Dean's Weekly Newsletter 10-10-25

Published October 10, 2025

Dear Colleagues,

 

I am sending this week’s newsletter before heading to the College of Education Advocacy Board (CAB) Fall Meeting later this morning. The CAB brings together education leaders, donors, and advocates from across Wyoming who meet twice a year to learn more about the College’s work and explore ways to support our programs statewide. The Board also convenes smaller committees, such as Friend-Raising and Field Advisory, that focus on building partnerships and creating new opportunities for students, educators, and communities. We are very grateful for the CAB’s dedication and the many ways they help advance the mission of the College.

 

During today’s meeting, our faculty members Tiffany Hunt, Nikki Baldwin, Ling Zhang, and Rob Hill will share updates on their programs, offering CAB members an inside look at the important work happening across the College and the impact it has throughout Wyoming.

 

As we prepare for today’s conversations, I am reminded of how important it is for our College to stay connected with educators across Wyoming. Each week’s updates show that connection in action through the work, research, and outreach happening across our College.

 

This Week’s Highlights:

  • District Connections Residency Fair
  • Special Education Partnerships
  • Student Choice Outstanding Instructor Awards
  • Open Forum with the Associate Deans
  • Dean’s Fall Pancake Breakfast
  • Pre-Award Power Hour
  • Faculty Senate Speaker Series
  • UW Data Symposium
  • American Indian Education for All Initiative
  • UW Faculty Present at NRMERA 2025
  • Learning Resource Center Update
  • Faculty Regalia Reminder
  • Giving Day

 

District Connections Residency Fair: Yesterday, I was delighted to attend the District Connections Residency Fair in the Wyoming Union Ballroom, where school districts and educational organizations from across the state met with our students to discuss placements and job opportunities. It was inspiring to see so many partners gathered in one place, representatives from school districts, the Wyoming State Board of Education, the Professional Teaching Standards Board, and other organizations that play such vital roles in supporting teacher preparation.It was equally wonderful to see strong representation from our own College of Education programs, including SMTC and LRCC. The range of participants and conversations reflected the level of commitment across Wyoming to supporting and recruiting excellent educators, and I hope our students found the event both exciting and beneficial.

 

Many thanks to Nicholas Jessie for coordinating this important event. Please also join me in expressing our gratitude to Justin Pierantoni, Chair of the Wyoming School-University Partnership, Superintendent of Laramie County School District #2, and President of the Wyoming Association of School Administrators, for his leadership in helping make this event such a success.

 

Special Education Partnerships: Jihyun Lee, Associate Professor in Special Education, will present a session on mathematics interventions for students with learning difficulties during Laramie County School District #1’s professional learning day on November 11. She will also meet with Principal Matt Schlagel and staff at Carey Junior High School on October 13 to discuss the Algebra Readiness Intervention Modules developed by her research team. These projects continue to strengthen our work with Wyoming schools, and I am impressed by the impact that our Special Education faculty are having both across the College and the state. 

 

Student Choice Outstanding Instructor Awards: I am pleased to announce that a total of 56 students participated in this year’s Undergraduate and Graduate Student Choice Outstanding Instructor Awards for Teaching Excellence. Joseph Russo received the undergraduate award with 20 votes, and Cindy Brock received the graduate award with 5 votes. We will celebrate both Joe and Cindy at the next College of Education meeting on November 3 from 12:00 to 1:00 PM in the Union Family Room. Congratulations, Joe and Cindy!

 

Open Forum with the Associate Deans: Yesterday, our Associate Deans, Pete Moran and Alan Buss, hosted their Open Forum. These forums provide an informal and welcoming space for faculty and staff to stop by, ask questions, share ideas, and discuss any topics related to the College’s academic programs, operations, and initiatives. The Open Forums are designed to encourage open communication and collaboration across the College, whether it is to seek clarification on a process, share feedback, or simply connect with leadership in a collegial setting. If you were unable to attend this session, I encourage you to join a future forum. My next Dean’s Open Forum will be held on October 20 at noon in Education Building 117. Your perspectives and questions play an important role in strengthening our shared work and ensuring that our College continues to thrive.

 

Dean’s Fall Pancake Breakfast: The College of Education kicked off the fall season with the Dean’s Fall Pancake Breakfast, bringing together students, staff, and faculty last Monday for a rather chilly morning filled with good food, laughter, and community. Sullivan Plaza was alive with the wonderful aroma of pancakes, eggs, sausage, and coffee as more than 70 students stopped by to connect and start the week on a cheerful note. These gatherings are more than just a breakfast. They are a chance to pause, celebrate our shared work, and strengthen the sense of community that makes our College such a special place. Events like these remind us that the heart of the College of Education lies not only in what we do, but in the people who make it all possible.

We are already planning to host another event soon, so please stay tuned! A sincere thank you to Lucas Dow and Rob Hill for their energy and teamwork in organizing, cooking, and serving the breakfast. Their efforts helped make it a fun and memorable start to the season.

