Dean’s Weekly Newsletter 5-8-2026

Dear Colleagues,

This week and next week are historically among the busiest times of the year. Alongside the close of the semester, we held the College of Education meeting on Monday, welcomed College of Education Advocacy Board and Literacy Research Center and Clinic Board members to yesterday evening’s reception alongside faculty, staff, and students, and are gathering today for the College of Education Advocacy Board meeting. We are also preparing for next week’s Board of Trustees meetings and budget hearings. Even during this especially full season, I remain committed to supporting the excellent work happening across the College of Education to prepare educators, leaders, counselors, and scholars who serve Wyoming and beyond.

 

Here are some updates for this week:

• College of Education Meeting
• Wyoming Rural Teacher Corps Capstone Fair
• College Advocacy Board Reception & Meeting
• Board of Trustees Meetings Next Week
• Publications Updates
• April Recruitment and Retention Report
• Faculty Serving in Inaugural Google + GSV Higher Ed Leader Fellowship
• Ellbogen Center for Teaching and Learning Critical Thinking Symposium
• Follow-Up on FY27 Budget Reductions
• Reminder: Ellbogen Excellence Ceremony
• Reminder: Commencement on Saturday, May 16

 

College of Education Meeting: The College of Education held its final college meeting of the academic year on May 4 in the Wyoming Union Family Room. The meeting provided an opportunity to announce and recognize spring awards and other honors within the College. It was especially wonderful to have students and some parents in attendance, and they brought special energy to the event. Congratulations to the following faculty, staff, and students, and thank you to everyone who helped make this final College gathering a strong close to the semester.

 

College of Education Faculty, Staff, and Student Awards

• Faculty Award for Outstanding Teaching: Barbara Hickman, Associate Professor of Educational Leadership
• Faculty Award for Outstanding Research and Scholarship: Miriam Sanders, Assistant Professor of Secondary Math Education
• Faculty/Staff Award for Service to the Educational Profession: Alison Mercier, Assistant Professor of Elementary Science Education
• Award for Outstanding Advising: Jessie Marcolini, SMTC Director; Julianna Worden, CoESSC Academic Advising Professional
• Staff Award for Outstanding Service to the College: Charlie Yarchin, CoESSC Office Associate
• Award for Outstanding Contributions Toward Improving the Climate of the College: Levi Moore, CoESSC Academic Advising Manager
• Outstanding Graduate Student Award for Significant Accomplishments: Melena Osborne, EdD in Mathematics Education
• Outstanding Undergraduate Student Award for Significant Accomplishments: Darwin St. Clair III, BA in Secondary Math Education
• John P. “Jack” Ellbogen Dean’s Fund Undergraduate Student Leadership Award: Shelby Williams, BA in Secondary Math Education; Joseph Kennah, BS in Agricultural Education, concentration in Animal and Veterinary Science; Laynee Walker, BA in Elementary Education
• Patricia McClurg Education Faculty Fellowship: Jihyun Lee, Associate Professor of Special Education

 

Additional University and College Recognitions

• Promoting Intellectual Engagement (PIE) Awards: Nikki Baldwin, Senior Lecturer of Early Childhood Education; Joe Russo, Assistant Lecturer in the School of Teacher Education
• UW Early-Career Graduate Faculty Mentor Award: Miriam Sanders, Assistant Professor of Secondary Mathematics Education
• Excellence in Experiential Education Award: Nikki Baldwin, Senior Lecturer of Early Childhood Education
• Presidential Scholarly Award for Early Career Faculty: JP Han, Assistant Professor of Elementary Mathematics Education
• College of Education Excellence Award for Student Engagement: Joe Schroer, Associate Lecturer in the School of Teacher Education
• John P. “Jack” Ellbogen Dean’s Distinguished Staff Award for Student Success: Stefan Robinson, CoESSC Academic Advising Professional
• John P. “Jack” Ellbogen Dean’s Award for Excellence in Wyoming Outreach: Margaret Hudson, Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership; Rob Hill, Professor of Practice of Career and Technical Education; Nikki Baldwin, Senior Lecturer of Early Childhood Education

 

John P. “Jack” Ellbogen Dean’s Outstanding Dissertation Award
These recipients will be recognized at the Ellbogen Excellence Ceremony:

• Aaron Nydam, EdD, Curriculum and Instruction; Chair: Lydiah Nganga
• Anne Sudmeier, PhD, Literacy Education; Chair: Cynthia Brock
• Jeffery Lewis, EdD, Educational Leadership; Chair: Barbara Hickman
• Melena Osborne, EdD, Mathematics Education; Chair: Miriam Sanders

 

Reappointment, Tenure, and Promotion

• Tenure and Promotion to Associate Professor: Alison Mercier, Assistant Professor of Elementary Science Education
• Promotion to Full Professor: Amanda DeDiego, Associate Professor of Counseling
• Mid-Probationary Review: Emil “Emanuel” Eidin, Assistant Professor of Secondary Science Education
• Mid-Probationary Review: Anne Aydinian-Perry, Assistant Professor of Secondary Social Studies Education

Visit our Teams folder to see more pictures from the event: https://shorturl.at/mnFqf

 

Wyoming Rural Teacher Corps Capstone Fair: The Wyoming Rural Teacher Corps held its annual Capstone Fair this past Tuesday evening. Rural Teacher Corps members participating in their second, third, and even fourth year with the WyRTC presented posters and shared the projects they have been working on throughout the school year. From place-based robotics initiatives to the development of a resource guide for Wyoming teachers to reflections on attending professional conferences, the presentations highlighted the meaningful learning, professional growth, and experiences of our students across Wyoming’s rural communities.

 

College Advocacy Board Reception & Meeting: Last night, before the College Advocacy Board Meeting today, we welcomed our board members, along with the Literacy Research Center and Clinic board members, faculty, staff, students, and other friends of the College to the CAB Reception in the Wyo Sports Club and Loge. After braving the chilly weather, it turned out to be a warm evening filled with remarks from the CAB and LRCC board members, faculty, staff, and, importantly, students. 

Today also promises to be a productive meeting, with presentations from the College and discussions from our Board Members about challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. I am grateful to the CAB for the role it plays in supporting and promoting the College and its work across Wyoming, and I look forward to a great day. 

I will also attend the Trustees Education Initiative (TEI) Governing Board Meeting this afternoon, and look forward to fruitful conversations about TEI and its continued work to advance a coordinated, statewide approach to produce high-quality educators, sustain excellence across the teaching workforce, and address critical teacher shortages.

 

Board of Trustees Budget Hearings and Meetings Next Week: The Board of Trustees Budget Hearings and Regular Meetings are taking place all next week. You can learn more about the hearing and view the agenda and reports at the Board of Trustees website: https://www.uwyo.edu/trustees/2026-meeting-agendas-materials-and-minutes/may-13-15-2026-meeting.html

 

Publications Updates: Several College of Education faculty, staff, students, and partners have shared recent publications highlighting work across special education, mathematics education, and science education.

Miriam Sanders, Assistant Professor of Secondary Mathematics Education, shared that she, Tiffany Hunt, Assistant Professor of Special Education; Ling Zhang, Assistant Professor of Special Education; and Jana Nelson, EMAT doctoral student, have published “Collaborative Design: Leveraging GenAI to Create Metacognition-Aligned Mathematics Instruction for Students With Disabilities” in the Journal of Special Education Technology. The article offers practical recommendations for how mathematics educators and special educators can use AI-mediated collaboration to bridge epistemological differences and design instruction aligned with metacognition for students with disabilities. Read the article here: https://doi.org/10.1177/01626434261435266

The Science and Math Teaching Center also shared three recent publications involving Martha Inouye, Associate Research Scientist, and Clare Gunshenan, Outreach Science Educator. These include “Learn-Modify-Implement-Reflect: Delivering Formative Assessment and Reflecting on Student Learning in Elementary Teacher Professional Learning” by M. C. Inouye, R. Summers, M. J. Lee, L. N. Cabrera, M. Macias, J. Gist, and D. Davis in the Journal of Science Teacher Education; “Engaging High School Students with Big, Messy, Current Data” by C. Lund, S. Rahimi, C. Gunshenan, and M. Inouye in The Science Teacher; and “Empowering Students’ Earth System Sensemaking Through Data-Driven, Place-Relevant Learning” by A. Hagadorn, M. Inouye, C. Gunshenan, N. W. Case, and T. Todd in The Earth Scientist. Read the articles here:

https://doi.org/10.1080/1046560X.2026.2656142; https://doi.org/10.1080/00368555.2026.2626053; https://shorturl.at/lo74W

Congratulations to Miriam, Tiffany, Ling, Jana, Martha, Clare, and their collaborators on these publications and on their continued contributions to research and practice across education.

