Endeavors 2024

Endeavors U N I V E R S I T Y O F M A RY L A N D

PG 12 ROLLING OUT A NEW ONLINE MATH GAME

PG 17 FIVE TIPS FOR TALKING ACROSS DIFFERENCES AND DISAGREEMENTS PG 24 ALL IN THE FAMILY WITH EDTERPS

Can AI Foster Equity in Education?

C O L L E G E O F E D U C AT I O N

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THE BULLETIN NEWS

FROM THE DEAN Friends and family often ask me about my job and want to understand what deans actually do. The purpose behind my work is to activate opportunities for all to thrive, and as dean of the College of Education, it’s my job to provide resources and implement structures that make it easier for EdTerps to transform education for good. That includes making sure that our mission, values and vision reflect both the impact we want to have and the kind of community we want to be.

Earlier this fall, we unveiled “Transforming Education, Transforming Lives,” our new College of Education strategic plan for 2024-29. (Read more about the plan on page 2.) The strategic plan elevates our values of innovation for transformation, justice and equity, and collaboration with care. In this issue of Endeavors, you’ll find stories about how EdTerps are embracing these values to advance the public good—from leveraging AI in innovative ways to improve education for all, to supporting the vision of the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future to promote educational equity statewide, to collaborating with Piscataway-Conoy citizens to launch the first Piscataway-led course at the University of Maryland.

Each member of our EdTerps community— including our students, faculty, staff, alums, partners and supporters—is valued and essential to our efforts to build healthier communities and a more just, equitable and peaceful world. We share many of their stories in this issue, and we look forward to continuing to partner with you to advance this important work.

In gratitude,

Kimberly Griffin DEAN, COLLEGE OF EDUCATION

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College of Education Unveils Five-Year Strategic Plan

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Mural Highlights the Power of Education

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College of Education Launches New Academic Programs

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EdTerps Pantry Addresses Food Insecurity

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Two $100,000 Gifts Support Maryland Democracy Initiative

IN THE CLASSROOM 8

‘The Most Important Thing for Us Is Saving Lives’

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Driven by Equity and Compassion

IMPACT 10

Building a Better Future for Maryland’s Students ‘We Are Still Here’

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Not Just Rolling the Dice

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Peace Education in a Time of Conflict

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A Decade of Dialogue and Discovery in Cuba

Terrapin Teachers Turns Ten

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Viewpoints: What Was Your Most Meaningful Classroom Experience?

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Ask the Experts: Five Tips for Talking Across Differences and Disagreements

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Faculty Awards and Accolades

FEATURES 20

Can AI Foster Equity in Education?

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All in the Family

Endeavors is published annually for alumni, friends, faculty and staff of the University of Maryland College of Education. Feedback and comments on the magazine and/or published articles should be sent to coecomm@umd.edu.

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ALUMNI PROFILE 28

Blazing New Trails with Irene Zoppi Ph.D. ’04

An Unlikely Path

30

‘When We Collaborate, Everyone Wins’

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NEWS 32

School Day Surprise: Three Alums Honored for Classroom Impact

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Alum Takes the Helm at MSDE

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Class Notes

36

Upcoming College of Education Events

Meet the Alumni Network Board

PHOTO GALLERY 37

2024 Memories

DEAN

Kimberly Griffin M.A. ’01 DIRECTOR OF MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS, EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Natifia Mullings EDITOR

Emily Schuster ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI RELATIONS

PHOTOGRAPHY

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Carnisa Allen Stephanie S. Cordle Jahaira Dixon Tatiana Herrera Sage Levy Riley N. Sims Ph.D. ’23

Heather Canoles ’11 Andrew Faught Tyler Fineman ’25 Christina Folz Rachel M. Hess ’07 Maison Holcomb ’24 Sandhya Rani Jha Annie Krakower Amanda Loudin Natifia Mullings Emily Schuster Karen Shih ’09 Mahelate Solomon ’24

Rachel M. Hess ’07

COVER ART/FEATURE ILLUSTRATIONS

DESIGN AND ART DIRECTION

Jeannie Phan

Laura Figlewski

FOLLOW US

X.com/UMDCollegeofEd Instagram.com/UMDCollegeofEd Linkedin.com/company/UMDCollegeofEd Youtube.com/@umdcollegeofeducation education.umd.edu This publication is produced by the College of Education Office of Marketing and Communications.

