Dean’s Weekly Newsletter 9-25-2026

Dear Colleagues,

 

Autumn has arrived in Laramie. The changing leaves, cooler mornings, and energy of students settling into the semester make campus especially welcoming. That energy has been on full display during Homecoming week as our College community has come together to celebrate UW. This week, I am pleased to share updates on Homecoming activities, faculty scholarship, student research, and the impact of our programs across Wyoming.

 

In This Week’s Newsletter

1. 1. College of Education Float Ready for Homecoming Parade
   2. Homecoming Educational Eggcellence Kicks Off the Week
   3. UW Ascends in National College Rankings
   4. Mia Williams Participates in National Technology Leadership Summit
   5. Alison Mercier Publishes New Article on Elementary Science Teacher Agency
   6. Ashli Tomisich Celebrates Three Forthcoming Publications
   7. Undergraduate Research Program Draws Strong Student Interest
   8. Danial Adrang Represents College in Three Minute Thesis Competition
   9. Teacher’s Table Welcomes Students and Celebrates Practicum Partnerships
   10. Wyoming Rural Teacher Corps Graduate Featured by Rural Schools Collaborative
   11. Civic Education Programs Active in Cody Schools

 

College of Education Float Ready for Homecoming Parade: Students, faculty, and staff have been hard at work building and decorating the College of Education float for the UW Homecoming Parade this Saturday at 9 AM. Many minds and hands have contributed to the project, and those who have noticed the float parked outside the Education Building have only seen part of what is planned. We are keeping the final look and special theme under wraps until parade morning, so I encourage you to come out and see it for yourself. Special thanks to our agricultural education students for building the float and to Jake Orr, Senior Program Coordinator, for coordinating the effort and bringing everyone together. We look forward to cheering on the UW Cowboys! Parade information is available here: https://www.uniwyo.com/connect/community/what-s-happening/uw-homecoming-parade-2026

 

Homecoming Educational Eggcellence Kicks Off the Week: We kicked off Homecoming week on Monday with our Homecoming Educational Eggcellence pop-up event! College of Education students, faculty, and staff joined members of the broader UW community for breakfast burritos, quesadillas, and a chance to connect. It was a lively start to the week and a wonderful way to share our College of Education spirit as we celebrate UW.

 

UW Ascends in National College Rankings: Institutional Communications’ recent UW in the News announcement shared exciting news about the University of Wyoming’s national recognition. UW rose from No. 244 to No. 175 among all universities in Forbes’ “America’s Top Colleges 2027” and now ranks No. 80 among public institutions. In Niche’s “2027 Best Colleges in America,” UW moved from No. 120 to No. 99 among public universities. I encourage you to read UW in the News when it arrives. It offers a useful look at how UW is being recognized and covered across Wyoming and beyond.

 

Mia Williams Participates in National Technology Leadership Summit: Mia Williams, Associate Professor in Learning Design and Technology, recently attended the National Technology Leadership Summit at the National Education Association Headquarters in Washington, D.C. Discussions included AI literacy, critical evaluation of AI-generated content, ethical and responsible use, and the evolving relationship between teachers, learners, and intelligent technologies. Her participation contributes to ongoing work in the College around AI-related teacher preparation, professional learning, and research.

 

Alison Mercier Publishes New Article on Elementary Science Teacher Agency: Alison Mercier, Associate Professor of Elementary Science Education, recently published a new article with collaborator Anica Miller-Rushing in Teachers and Teaching. Their article, “Situated in Connection: The Relational Dimensions of Elementary Science Teacher Agency,” examines how relationships with colleagues, administrators, and community partners shape elementary teachers’ sense of agency for teaching science. Excellent work, Alison! The article is available here: https://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/TMD5QQAJIS2ITFVIJNB5/full?target=10.1080/13540602.2026.2738078

 

Ashli Tomisich Celebrates Three Forthcoming Publications: Ashli Tomisich, who recently joined the College of Education as Assistant Professor of Higher Education Administration, has three solo-authored publications forthcoming. Her work includes

1) “Developmental Deserts: A Case Study of Mentorship Ecosystem Failure and New Rural Lawyers’ Formation” in The Chronicle of Mentoring & Coaching; “

2) A Floor, Not a Ceiling: The ABA’s 2016 Experiential Learning Standard and the Unfinished Reform of American Legal Education” in Studying the History of Higher Education Journal;

3) A chapter on higher education finance in Idaho in Public Funding Higher Education in the United States, Part 1: Conducting Research in Education Finance: Methods, Measurement, and Policy Perspectives from Emerald Publishing.

