Dean’s Weekly Newsletter 10-2-2026

Dear Colleagues,

October has arrived, the leaves are changing, and we have a full slate of opportunities, accomplishments, and gatherings to share. We begin this week with several important faculty opportunities and invitations to connect with colleagues and friends of the College. I am especially pleased to celebrate two of our faculty members who traveled to Colombia to deliver keynote addresses, an exciting opportunity to share their expertise internationally and represent our College. Later in the newsletter, you will find updates on student scholarship, recruitment, professional learning, and a look back at a particularly spirited Homecoming weekend.

In this week’s newsletter:

1. 1. Everett D. and Elizabeth M. Lantz Distinguished Professorship in Education
   2. Mary Garland Distinguished Fellowship in Education
   3. Dunham Family Fellows Celebration
   4. College of Education Advocacy Board Reception
   5. District Residency Connections Fair
   6. College of Education Meeting on Monday
   7. Amin Davoodi Delivers Keynote in Colombia and WELCOME Project Featured
   8. Amy Encinger Delivers Keynote at Cátedra Europa in Colombia
   9. HIED Master’s Students Publish in The Journal of Dental Hygiene
   10. Academic Writing Fellows Initiative Accepting Applications
   11. Call for Presentations: Fall Online Research Symposium
   12. Assessing Collaborative Learning Workshop
   13. WYECPLC Learning Event in Powell
   14. John P. Ellbogen $50K Entrepreneurship Competition
   15. Recruitment Update
   16. Science Education Students Build Community
   17. Faculty Conversation about Secondary Mathematics Education in Denmark
   18. College of Education Celebrates UW Homecoming
   19. CTE and Agricultural Education Alumni Tailgate Celebrates Distinguished Alumni

 

Applications Open: Everett D. and Elizabeth M. Lantz Distinguished Professorship in Education: The College of Education Dean’s Office is accepting applications for the 2027 Everett D. and Elizabeth M. Lantz Distinguished Professorship in Education. Established through the generosity of Phillip Lantz to honor his parents and their lifelong commitment to education in Wyoming, the Professorship provides $15,000 for a one-year appointment, with the option to reapply for a second year. Eligible applicants include tenured faculty, Associate or Senior Lecturers, and Professors of Practice; prior Lantz Professorship recipients are not eligible. Special consideration will be given to faculty in Early Childhood or Elementary Education whose work directly benefits Wyoming. Applications are due October 30, 2026, with decisions announced by December 1. Please review the full call for application requirements and additional details.

 

Applications Open: Mary Garland Distinguished Fellowship in Education: Applications are also open for the 2027 Mary Garland Distinguished Fellowship in Education, established through the generosity of Mary Ellbogen Garland. The Fellowship provides $15,000 for a one-year appointment, with the option to reapply for a second year, and is open to College of Education faculty other than Wyoming Excellence Chairs and Named Professors. Applications are due October 30, 2026, with decisions announced by December 1. Please review the full call for application requirements and additional details.

 

Dunham Family Fellows Celebration: Faculty, staff, students, and friends of the College are invited to attend the Dunham Family Fellows Celebration on Saturday, October 10, at 9:00 AM in the McMurry Foundation UW Legacy Hall at the Marian H. Rochelle Gateway Center. We hope you will join us as we celebrate our Fellows and express our gratitude to Dave and Kelly Dunham for their incredibly generous support of our future educators. Their generosity helps ease the financial demands of student teaching, allowing our students to focus more fully on their classroom experiences and preparation for the profession. We are sincerely grateful for Dave and Kelly’s belief in our students and their commitment to the educators who will serve Wyoming’s schools and communities. Please RSVP in advance at https://gopokes.formstack.com/forms/dunham_fellows.

 

College of Education Advocacy Board Reception: Faculty, staff, students, and friends of the College are also invited to join us for the College of Education Advocacy Board Reception on Thursday, October 8, from 5:00–8:00 PM in the Wildcatter Club and Suites. The reception takes place the evening before the College’s biannual Advocacy Board meetings and offers an opportunity to welcome our board members, get to know them, and connect with school and district leaders and other partners from across Wyoming who will be in town for the District Connections Residency Fair (see below). There is no cost to attend, but advance registration is requested at https://uwyo.sjc1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5C1q1mbvMyotGBM.