CHANGE OF ADDRESS

Send address updates and corrections to coeadvancement@umd.edu.

THE BULLETIN

NEWS

College of Education Unveils Five-Year Strategic Plan PLAN LEVERAGES EDTERPS’ STRENGTHS AND EXPERTISE TO TRANSFORM EDUCATION FOR GOOD This fall, the College of Education launched its new strategic plan for 2024-29, “Transforming Education, Transforming Lives.”

Aligned with the university’s strategic plan, the document outlines the college’s mission, values, vision, impact areas, and goals and objectives for the next five years.

“Education is the foundation of a thriving society. I am proud of the important work the College of Education community does every day to increase knowledge, prepare and support the next generation of educators and leaders, and address pressing problems alongside our community partners,” says Dean Kimberly Griffin. “Each member of our community is valued and essential to our work to transform education for good, in our local communities, state, nation and world.”

+ READ THE FULL STRATEGIC PLAN AT education.umd.edu/strategicplan MISSION The University of Maryland College of Education is an action-oriented and equityminded community transforming the fields of education, counseling, human development and quantitative methodology through impactful research, innovative teaching and mutually beneficial partnerships with schools and communities. We cocreate knowledge and advance the public good as we prepare educators, counselors, administrators, researchers and policymakers for leadership in schools and society.

VALUES INNOVATION FOR TRANSFORMATION

We engage in bold, rigorous work to improve how we understand challenges, ask questions, reimagine solutions and take action.

JUSTICE AND EQUITY

We honor the dignity and humanity of every person and act to address systemic injustice and promote our collective well-being.

IMPACT AREAS 1. The Educator Workforce 2. Equity in Developmental, Education and Mental Health Outcomes 3. Literacy and Language 4. STEM Teaching and Learning 5. Civic Education and Engagement to Strengthen Democracy

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UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND COLLEGE OF EDUCATION

VISION The University of Maryland College of Education will be celebrated and widely recognized by local, regional and global communities for our research, teaching and partnerships. Our impact and expertise will lead to collaborations that influence policies, inform practice and advance broader social, civic and democratic goals for a healthy and equitable society for all. We will fulfill our vision with a firm commitment to intentionally build and foster a fearless EdTerps community grounded in care, belonging and equity.

COLLABORATION WITH CARE

We cultivate and sustain relationships grounded in trust, reciprocity and respect.

MURAL HIGHLIGHTS THE POWER OF EDUCATION ARTWORK REFLECTS COLLABORATIVE EFFORT AMONG STUDENTS, FACULTY, STAFF

BY NATIFIA MULLINGS

I

n January, the College of Education unveiled a new mural during its annual winter retreat. The mural, titled “Transforming the Future,” celebrates the power of education.

Inspired by the college’s new tagline, “Transforming Education for Good,” and the relief sculpture created by retired Art Professor Randall Craig, the mural’s triptych design features outer panels depicting a learner and an educator, while the central panel showcases their

hands separately holding a seedling and tree, symbolizing the nurturing of knowledge.

“We see [the mural] as a continuation of Dr. Craig’s work, … a sort of visual conversation between the two pieces,” says Associate Clinical Professor Margaret Walker ’91. “His sculpture [highlights] the history and purpose of education, while also looking toward the future in a positive way. We used these ideas to guide the design of our mural.”

The project was led by Jessica Brown ’23, a graduate student in the arts education program. Brown helped faculty, staff and students create colorful patterned papers using gelli-plates.

She also worked with undergraduate students in the “Foundations of Art Education” class and the “2-D Art Methods” class to develop the design and create the collage using the patterned papers. The collaborative effort resulted in a vibrant collage that spotlights the role educators play in society.

“Designing a community-based mural and involving as many EdTerps as possible was very meaningful to me,” explains Brown. “This project not only represents the college’s vision for the future of education but also our ability to come together to create something breathtaking.”

The “Transforming the Future” mural is located in the Benjamin Building, Tawes-facing lobby.

