our faculty need someone who can be advocate in these times, and I feel prepared to fill that role.

At the same time, as faculty in a School of Education we need to ask ourselves some hard questions, because in the United States in particular we have not made the kind of progress in fostering both opportunity and excellence in our educational system that I would have hoped to see some 20 years ago. It’s going to take effective leadership team at the School of Education to move this needle. I’m excited to be a part of it and motivated to make a difference.

Q. What do you hope to bring to the position?

Briggs: More than anything, I see this role as being about supporting our faculty to be successful. For faculty that are feeling demoralized or burned out by current events, I’m hoping I can help them get their mojo back. To accomplish this I'll need to earn people’s trust and show them through my actions that I care about their well-being. I think I’ve done that in my prior SOE leadership positions as chair of the Research and Evaluation Methodology (REM) program from 2008 through 2019, and the Director of the Center for Assessment, Design, Research and Evaluation (CADRE) since 2016. I’m very proud of the stable, collaborative and productive environment I’ve helped to foster for not just faculty in REM and CADRE, but students and staff as well.

A novel thing I’m going to bring to this role is an interest and familiarity with recent advances in generative AI. I just finished a year-long academic sabbatical during 2025 and I spent much of that time learning about AI and experimenting with its usage in both personal and professional contexts. I think this has made me pretty savvy about its possible affordances and very real limitations. In fact, I’m planning to teach a graduate level seminar course called “Using AI for Academic Research” in the Fall semester of 2026. Whether you are excited about AI, terrified or somewhere in between, it isn’t going away. Faculty are going to need to grapple with the impact that this new technology will be having on their teaching and research now and into the future. To surface these issues, I recently launched a blog that I’ll be updating regularly called AI in Education.

Q. Tell us more about your life outside of the School of Education and CADRE. What do you like to do with your free time?

What free time? Just kidding. Well, I’m pretty religious about three things that I do on a weekly basis when I’m in town. I do CrossFit workouts 4 to 5 times a week, usually in the late afternoon. So if you ever see me rushing out of the MBE building around 4:30 on a weekday, you’ll know why. My gym CrossFit Roots is a really important outlet and source of community for me. No matter how stressed I might be, it’s all out of mind when I’m doing burpees, deadlifts and box jumps. Another routine I’ve gotten pretty serious about is that after dinner with my wife, Whitney, and son, Lucas, I usually spend up to an hour practicing songs and technique on my acoustic guitar. I’m still just at a beginner’s level, but I find it to be a great creative outlet. Finally, pretty much every Saturday morning, regardless of weather conditions, Lucas and I do a three-mile round trip hike up to the NCAR building and back.

My family loves to travel. My mother is Austrian and when I was growing up I used to spend about a month or so every summer visiting my grandmother and family friends in Austria. Perhaps as a consequence, I love to travel to new places, to immerse myself in a different culture, to try new things. Just last May, I hiked a portion of the Camino de Santiago with one of my closest friends that I’ve known for 35 years. We started on the border of France and Spain in the town of St Jean Pied de Port and hiked into Spain over the Pyrenees mountains. Five days and 75 miles later we ended our trek and got to see a running of the bulls in the town of Estella. It was one of the best combined physical, spiritual and gastronomic experiences I’ve ever had, and I plan to keep going back over the next few years until I finish the full 400 miles and make it to Santiago de Compostella.

Q. We've heard you moonlight as a karaoke enthusiast. How did you get into that hobby?

Briggs: I actually was doing karaoke before it was widely known thing back in the late 1980s. When I was a teenager, my dad would take me to a small karaoke bar down in the Little Tokyo area of Los Angeles. Most of the people there were Japanese businessmen getting drunk, so it must have been amusing to see my dad come in with his teenage son and order himself a diet Coke (my dad doesn’t drink). Their selection of songs in English was pretty limited, so I was singing a lot of Elvis Presley and the Beatles. I think I actually won some sort of “crowd favorite” award when I was 16 for a rendition of Blue Suede Shoes.

Q: What’s your go-to karaoke song and why?

Briggs: Oh wow, it’s very hard to pick just one. It kind of depends on my mood. I think most of the friends who’ve karaoke'd with me would say my best song is "Purple Rain." Prince is my favorite artist, and "Purple Rain" is my favorite song. When Prince died in 2016, I was in Nashville, and I bought myself some cowboy boots with a purple lightning bolt in his honor. Then I went out and sang "Purple Rain" wearing those boots at a big karaoke bar on Broadway. I love singing anything by Prince. Other ones I like doing for karaoke: "Your Song" by Elton John, "The Scientist" by Coldplay, "Mr. Brightside" by the Killers.

Q. Any tips for those of us who are still in search of their on go-to song?

Briggs: First, try to pick a song that people will recognize and want to sing along with. What’s great about karaoke is it's fundamentally a participatory experience. It shows just how much and how quickly music can bring people of all walks of life together. That said, it’s also important that you like the song you pick! If you’re having fun while you sing, that energy will rub off on others. Sometimes a great way to find a go-to song is just to listen to the songs other people pick and notice when you find yourself singing along most enthusiastically. I often find someone will pick a song to sing that would have never occurred to me, and if I enjoy it, I’ll file it away as a song I might want to pick in the future. If you care about how you sound and/or want to make sure that there are no unforeseen surprises, it’s really easy these days to try out pretty much any song you can imagine on YouTube in the privacy of your own home.