 

District Residency Connections Fair: The Wyoming School-University Partnership will host its annual District Residency Connections Fair on Friday, October 9, from 10:00 AM–3:00 PM in the College of Education Gym. The fair connects College of Education students with leaders from Wyoming school districts and education organizations to explore future student teaching and residency placements, as well as employment opportunities for December graduates. Representatives from 11 Wyoming school districts and several university and state programs are already planning to attend. Faculty and students are invited to attend and are encouraged to register in advance at https://shorturl.at/mrVlw  

The fair will include a morning session beginning at 10:15 AM and an afternoon session beginning at 1:00 PM.

 

College of Education Meeting on Monday: The College of Education will have its second faculty and staff meeting of the semester this Monday, October 5, in the Union Family Room from 12-1 PM. This month will feature a presentation from the Center for Career and Technical Education and Agricultural Education. Faculty and staff are expected to attend college meetings in person unless a prior arrangement has been approved by their school director or supervisor. 

 

Amin Davoodi Delivers Keynote in Colombia and WELCOME Project Featured in Wyoming News: Amin Davoodi recently delivered the keynote, "Pedagogy Before Technology: When Does AI Belong in the Language Classroom?," at the 5th International EFL Teachers’ Congress at Universidad de la Amazonia in Florencia, Colombia. During his visit, Amin also connected with local language centers, interacted with teachers and young learners, and provided professional development for educators. 

The WELCOME Project also recently received attention closer to home in a Cody Enterprise story shared by Wyo Roundup, highlighting the project and its work supporting English language education across Wyoming. Read the story at https://shorturl.at/DQZQF. Congratulations to Amin on both the international keynote and the continued momentum surrounding the WELCOME Project in Wyoming!

 

Amy Encinger Delivers Keynote at Cátedra Europa 2026 in Colombia: Continuing our international theme, Amy Encinger also recently delivered a keynote at the Cátedra Europa conference at Universidad del Norte in Colombia. During her visit, Amy also had the opportunity to participate in a bilingual session centered on play, art, exploration, and learning. Great work, Amy!

 

Higher Education Administration Master’s Students Publish in The Journal of Dental Hygiene: Congratulations to Higher Education Administration master’s students Joni Hamilton and Suzanne Thompson on the publication of their article, “Dental Hygiene Educator Workforce Shortage: A Review of the Literature,” in The Journal of Dental Hygiene. Both Joni and Suzanne are Dental Hygiene instructors at Laramie County Community College, and Joni also serves as the LCCC Dental Hygiene Clinic Coordinator. Their peer-reviewed article appears in Volume 100, Issue 5 of the journal and is attached. Congratulations to Joni and Suzanne on this scholarly accomplishment.

 

Academic Writing Fellows Initiative Accepting Applications: The 2026–27 College of Education Academic Writing Fellows Initiative is now accepting applications. The program is designed to help early-career faculty establish a steady, sustainable practice of producing high-quality academic writing. The initiative is open to full-time faculty in their first or second year in the College of Education who hold academic professional, tenured, or tenure-track appointments. Applications are due Wednesday, October 7, at 5:00 PM MDT and must include the online application form and a one-page writing plan (see attached). Please join me in thanking Lorraine Males, Wyoming Excellence Chair in Mathematics Education, for her leadership of this initiative. Questions may be directed to Lorraine Males at lmales@uwyo.edu.

 

Call for Presentations: Fall Online Research Symposium: Undergraduate students, graduate students, and faculty from across Wyoming are invited to share research in progress during the College of Education Fall Online Research Symposium on Tuesday, October 27. Presenters may share developing ideas, ongoing studies, early findings, or questions for feedback through either a seven-minute lightning talk or a 30-minute full session. Presentations will be held online from 10:00 AM–12:00 PM and 1:00–3:00 PM MT, with a keynote presentation from 12:00–1:00 PM by Henry L. “Roddy” Roediger III. Proposals are due Friday, October 9 and may be submitted at https://forms.gle/pwpt1wb1kud4Yg8F7.