ENDEAVORS 2024

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THE BULLETIN

NEWS

College of Education Launches New Academic Programs PROGRAMS PREPARE EDUCATORS AND COUNSELORS TO SERVE STUDENTS WITH DIVERSE NEEDS

BY MAHELATE SOLOMON ’24

Over the past year, the College of Education has collaborated with colleagues and community partners to bring new specializations and programs to students.

ARABIC LANGUAGE SPECIALIZATION CERTIFICATION M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction, World Languages Education Specialization PHOTO: SAGE LEVY

A collaboration between the College of Education and the School of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures in the College of Arts and Humanities, this specialization will help increase the number of Arabic language teachers and learners in the state. The specialization leads to PK-12 teaching certification.

ONLINE SPECIALTY IN AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS M.Ed. in Special Education

This part-time, fully online specialty program caters to working professionals across the state of Maryland and beyond. This master’s degree equips graduate students with knowledge and skills to use strategies for students with complex communication needs and to provide responsive instruction for students with autism that increases positive behaviors, self-determination and academic skills using evidence- and research-based methods.

SPECIALTY IN CREATIVE INITIATIVES IN TEACHER EDUCATION (CITE) M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction

In this hybrid specialty program, students learn how to turn their ideas into tangible results for young students, develop research-based teaching skills, establish cultural proficiency and enhance classroom management. CITE students can earn their teaching certification for grades 1-6.

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UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND COLLEGE OF EDUCATION

POST-MASTERS CERTIFICATE PROGRAM FOR COUNSELING SERVICES FOR IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE STUDENTS School Counseling Program

One in 7 Maryland residents is an immigrant, and Prince George’s County Public Schools has reported a 30% increase in international students for the 2024-25 school year. This certificate program prepares counselors to help the growing immigrant and refugee student population navigate cultural and academic challenges. The curriculum centers around immigration and education, immigrant child counseling and consultation, family and social support systems, and issues in the education of multilingual learners.

THE MARYLAND EARLY EDCORP REGISTERED APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM

As the state’s first Child Development Associate (CDA) registered apprenticeship program for early childhood educators, this program focuses on serving children and families with complex needs related to language barriers, poverty or disability.

A new initiative will concentrate on helping paraeducators and assistant teachers in preschool programs complete their CDA credentials, with a focus on inclusive practices.

“Thank you again. You helped a hungry Terp out!”

EdTerps Pantry Addresses Food Insecurity

“This helps me so much and it took some financial stress off.”

IMAGE: SHUTTERSTOCK

PANTRY AIMS TO SUPPORT STUDENT WELL-BEING AND SUCCESS

BY NATIFIA MULLINGS

In March, the College of Education opened its new EdTerps Pantry in response to the growing number of students who are food insecure.

Located in the Student Lounge in the Benjamin Building, the pantry includes a cabinet and refrigerator stocked with substantial snacks and easy-tomake meal items such as fresh fruits, yogurt, granola bars, trail mix and instant soups. The pantry is accessible whenever the building is open, and items are restocked twice a week.

“Our college is committed to building and sustaining a community of care,” says Dean Kimberly Griffin. “We are always seeking ways to support our students’ health, well-being and academic and career success.”

Research shows that food insecurity can affect student success. In a 2019 study, the University of Maryland’s Counseling Center Research Unit found that students experiencing food insecurity were almost 13 times more

“So proud to be an EdTerp and to be cared for like this.”

likely to miss class than their food-secure peers.

During the Spring 2024 semester, UMD’s Campus Assessment Working Group surveyed juniors and seniors and found that about one in five respondents had experienced low food security in the past year. “[The EdTerps Pantry] acknowledges the realities of many students’ food insecurity and demonstrates our college’s collective commitment to ensuring that every student has the opportunity to thrive, regardless of their circumstances,” says Baili Park M.A. ’24, who recently earned her master’s degree in higher education, student affairs and international education policy, higher education concentration. “The pantry provides not just food but a sense of stability and reassurance.” interested in donating items to the + Those EdTerps Pantry should contact Chief of Staff

Andrea Norris at anorris@umd.edu or donate to the college’s Greatest Needs Fund at go.umd.edu/greatest-needs.