 

April Recruitment and Retention Report: In April, Jody Mitchell, Program Coordinator, Sr., for Recruitment and Retention, continued substantial recruitment and retention work for the College of Education, including visits to six Wyoming and Colorado high schools, three community colleges, four Wyoming high school-sponsored events, six UW-sponsored events, and two on-campus or virtual events. Across these efforts, she connected with more than 600 students, shared information about College of Education programs, supported prospective and incoming students, and continued building transfer and program pathways with partners including Western Wyoming Community College and Eastern Wyoming College. Thank you to Jody for her continued hard work and commitment to recruiting and supporting future educators across Wyoming and beyond.

 

Faculty Serving in Inaugural Google + GSV Higher Ed Leader Fellowship: Mia Williams, Associate Professor of Learning, Design, and Technology in the School of Counseling, Leadership, Advocacy, and Design, was selected for the inaugural higher education cohort of the Google + GSV Higher Ed Leader Fellowship. The fellowship brings together university leaders, CIOs, and academic innovators from across North America to explore how AI and human-centered design can support teaching, learning, and pathways from education to the workforce. Through the fellowship, Mia is advancing a research-to-practice lab concept at the University of Wyoming focused on strengthening teaching, innovation, and student success on campus and across Wyoming. Congratulations to Mia on this recognition and for representing the College in this national higher education innovation network.

 

Ellbogen Center for Teaching and Learning Critical Thinking Symposium: The Ellbogen Center for Teaching and Learning will host the Critical Thinking Symposium on Monday, May 11, from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM in Coe Library Room 506. This interactive half-day event will feature keynote speaker Warren Berger, author of A More Beautiful Question, along with Jill Cermele of Drew University and several UW presenters. Sessions will explore the role of critical thinking in higher education and beyond, with topics including writing and inquiry, civil discourse, first-year student development, emotion and reasoning, and what makes a question not just good, but beautiful. Register and learn more at the ECTL Events Page: https://shorturl.at/aTwLX

 

Follow-Up on FY27 Budget Reductions: On Wednesday, May 6, I sent a follow-up message to College faculty and staff regarding the proposed FY27 budget reductions and the broader university budget context. In summary, the College of Education’s proposed reduction is currently $275,816, and these reductions are part of a university-wide budget environment shaped by tuition revenue decreases, enrollment pressures, rising operating costs, reduced investment returns available for operations, and broader demographic trends affecting higher education. As we move forward, discussions will continue within the College about how we can address revenue challenges, increase student enrollment, strengthen transfer and recruitment pathways, and position our programs for long-term sustainability while continuing to serve Wyoming.

 

Reminder: Ellbogen Excellence Ceremony on May 12: Faculty, staff, students, and other stakeholders are invited to join us for the 2nd Annual Ellbogen Excellence Ceremony on Tuesday, May 12, from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM in the UW Conference Center Ballroom. This event will highlight the impact of Ellbogen Foundation support across the College of Education through presentations from Mary Garland Distinguished Fellows in Education, Outstanding Dissertation Award recipients, and participants in the John P. “Jack” Ellbogen Dean’s and Trustees Education Initiative Peer Mentoring Program. A reception with light refreshments will follow the formal program. RSVP here: https://uwyo.sjc1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cIs7vODVWc5ctnw

 

Reminder: Commencement on Saturday, May 16: The University of Wyoming Spring 2026 Commencement ceremonies will be held Saturday, May 16, in the Arena-Auditorium. College of Education faculty should plan to attend both the graduate and undergraduate ceremonies. Faculty and staff participating in the graduate ceremony should arrive by 11:30 AM for the 12:30 PM processional, and those participating in the undergraduate ceremony should arrive by 2:30 PM for the 3:30 PM processional. Participants should gather in the Fieldhouse for line-up, and faculty must wear regalia if participating in the processional. Faculty hooding master’s students should arrive at the Fieldhouse by 10:30 AM for formal hooding and photographs before the ceremony.

 

I look forward to seeing everyone there.

***

Next week’s newsletter on May 15 will be the last edition before we pause for the summer session. To continue following College of Education news over the summer, please connect with us on our social media channels:

 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WyoCollegeOfEd/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uwyo_ed/
X: https://x.com/UWyoCoED
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/school/university-of-wyoming-college-of-education/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCikM7A50XrUNhje7bEyfyg

 

See you next week. Go Pokes!

Jenna