 

Assessing Collaborative Learning Workshop: The Ellbogen Center for Teaching and Learning will offer the workshop, "Assessing Collaborative Learning," on Thursday, October 8, from 1:00–2:15 PM in Coe 504 and via Zoom. Faculty interested in improving how they assess and grade collaborative work are encouraged to attend. Register at https://shorturl.at/ttoIu  

WYECPLC Learning Event in Powell: The Wyoming Early Childhood Professional Learning Collaborative will host an in-person Learning Event on Saturday, October 3, from 8:00 AM–5:00 PM at Northwest College in Powell. The $20 registration fee includes access to eight sessions, eight presenters, and up to eight hours of ECARES credit. Participants may attend part of the day or stay for the full event. Please share the link to register with colleagues and educators who might be interested: https://shorturl.at/6N9Yr

Questions may be directed to wyecplc@uwyo.edu

John P. Ellbogen $50K Entrepreneurship Competition Open to UW Students: The John P. Ellbogen $50K Entrepreneurship Competition, UW’s largest student entrepreneurship competition, is now open to students from any major or college. The student-led competition is designed to help participants develop business ideas, with more than $70,000 in funding available across the competition. Round 1 applications are due Wednesday, November 4. Students can find full rules and guidelines at https://ellbogen50k.org/ or contact ENTR@uwyo.edu with questions. I hope some of our "teacherpreneurs" in the College of Education consider competing! 

Recruitment and Graduate Certificate Update: College of Education recruitment and retention efforts are well underway this fall. Jody Mitchell, Program Coordinator, Sr. for Recruitment and Retention, has already connected with students from 50 Wyoming schools, collecting contact information from 111 students interested in teaching, with 16 additional school visits and fairs scheduled and more in development for this semester. Planning is also underway for more than 28 recruitment events in Spring 2027. These efforts are complemented by ongoing work with faculty, program coordinators, and our Student Ambassadors. Thank you to Jody for this update and for her continued work developing recruitment initiatives across the College.

Science Education Students Build Community: Last Friday, Emil Eidin, Assistant Professor of Secondary Science Education, hosted an informal get-together for secondary science education students, giving them an opportunity to meet one another, talk about their science majors, and connect with Emil. The gathering included Dean Birhr, Henry Hollenbeak, and Grace Coombs, pictured with Emil. The group hopes to build on this first meeting by creating regular opportunities for science education students to collaborate, connect, and support one another. Excellent!

Faculty Conversation about Secondary Mathematics Education in Denmark: Join the upcoming College of Education Science and Mathematics Teaching Center for “Coffee & Conversation: Secondary Mathematics Education in Denmark” on Tuesday, October 13, at 9:00 AM in COE Library, ETCL 510F. Ana Houseal, Professor of Elementary and Early Childhood Education, and Danish mathematics educator Lennart Børsting will share experiences from Ana’s recent work at Tiendeklasse Center Roskilde in Denmark and lead an informal conversation about collaborative teaching, mathematics instruction, and similarities and differences between Danish and U.S. schools.

College of Education Celebrates UW Homecoming: The College of Education was proud to take part in this year’s University of Wyoming Homecoming Parade. Our “More Cowbell!” theme gave us plenty to have fun with, and students, Student Ambassadors, faculty, and staff brought a great deal of creativity and energy to the float. We were even featured in the Laramie Boomerang (scroll through the photos to find “More Cowbell”): https://shorturl.at/m8WKn

 It was a memorable way to begin Homecoming Day alongside alumni and members of the Laramie community. Thank you to everyone who helped build the float, joined us in the parade, and represented the College so well.

CTE and Agricultural Education Alumni Tailgate Celebrates Distinguished Alumni: Homecoming festivities continued with the College of Education Career and Technical Education and Agricultural Education Alumni Tailgate, where students, faculty, staff, alumni, university leaders, and friends of the College gathered before the Cowboys’ game against Hawaii. Congratulations to Career and Technical Education Distinguished Alumni Larry Balzan and Pat Mischke and Agricultural Education Distinguished Alumna Stacy Broda, who were recognized for their accomplishments and contributions to Wyoming education. We were also pleased to welcome Senator Eric Barlow and Kelly Barlow, Trustees David Fall and Laura Schmid-Pizzato, Provost Anne Alexander, Mary Ellbogen Garland, and Dave and Kelly Dunham, among the many College of Education supporters who helped make the event such a special part of Homecoming weekend. The day ended on an especially high note with a Cowboys victory. Go Pokes!

 

As we move into October, I am proud of the many ways our College community continues to show up for one another and for Wyoming. I hope you enjoy the first weekend of October, enjoy the beautiful colors of the trees, and I look forward to seeing many of you at the events next week.

Jenna