ENDEAVORS 2024

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THE BULLETIN

NEWS

Two $100,000 Gifts Support Maryland Democracy Initiative COUPLE’S DONATIONS FUND VOTER MOBILIZATION, INTERNSHIP PROGRAM

BY ANNIE KRAKOWER

PHOTO: RILEY N. SIMS PH.D. ’23

Students present at the Laufer Democracy Internship Showcase in August.

Follow the EdTerps

Over two decades ago, Marsha Zlatin Laufer ’64 left her career as a speech language pathologist and found a new calling as a full-time political activist.

Now the University of Maryland alumna and her husband, Henry, are working to empower young people at her alma mater to become more engaged and involved in elections— this year and beyond.

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UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND COLLEGE OF EDUCATION

Their two $100,000 gifts to UMD support voter mobilization efforts and established the Laufer Democracy Internship as part of the Maryland Democracy Initiative (MDI), a nonpartisan interdisciplinary program that combines research, teaching and learning, and civic engagement to create a more just society.

“It’s incumbent upon those of us who

work with young people to facilitate their awareness of how important their voice is and how their voice makes a difference,” Marsha Laufer says.

Launched last year with funding from a Grand Challenges Impact Award, MDI incorporates expertise from the College of Education, College of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Philip Merrill College of Journalism and School of Public Policy to encourage civic participation and tackle threats to democracy.

“We believe our interdisciplinary approach enables us to combine and leverage our expertise, scholarship, practice and partnerships to better address a complex problem: strengthening our democracy,” says Lena Morreale Scott, MDI principal investigator and director of the Civic Education and Engagement Initiative in the College of Education.

One of the Laufers’ gifts funded paid full-time summer internships for 18 UMD undergraduate students, with placements at nonprofits such as ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge, APIAVote, VoteRiders and others dedicated to voter education and mobilization at

CHECK OUT THESE PODCASTS AND YOUTUBE CHANNELS FROM COLLEGE OF EDUCATION FACULTY AND STAFF QUANTITUDE

LATINX INTELLIGENTSIA

• Established 2019 • Nearly a million downloads across • 6 seasons, 150+ 150+ countries episodes

• Established 2019 • 7 seasons

”Quantitude” is cohosted

by Greg Hancock, professor, and Patrick Curran, professor of psychology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The podcast is dedicated to all things quantitative, ranging from the relevant to the highly irrelevant. The hosts cover serious statistical topics but without taking themselves too seriously.

• 51 episodes • 33,000 downloads Hosted by Michelle Espino Lira, associate professor, this podcast focuses on ways to uplift Latinx/a/o people in the higher education community so that everyone can thrive.

colleges and schools. Interns in the program, developed in partnership with the Students Learn Students Vote Coalition and the Maryland Fellows Program, brought their knowledge back to UMD to inform MDI research on effective student voter mobilization strategies.

“When research informs policy, you [find] objective ways to make a difference in people’s lives, to uplift communities and empower them, rather than having partisan beliefs guide and dictate policy in subjective ways,” says Sophia Winner, a senior double majoring in government and politics and economics. Winner interned with Scholars Strategy Network, which works to increase voter participation and build trust in elections.

The Laufers’ second gift established the Laufer Voter Mobilization Program, which includes a first-ofits-kind research program focused on methods to register, educate and mobilize high school voters. The donation also supported the National High School Voting Summit, held at UMD in July, as well as MDI’s work providing professional development and curating instructional materials about voting and elections for PK-12 teachers. In addition, the gift supported MDI’s partnership with TerpsVote—a coalition of students, staff and faculty—to expand the UMD student ambassadors program to mobilize student voters on campus.

While both gifts focused on the 2024 elections, Marsha Laufer hopes they spur further growth for MDI. “This is like dropping a pebble [in a pond],” she says. “It’s giving people tools to learn how to reach out to people, to inspire them, to inform them, to empower them. And then they become ambassadors, and they communicate that excitement to other people.”

+ WATCH VIDEO AT go.umd.edu/deans-lecture

DR. B’S SCIENCE VIDEOS

CONNECTIONS UMD

20 24 D E A N ’ S L E C T U R E S E R I E S

“

It’s giving people tools to learn how to reach out to people, to inspire them, to inform them, to empower them.