Congratulations, Ashli!

 

Undergraduate Research Program Draws Strong Student Interest: The College’s new undergraduate research initiative is off to a strong start, with 24 students expressing interest in participating this fall. Half of the interested students are first-year students, which is especially encouraging as we work to create more opportunities for students to engage in research early in their academic careers. Students have identified a wide range of interests, with particularly strong interest in literacy, learning sciences, and math and science education. Joe Schroer, Associate Lecturer in the School of Teacher Education, is coordinating the program and is working with participating faculty to finalize student-mentor matches. Nice job!

 

Danial Adrang Represents College in Three Minute Thesis Competition: Danial Adrang, a PhD student in Curriculum and Instruction, represented the College of Education in UW’s university-wide Three Minute Thesis competition on Tuesday, September 22. His presentation explored how to balance the use of artificial intelligence in the classroom, a timely topic across our College. We are proud of Danial for sharing his research with the UW community and representing the College so well. Danial and other graduate students will have another opportunity to compete in April. The competition gives graduate students valuable practice communicating their research clearly to a broad audience.

 

Teacher’s Table Welcomes Students and Celebrates Practicum Partnerships: Teacher’s Table has had a strong start to the semester with two successful student-focused events supported through the John P. “Jack” Ellbogen Dean’s Distinguished Staff Award for Student Success. More than 50 students attended the August “Ambassador’s Welcome,” where College of Education Student Ambassadors Abby Reardanz, Laynee Walker, and Quincy Dereemer shared information about their work and upcoming opportunities across the College. Earlier this month, Sarah Rundall led “Maximum Practicum,” sharing guidance with students across Practicum I, II, III, and student teaching residency. Participants also wrote more than 20 thank-you cards to Wyoming teachers and principals who support our students through practicum and residency experiences. Teacher’s Table is coordinated by Stefan Robinson, Academic Advising Professional.

 

Wyoming Rural Teacher Corps Graduate Featured by Rural Schools Collaborative: Christian Pellatz, a College of Education graduate and founding member of the Wyoming Rural Teacher Corps, was recently featured in Rural Schools Collaborative’s I Am a Rural Teacher series. Christian now teaches at White School in Converse County, where he works in a multi-grade rural classroom and carries forward a family tradition of rural teaching. His story highlights the importance of place-based education, strong community relationships, and the preparation he received through the Wyoming Rural Teacher Corps (RTC). The RTC is co-led by Alison Mercier and Leslie Cook in partnership with Teton Science Schools and Rural Schools Collaborative. I encourage you to read Christian’s full story and learn more about how our graduates are serving and leading in Wyoming’s rural communities: https://iamaruralteacher.org/stories/i-am-a-rural-teacher-christian-pellatz-douglas-wy

 

Civic Education Programs Active in Cody Schools: Finally, Andy Pannell, Civic Education Program Manager, recently completed a video highlighting how teachers in Cody are using Project Citizen and We the People in their classrooms. Civic education is critical in preparing students to understand our democracy, engage actively with differing perspectives, and take a role in their communities. The video shows Wyoming teachers bringing that work to life, and I encourage you to watch it. I encourage you to take a few minutes to see this work in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jPNQNU4emc

 

As we close out another busy week, I am grateful for the many ways our faculty, staff, students, alumni, and partners contribute to the life of our College and to education across Wyoming. I hope you have an opportunity to enjoy this beautiful season on campus, and I look forward to seeing many of you at the Homecoming Parade Saturday morning. I cannot wait for everyone to see what our College has created.

Go Pokes!

 

Jenna