Dean’s Weekly Newsletter 10-23-2026

Dear Colleagues,

It has been an especially lively week at the College of Education, and I want to begin by thanking everyone who contributed to this year's UW Giving Day. From Wurst Oktoberfest to our Halloween Carnival, it was wonderful to see our students, faculty, staff, and friends come together to celebrate our community and support education across Wyoming.

Beyond Giving Day, there has been no shortage of exciting news across our College. Our faculty, students, and alumni continue to represent the College well, share their research, and contribute to important conversations about teaching and learning.

Please enjoy this week's updates!

 

In This Issue:

1. 1. Thank You for Another Successful UW Giving Day!
   2. Wurst Oktoberfest Kicks Off Giving Day
   3. College of Education Celebrates with Halloween Carnival
   4. Wyoming Rural Teacher Corps Presents at National Conference
   5. Two College of Education Alumni Serve on National Advisory Council
   6. Mathematics Education Faculty and Doctoral Candidate Present Research
   7. WELCOME Project Receives Statewide Media Coverage
   8. Amin Davoodi Presents at International Conference
   9. College of Education Faculty Present at National Mentoring Conference, Jessica Marcolini Selected for UW Leadership Institute
   10. RFA: New Dissertation Awards for CLAD Doctoral Students
   11. Reminder: Dean's Distinguished Staff Award, October 30
   12. Reminder: Lantz Professorship and Mary Garland Fellowship, October 30
   13. Reminder: Dean's Outstanding Dissertation Award, December 1
   14. Reminder: Fall Online Research Symposium, October 27
   15. Upcoming Civic Education Professional Development in Cody
   16. Spring 2027 Teaching Fellows Program, November 15 Deadline
   17. A More Beautiful Question Learning Community
   18. Resources for Integrating AI into Educator Preparation
   19. Taking Care of Ourselves: Wellness in the WEST

 

1. Thank You for Another Successful UW Giving Day!: I want to extend my sincere gratitude to everyone who supported the College of Education during this year's UW Giving Day! We raised $106,783 from 376 donors, marking another strong year of generosity and support for education across Wyoming. I am especially proud of our College of Education Student Ambassadors, who went above and beyond this year by participating in our events and creating engaging social media and messaging campaigns. Their efforts placed them among the top 10 student organization campaigns across UW during Giving Day! Thank you to our ambassadors, faculty, staff, students, alumni, donors, and friends for making this year's campaign possible.

 

View the final College of Education Giving Day results: https://give.uwyo.edu/schools/UniversityofWyoming/giving-day-2026/pages/education

 

2. Wurst Oktoberfest Kicks Off UW Giving Day: It was the best of times, and the wurst of times! On Wednesday, October 21, the College of Education kicked off UW Giving Day with our Wurst Oktoberfest celebration. Faculty, staff, students, and friends gathered for food, fellowship, and an opportunity to support the programs and initiatives that make a difference for educators and students across Wyoming. Thank you to everyone who joined us and helped make the event such an enjoyable start to Giving Day!
   
   
3. College of Education Celebrates Giving Day with Halloween Carnival: The Giving Day festivities continued Wednesday evening with a Halloween Carnival in the Education Gym! Students, faculty, staff, families, and friends gathered for games, activities, treats, and plenty of spooky fun, all while celebrating our College Giving Day campaign and the benefits of fundraising. My sincere thanks to everyone who helped organize the carnival, volunteered their time, participated, or contributed to Giving Day. Events like these remind us how much we can accomplish when our community comes together!
   
   
4. Wyoming Rural Teacher Corps Students, Alumni, and Faculty Present at National Conference: Congratulations to Alison Mercier, Associate Professor in Elementary Science Education, and faculty leader for the Wyoming Rural Teacher Corps (WRTC), who represented the College at the National Forum for the Advancement of Rural Education (NFARE) in San Antonio, Texas! Alison joined current WRTC members Keeley Puls and Marilee Williams, alumni Kialie Staggs and Jacob Jelesiewicz, graduate student Corinne Standing, and Leslie Cook of Teton Science Schools for a panel exploring place-based education. Alison and Corinne also presented collaborative research conducted with Miriam Sanders, Assistant Professor in Secondary Mathematics Education, and Alex Sivitskis of Western New Mexico University examining how WRTC preservice teachers develop and draw upon social networks and relationships as they prepare to teach in rural schools. Thank you to everyone involved for representing Wyoming and sharing this important work!
   
   
5. Two College of Education Alumni Serve on National Rural Education Advisory Council: Congratulations to WRTC alumni Kialie Staggs and Jacob Jelesiewicz, both members of UW's Class of 2025, on their involvement with the Rural Schools Collaborative's Emergent Educators Advisory Council! Kialie, a fourth-grade teacher in Green River, was recently selected to join the 2026–27 council, where she joins Jacob, a first-grade teacher at Uinta Meadows Elementary School who is returning for a second year. Congratulations to both Kialie and Jacob!