”

(@WBRESLYN) • Established 2008 • 234 million+ views • 820k+ subscribers across 170 countries • 7.7k videos Run by Wayne Breslyn Ph.D. ’09, senior research associate, this YouTube channel helps students learn about chemistry and other science topics.

In addition to information videos, Dr. B incorporates fun demonstrations like turning a penny gold and dissolving aluminum foil in hydrochloric acid, all in the name of science.

THE RPP EXCHANGE: EQUITY THROUGH RESEARCH-PRACTICE PARTNERSHIPS • Established 2024 • 19 episodes • 3 seasons Started by the College of Education’s Racial and Social Justice Collaborative, this podcast features short, engaging conversations with those participating in Research-Practice Partnerships (RPPs). They discuss challenges, successes and how RPPs are addressing the biggest equity issues in education.

PHOTO: RILEY N. SIMS PH.D. ’23

“What is belonging in education? Everyone getting what they need so they can contribute to what we all need.”

Na’ilah Suad Nasir PRESIDENT OF THE SPENCER FOUNDATION, SPEAKING ON “THE POWER OF BELONGING PHILANTHROPY AND TRANSFORMATIVE RESEARCH IN EDUCATION”

(@CONNECTIONSUMD8321) • Established 2014 • 61 Videos This YouTube channel and podcast is from Connections Beyond Sight and Sound, the Maryland and D.C. deafblind project.

This project is a partnership between the Maryland State Department of Education and UMD that provides resources for families, caregivers and professionals serving children and youth who are deafblind.

ENDEAVORS 2024

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THE BULLETIN

IN THE CLASSROOM

‘The Most Important Thing for Us Is Saving Lives’ STUDENT AFFAIRS PH.D. STUDENT LEADS INITIATIVE IN GHANA TO PROVIDE FREE FIRST AID AND CPR TRAINING

BY EMILY SCHUSTER AND MAISON HOLCOMB ’24

A

s a young child growing up in Ghana, Ebenezer Kobina Mensah witnessed a tragedy that changed the direction of his life. A close family friend, like a brother to Mensah, was drowning, and several people attempted to administer first aid. Although it was too late to save his friend’s life, Mensah never forgot their bravery.

Mensah grew up watching his grandmother give first aid to members of her community, who knew her as someone gifted in setting broken bones.

deaths from cardiovascular disease occur in developing countries, according to the World Heart Federation. Less than 1% of the population in Ghana is trained in first aid or cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), according to research led by the World Health Organization and Ghana Health Service.

“The most important thing for us is saving lives,” says Mensah, an international student in the higher education, student affairs and international education policy Ph.D. program, student affairs concentration.

PHOTO: TRUE COMMUNITY/IEPA-UCC

Representatives from True Community (including Luke T. Kues, third from right, and Ebenezer Kobina Mensah, right) and the Institute for Educational Planning and Administration sign a memorandum of understanding in Ghana.

He volunteered at the Ghana Red Cross and Planned Parenthood Association of Ghana. Mensah dreamed of becoming a doctor, but this same dedication to his community ultimately led him to pursue a career in student affairs. Throughout his life, he has remained passionate about health education.

Now Mensah is advancing first aid training and health literacy in Ghana on a large scale as chairman of the Black Stars Wellness Initiative of the U.S.-based nonprofit organization True Community.

This work is crucial as four out of five 8

UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND COLLEGE OF EDUCATION

Founded by Luke T. Kues M.P.H. ’24 in 2021, True Community provides CPR, automated external defibrillator (AED) and first aid training in marginalized communities. The organization has facilitated more than 10,000 CPR and other certifications in 18 U.S. cities and 4 cities in Ghana.

Mensah and Kues met in 2022 as they trained together as resident directors at the University of Maryland’s Department of Fraternity and Sorority Life. Mensah has played a pivotal role in expanding True Community’s work

outside the United States for the first time, leveraging his extensive connections in Ghana. He led efforts to forge an in-country partnership in 2023 with the Institute for Educational Planning and Administration at the University of Cape Coast (IEPA-UCC).

“I’m proud of the network of volunteers and partners that we have built, who are all committed to the mission and work tirelessly to make a difference,” says Mensah, who also serves as an instructor trainer with True Community.