 

Pre-Award Power Hour: Faculty and staff are invited to the Research and Economic Development Division's (REDD) first Pre-Award Power Hour on Thursday, October 16, from 1:30 to 2:30 PM in HS 105 and on Zoom (https://uwyo.zoom.us/j/97932100259). This month’s session, “Proposal Review and Getting Started,” will cover deadlines, proposal types, and routing in ROAMWyo. For more information, contact Kayleigh Edgar at kscherm1@uwyo.edu.

 

Faculty Senate Speaker Series: Nominations are open for the Faculty Senate Speaker Series, which recognizes faculty who engage broad campus audiences through their scholarship. Each selected speaker receives a $1,750 honorarium and presents a public lecture streamed via WyoCast. The deadline for nominations is Thursday, October 17. Submit materials to Noah Novogrodsky and faculty.senate@uwyo.edu. Details are available at https://www.uwyo.edu/facultysenate/speakerseries/index.html.

 

UW Data Symposium: Faculty and staff are invited to the UW Data Symposium on Wednesday, October 15, from 1:00 to 5:00 PM in Coe 511 and on Zoom. The session will introduce participants to data resources available across campus, including the Brown & Gold Dashboard, the Office of Institutional Analysis website, and survey data from NSSE and the Student Satisfaction Inventory. These sources provide insight into student characteristics, attitudes, and experiences that can inform program improvement and assessment.

Sue Koller from the Office of Institutional Analysis and Laurie Smith from Student Affairs will lead hands-on activities using real campus scenarios to help participants identify and apply data points. The event is co-hosted by Student Affairs, the Office of Institutional Analysis, the Ellbogen Center for Teaching and Learning, and UW’s Assessment Coordinators. Afternoon snacks will be provided. Registration is open until noon on Monday, October 13, at the following link: https://airtable.com/app1ilDuTYr5opDFG/pagdqS6BxA6XCGtyq/form?prefill_Event=recv9GL48HvSYCYym.

 

American Indian Education for All Initiative: The College is partnering with Lynette St. Clair from the Eastern Shoshone Tribe and Aldora White Eagle from the Northern Arapaho Tribe to bring American Indian Education for All into our courses and community. Faculty and staff are invited to join the college-wide book club launching in fall 2025. To receive a copy of the book, sign up by Monday, October 13, at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ShBfAmYHGu10kvP7FaMpU-o7vpr4z296J7akecNCuGQ/edit?usp=sharing. Lynette and Aldora will also host a presentation for all College of Education faculty and staff on Wednesday, December 10, from 12:00 to 1:00 PM. More details will be shared in the coming weeks.

 

UW Faculty Present at NRMERA 2025: Last week in Salt Lake City, William Cain, Associate Professor in Learning, Design, and Technology; Mary Todd, Assistant Lecturer in Literacy; and Fay Quiroz, a recent graduate of the Ph.D. program in Curriculum and Instruction (Mathematics Education), represented the College at the Northern Rocky Mountain Educational Research Association Conference. William presented “Ethical by Design,” exploring how learning design programs can align student outcomes with responsible AI use. Mary and Fay presented “Clarity and Communication in Professional Learning Communities,” which highlights how clear communication helps preservice teachers build community in online courses. William was also named co-editor of Educational Reseach: Theory and Practice, the official journal of NRMERA. Go Pokes!

 

Learning Resource Center Update: Following this week’s Library Council meeting, Jihyun Lee, Associate Professor in CLAD, shared that faculty who wish to use the Education Building's Learning Resource Center for teaching or research can contact Jihyun at jlee59@uwyo.edu, and she will coordinate with Cass Kvenild from UW Libraries. The Libraries also continue to expand their children’s literature collection at both the Learning Resource Center and Coe Library.

 

Faculty Regalia Reminder: Faculty and staff who need to rent regalia for upcoming commencement ceremonies should do so by Monday, October 13. Orders can be placed by calling the University Bookstore at 307-766-3264 or visiting https://www.uwyostore.com/graduation_info.asp.

UW Giving Day: October 23–24: Giving Day is fast approaching! On October 23 and 24, the University of Wyoming community will come together to celebrate generosity and support the programs that are shaping education across Wyoming. This is a wonderful opportunity to make a difference by contributing and encouraging others to contribute to the funds that help our students and educators thrive. Gifts can be directed to a variety of areas, including the Student Teacher Support Fund, Early Care and Education Center (ECEC) Fund, Dean’s Excellence Fund, Wyoming Educator Mentoring Fund, CTE and Agricultural Fund, and many more. To explore these opportunities and learn more, please visit uwyo.edu/givingday.

 

 

As we enter a busy October, I hope everyone finds time to pause and enjoy the season. If you are attending the Cowboys game this weekend against the San Jose State Spartans, I hope you enjoy the day and that we will be celebrating a Cowboy victory together.

 

Go Pokes!

 

Jenna