 

Read the announcement: https://ruralschoolscollaborative.org/news/rsc-announces-2026-27-emergent-educators-advisory-council

6. Mathematics Education Faculty and Doctoral Candidate Present Research at National Conference: Congratulations to Lorraine Males, Miriam Sanders, and doctoral candidate Mandy Atherton, who represented the College of Education at the 48th annual meeting of the North American Chapter of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education (PME-NA) in Provo, Utah! Lorraine was invited to participate in a plenary panel, where she discussed how teacher educators can integrate generative AI into teacher preparation while preserving professional judgment. Miriam and Mandy presented research on how team-based learning can foster belonging through collaboration and meaningful participation. Miriam also shared collaborative research with colleagues from Brigham Young University and the University of Texas at Arlington examining how teachers' questions during mathematics discussions shape student participation and reasoning. Thank you to Lorraine, Miriam, and Mandy for sharing their scholarship and representing UW within the mathematics education research community!
   
   
7. WELCOME Project Receives Statewide Media Coverage: The College of Education's $4.12 million WELCOME Project, led by Amin Davoodi, continues to attract attention across Wyoming! The Casper Star-Tribune and Cody Enterprise have both published articles highlighting this significant federal investment in English as a Second Language (ESL) educator preparation. The five-year project will provide full tuition support for approximately 160 Wyoming K–12 educators pursuing ESL endorsements or master's degrees, helping strengthen instruction for multilingual learners across the state. I am pleased to see this important work receiving recognition beyond UW and reaching communities throughout Wyoming.
   
   

Casper Star-Tribune: https://trib.com/news/state-regional/education/article\_25762afe-f3b1-4a49-b7e7-3b04b5b1ccde.html

Cody Enterprise: https://www.codyenterprise.com/news/local/article\_b207a7e6-7e15-4b4e-9cbe-d146c907831f.html

8. Amin Davoodi Presents at International Conference: Continuing a busy season of presentations, Amin Davoodi delivered a featured talk at the 15th International VESAL Conference on Educational Studies and Applied Linguistics, hosted by Tishk International University in Erbil, Iraq, October 21–22. His virtual presentation was titled “Smarter Machines, Wiser Humans? Reimagining Language Education in an AI-Driven World." Congratulations to Amin on his continued scholarly engagement and international outreach!
   
   
9. College of Education Faculty Present at National Mentoring Conference, Jessica Marcolini Selected for UW Leadership Institute: Kudos to our College of Education faculty who represented UW at the University of New Mexico Mentoring Institute! Faculty involved in the 2025–26 Podcast Club presented findings from a qualitative self-study examining how the initiative influenced collegiality, belonging, and institutional culture. Contributors included Jonathan Carrier, Leslie Rush, Jessica Marcolini, Brittney Phillips, Mia Williams, David Des Armier, and Anne Aydinian-Perry, while Ashli Tomisich and Brittney Phillips led additional presentations. I am also pleased to share that Jessie Marcolini, Director of the Science and Math Teaching Center, has been selected for the 2026–27 UW Leadership Institute. Nice work, everyone!
   
   
10. New Award Opportunity: College of Education Outstanding Dissertation Award for CLAD Students: I am pleased to announce two additional dissertation awards of $5,000 each, specifically for doctoral students in the School of Counseling, Leadership, Advocacy, and Design (CLAD). These awards recognize outstanding Ph.D. and Ed.D. students whose dissertation research demonstrates scholarly excellence and the potential to positively impact education in Wyoming or the broader Rocky Mountain region. Eligible applicants must have achieved candidacy, be making substantial progress on their dissertations, and expect to successfully defend by May 31, 2027. Each recipient will receive $2,000 following selection and the remaining $3,000 upon successful dissertation defense. Applications must be submitted as a single PDF to ed.dean@uwyo.edu by Tuesday, December 1. Recipients will be notified by January 31, 2027. Please see the attached call for complete application requirements and eligibility details.
    
    
11. Reminder: Dean's Distinguished Staff Award for Student Success, Applications Due October 30: As previously announced, the College of Education is accepting applications for the John P. “Jack” Ellbogen Dean's Distinguished Staff Award for Student Success, which provides $5,000 to support an innovative, staff-led project that directly improves student success. Staff may apply individually or as a team. Proposals should be 2–3 pages and include a project description, anticipated impact, budget, and implementation timeline. Applications are due Friday, October 30, to ed.dean@uwyo.edu. Please refer to the previously distributed call for complete details.
    
    
12. Reminder: Lantz Professorship and Mary Garland Fellowship Applications Due October 30: Faculty are reminded that applications for the Everett D. and Elizabeth M. Lantz Distinguished Professorship in Education and the Mary Garland Distinguished Fellowship in Education are due Friday, October 30. As detailed in the previously distributed calls, both awards provide $15,000 annually to support faculty work addressing Wyoming's educational needs. Interested faculty should submit a 2–3-page proposal, budget and budget narrative, and current CV to ed.dean@uwyo.edu. 
    