Mensah and Kues led True Community’s first visit to Ghana in Summer 2023 to establish two first aid training centers, where Ghanaian instructors provide free training yearround. They launched a third center—the Kumasi Do Good Training Center—this past summer with the $2,500 Kues and Mensah received as the second-place winners in the venture-based track of UMD’s annual Do Good Challenge. A fourth training center is in the works.

So far, True Community has provided free first aid and CPR training to more than 1,500 people in Ghana, including 30 instructors, and its efforts have saved at least 15 lives there.

In his academic life, Mensah focuses on empowering U.S. student affairs practitioners to use African Indigenous models to better support African students. For him, this work stems back to his commitment to improving people’s lives.

“I am someone that, all the time, wants to see someone smiling,” Mensah says.

PHOTO: TATIANA HERRERA

Driven by Equity and Compassion AS A SCHOOL BUS DRIVER AND HISTORY TEACHER IN TRAINING, UNDERGRADUATE TRANSFER STUDENT SERVES ALL STUDENTS WITH PATIENCE AND GRACE

BY TYLER FINEMAN ’25

“What do you want to do when you grow up?” This was a question I was asked countless times as a child, and I always had the same answer: “I want to help people.” When I started my higher education journey at Carroll Community College in Westminster, Maryland, I found that secondary education with a concentration in history was the right path for me.

At Carroll Community College, I took advantage of teaching programs that focused on field experience, with placements at a local Boys & Girls club, as well as the special education departments at nearby public schools. The question of how to teach a diverse group of students, including those with disabilities, has inspired and challenged me in the best possible way. Not all people learn the same way or come from the same background, but that should never limit their potential as students. Teachers are responsible for planning in an equitable manner to give all the opportunity to succeed. My drive to reach students of all backgrounds and abilities led me to the University of Maryland College of Education after I graduated summa cum laude with my associate degree from Carroll.

Transferring schools was a big shift. UMD is over ten times the size of my former community college, with students from all over the world, not just the rural Maryland county I grew

up in. Yet I immediately felt at home at the College of Education.

This was in part due to the work of advisers who planned out countless ice cream socials, lunches and other events where students could get to know one another. I was able to connect with a diverse group of peers who were also determined to be educators, something that would have otherwise been difficult for me as a commuter transfer student.

Last spring, the College of Education expanded these efforts under the new EdTerps CARES (Building Community, Access, and Resources for Educator Success) Network, which focuses specifically on supporting community college transfer students and students of color.

Through the College of Education, I have been expanding my horizons, interning with my peers in a history classroom at a Prince George’s County middle school, preparing for student teaching. The support of my mentors undoubtedly furthered my commitment to education.

In my personal life, I began searching for additional ways to gain experiences in education, becoming dual certified as a substitute school bus special needs aide and school bus driver in two Maryland counties. Through this job, I have not only had the opportunity to improve my skill set working with diverse learners but also have learned the importance of not taking student behavior personally. All students have bad days and good days, but I’ve learned that you cannot let the bad days define who they are. When students have a meltdown on the bus in the afternoon, I come by the next morning to pick them up with a smile on my face, greeting them like nothing had happened. Students have thanked me for giving them that grace. They need to know that someone cares and also sets firm boundaries and high expectations. When teaching (or driving a school bus), every day is a new day where you can make a positive difference in a child’s life.

ENDEAVORS 2024

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THE BULLETIN

IMPACT

BUILDING A BETTER FUTURE FOR MARYLAND’S STUDENTS THE COLLEGE OF EDUCATION SUPPORTS ALL FIVE PILLARS OF THE BLUEPRINT FOR MARYLAND’S FUTURE

BY EMILY SCHUSTER

A

s school districts implement the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future to transform prekindergarten to post-secondary education, they can rely on College of Education researchers for resources and expertise. EdTerps helped shape the Blueprint’s development and now support the implementation of all five of its pillars.

In addition to the programs highlighted here, the College of Education supports each pillar through faculty expertise, research, academic programs, school and community partnerships, and professional development for educators and school leaders.