A last tip: I try to stay away from artists whose trademark is a vocal range I have no prayer of reaching. I learned this the hard way as a teenager when I tried to sing “8 days a week” by the Beatles. Until that moment I had never quite realized just how high Paul McCartney’s voice could go. Along those lines, be careful if you pick songs by Adele, Lady Gaga or Whitney Houston among female artists and by Freddy Mercury (Queen), Axl Rose (Guns n’ Roses), or Steve Perry (Journey) among male artists. But don’t overthink things too much. Smile, have fun, strike a pose, and the rest will work itself out.

With more than two decades of distinguished service to the School of Education community under his belt, Derek Briggs embarked on his new role of as Associate Dean of Faculty on Jan. 1. We caught up with Briggs for a conversation about his hopes for the role and to learn more about his passions at work and at play.

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2025 Year in Review

Hannah Fletcher — Tue, 30 Dec 2025 05:54:36 +0000

2025 Year in Review Hannah Fletcher Mon, 12/29/2025 - 22:54

As we reflect on 2025 and look ahead to 2026, we in the ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� School of Education are grateful for the many moments of joy, recognition, and community this year has brought.

Here are 25 highlights from 2025:

Centering Students

1. 2025 Commencement honored our wonderful students and major milestones, including celebrating Outstanding Graduates who were recognized for their impact in classrooms and well beyond.

2. Doctoral students Jackie Bristol and Lex Hunter were awarded prestigious National Academy of Education/Spencer Dissertation Fellowships.

3. The Scholarship Celebration gathered 200+ students, families and supporters.

4. Students launched new student-led student groups like the Bilingual Education Student Association and a club for teacher education students interested in rural education.

Celebrating Faculty and Staff Milestones

5. Amanda Haertling Thein was named dean, returning to her undergraduate alma mater and home state and beginning as dean on July 1.

6. Derek Briggs and Kevin Welner elected to National Academy of Education (NAEd), and later in the year, Welner was selected for the NAEd Board of Directors.

7. Elizabeth Dutro was appointed the Bob and Judy Charles Endowed Chair in Education.

8. Melissa Braaten became the new Associate Dean for Undergraduate and Teacher Education.

9. Erin Furtak and Kalonji Nzinga received Marinus Smith Awards for their positive impact on students.

10. Kalonji Nzinga earned the Provost’s Faculty Achievement Award, and he was featured as an “endzone innovator” this football season.

11. Ben Shear and Sara Staley received tenure.

12. Ben Shear and several local educators were honored at 2025 Best Should Teach Awards.

13. We welcomed several new faculty and staff members.

Highlighting Research and Programs

14. The School of Education formed a new external advisory group call the Education Advisory Council to strengthen statewide collaboration.

15. ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� researchers led more than 80 sessions at the American Educational Research Association (AERA) annual meeting in Denver.

16. ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� InquiryHub launched free Colorado science standards workshops.

17. Faculty debuted new books, Creating Compassionate Change in School Communities and Queer Justice at School, at Boulder Book Store events.

18. The Education Research Speaker Series featuring the latest research in education from ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� scholars and alumni.

19. Faculty provided expert commentary on federal educational research targets and Department of Education staffing cuts and more.

20. The Online Teacher Leadership program celebrated its five‑year anniversary.

Building Community

21. The “Wóinila: In Silence We Learn” mural by Danielle SeeWalker was unveiled in Miramontes Baca Education Building to honor Indigenous wisdom, beauty, and knowledge.

22. The 2025 Children’s Book Festival brought award‑winning authors to Boulder Public Library.

23. Voices magazine highlighted alumni, faculty and student stories and the community impact throughline.

24. Two teachers and students in the Online Master’s in Teacher Leadership program shared the power of connection and collaboration even while studying and working in very different schools and regions.

25. Community-engaged research projects expanded focus on youth participation, building coalitions, mentor teachers, and more.

Each year brings challenges and opportunities. The School of Education centered resilience and impactful work throughout the year. We look forward to building on the opportunities that 2025 presented and making new memories in 2026.

As we reflect on 2025 and look ahead to 2026, we in the ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� School of Education are grateful for the many moments of joy, recognition, and community this year has brought. Looking forward to building on the opportunities that 2025 presented and making new memories in 2026.

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2026 School of Education Scholarship Celebration celebrates students and supporters

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Best Should Teach Ceremony on March 5 to honor outstanding educators at CU, local schools

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Getting into the Groove: Derek Briggs is the new Associate Dean of Faculty

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2025 Year in Review

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The spark: How a graduate student is reimagining ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� orientation for Spanish‑speaking families

Two ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� education scholars earn prestigious National Academy of Education/Spencer early career honors

��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� launches inclusive workshops on biliteracy, queer justice and community-based teaching

William Penuel elected to prestigious American Academy of Arts & Sciences, an historic first for ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� School of Education

��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� School of Education announces first awardees of new Dean’s Public Scholarship Fund

Your ��Ҵ�ý�ƽ�� Guide to AERA 2026