    
13. Reminder: Dean's Outstanding Dissertation Award, Applications Due December 1: As shared in the earlier call for applications, the John P. “Jack” Ellbogen Dean's Outstanding Dissertation Award provides two awards of $5,000 each to recognize outstanding doctoral research with the potential to benefit education in Wyoming and the Rocky Mountain region. Eligible College of Education Ph.D. and Ed.D. students must have achieved candidacy and expect to defend their dissertations by May 31, 2027. Applications are due Tuesday, December 1, to ed.dean@uwyo.edu.
    
    
14. Reminder: Fall Online Research Symposium, October 27: The College of Education's Fall Online Research Symposium takes place Tuesday, October 27, from 11 AM to 3 PM! Faculty and students are invited to participate in a day of research presentations, lightning talks, and discussion, including a keynote presentation from Henry L. “Roddy” Roediger III, co-author of Make It Stick, titled “Make It Work: Harnessing the Science of Learning.” The keynote will take place from noon to 1 PM, with an in-person watch party in Education Annex 225. Morning research sessions run from 11 AM to noon, followed by afternoon sessions from 1 to 3 PM. All presentations will be available online via Zoom. I encourage everyone to participate and support the research being conducted across our College.  Many thanks for Joe Schroer for leading this important work!

View the program and join online: www.cogscilearning.com/symposium26

15. Upcoming Civic Education Professional Development Opportunity in Cody:Andy Pannell, Civic Education Program Manager, invites educators, administrators, and school board members to participate in “Cody, Wyoming: What Is High-Quality Civic Education?” on November 19–20, with optional activities beginning November 18. The event will showcase Cody's approaches to civic education through classroom visits, demonstrations, and workshops on Project Citizen, We the People, Indian Education for All, constitutional literacy, and citizenship education research. Participants will also have opportunities to visit the Buffalo Bill Center of the West and Heart Mountain Interpretive Center. Professional Teaching Standards Board (PTSB) credit is available. I encourage interested faculty and education partners to follow the below link to learn more or share this opportunity with colleagues across Wyoming.
    
    Registration: https://uwyo.sjc1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV\_086b5nUuZrpQNJI
    
    Video highlighting the programs: https://youtu.be/1jPNQNU4emc

 

16. Apply by November 15: Spring 2027 Teaching Fellows Program: UW's Free Expression, Intellectual Freedom, and Constructive Dialogue Program and the Ellbogen Center for Teaching and Learning (ECTL) invite faculty to apply for a new Teaching Fellows program focused on navigating challenging or socially polarized topics in the classroom. Applications are due November 15, with selections announced December 15. I encourage interested faculty to consider this opportunity and review the attached flyer for application details. Questions may be directed to principles@uwyo.edu.
    
    
17. A More Beautiful Question Learning Community: The Ellbogen Center for Teaching and Learning (ECTL) invites faculty to participate in A More Beautiful Question Learning Community, inspired by Warren Berger's book of the same name. I encourage interested faculty to consider participating and connecting with colleagues across campus. Questions may be directed to Meg Van Baalen-Wood at MegW@uwyo.edu.
    
    Registration: https://airtable.com/app1ilDuTYr5opDFG/pagdqS6BxA6XCGtyq/form?prefill\_Event=recmLnr1Lm0OmoSXQ

 

18. Resources for Integrating AI into Educator Preparation: As artificial intelligence continues to reshape teaching and learning, I encourage faculty to explore a collection of free resources from the AI and Education Studio designed specifically for colleges of education. The resources include a comparison of the AACTE and ISTE frameworks for AI in educator preparation, guidance on teaching with and about AI, an introductory AI field guide, and practical prompting strategies. I invite you to consider how these materials might inform your teaching, course design, and preparation of future educators.
    
    Explore the resources: https://educator-preparation-and-ai.aiandeducationstudio.com/#resources

 

19. Taking Care of Ourselves: Wellness in the WEST: As we move further into the fall semester, I recognize that this has been a particularly busy. I want to remind our faculty and staff that taking care of ourselves is just as important as the work we do for our students and one another. UW's Wellness in the WEST program offers resources designed to support employee well-being, including free, confidential counseling, mental health education, wellness activities, and opportunities to relax and recharge through the Zen Den. Please remember that it is always okay to seek support, make time for yourself, and prioritize your well-being. I encourage everyone to explore these resources and continue looking out for one another as we move through the semester.
    
    Learn more: https://www.uwyo.edu/west/index.html

 

***

Thank you again for everything you do for our students, our College, and the communities we serve throughout Wyoming.

Please continue sharing your accomplishments, events, research, and opportunities with me so we can all celebrate and support the work happening throughout our College.

Wishing everyone a restful and enjoyable weekend. Go Pokes!

Jenna