PILLAR 1: EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

PILLAR 2: HIGH-QUALITY AND DIVERSE TEACHERS AND LEADERS

The College of Education is addressing Maryland’s teacher shortage by putting more certified educators into communities where they’re needed most. This year, the college’s Center for Early Childhood Education and Intervention established the state’s first Child Development Associate registered apprenticeship program for early childhood educators. The Maryland Early EdCorp Registered Apprenticeship Program offers paid on-the-job training within early childhood programs dedicated to serving children and families with complex needs.

The Blueprint requires each Maryland school district to develop a teacher career ladder. Career ladders provide a clear pathway for career advancement to help recruit and retain highly qualified teachers. Researchers from the College of Education’s Maryland PDS 2025 Project and the Center for Educational Innovation and Improvement partnered with Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS), Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) and their educators’ associations to develop a Teacher Career Ladder Framework districts can use to guide development of their own career ladders.

‘We Are Still Here’ FIRST PISCATAWAY-LED UMD CLASS ON INDIGENOUS MARYLAND HISTORY EXPLORES TRADITIONS, COLONIZATION, CONTEMPORARY ISSUES

BY KAREN SHIH ’09

From left: PiscatawayConoy tribal members Tiara Thomas, Anjela Barnes and Zelda Proctor with Assistant Clinical Professor Angela Stoltz.

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UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND COLLEGE OF EDUCATION

PHOTO: RILEY N. SIMS PH.D. ’23

Growing up in Charles County, Maryland, Anjela Barnes ’04 loved swimming, fishing and paddling in Mattawoman Creek, just off the Potomac River.

As a Piscataway, “being outdoors is such an important part of our culture,” says Barnes, now the executive director of the Accokeek Foundation, located in Piscataway Park. “I remember as a kid, digging into the muck to find clams,” as her ancestors did in this area for thousands of years.

Barnes took University of Maryland students to the creek as part of “Where the Waters Blend: Contemporary Indigenous Perspectives on History, Traditions, and Modern Issues,” a course launched last fall in the Honors College’s University Honors program. Barnes is one of six Piscataway co-instructors of the course. Out on the creek in kayaks, the students learned about the abundant variety of native plants, such as wild rice and tuckahoe, and their relevance to the health of the ecosystem.

“Piscataway history is Maryland history and United States history,” says Associate Clinical Professor Angela

PILLAR 3: COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS

Recognizing literacy as a key element to future college and career success, the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) asked the Maryland Initiative for Literacy and Equity (MILE)—a partnership between the University of Maryland and Morgan State University—to lead a statewide review of literacy instruction. Under the direction of MSDE, the MILE team recruited 13 literacy experts that visited 10% of public elementary schools in each Maryland county and the city of Baltimore in Spring 2024.

With the help of 13 research associates, the team also convened focus groups of elementary principals and educators.

MILE partnered with AIM Institute for Learning and Research to develop indicators that serve as the basis for reports that contain recommendations to help every Maryland student read and write proficiently.

PHOTO: ISTOCK

PILLAR 4: MORE RESOURCES FOR STUDENTS TO BE SUCCESSFUL

PILLAR 5: GOVERNANCE AND ACCOUNTABILITY

In Fall 2022, the College of Education launched a doctoral program to train PK-12 leaders and administrators at school and district levels to support the success of the multilingual learners who make up more than 10% of Maryland’s public school students. The first of its kind in the state, UMD’s Ed.D. in School System Leadership, Specialization in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) and Dual Language Education, is currently available to PGCPS leaders and administrators.

EdTerps have a seat at the table as the state evaluates the Blueprint’s outcomes.

Laura Stapleton, chair and professor, Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, is one of seven members of the Blueprint’s Accountability and Implementation Board, an independent unit of state government. Stapleton has led efforts to identify measures to monitor the progress of Blueprint implementation.

Stoltz Ph.D. ’19 of the College of Education, who is the university faculty co-lead of the class and a citizen of the Whitetop Nation.

The course is UMD’s first on Maryland’s Indigenous people that’s codeveloped and cotaught by Piscataway-Conoy citizens.

It covers Indigenous traditions and history, struggles during European colonization and contemporary issues.

“As a land-grant university on the homeland of the Piscataway, it’s important that it’s not just a one-off relationship,” says the class’s lead Piscataway instructor, Tiara Thomas, who serves as education and interpretation director of the Accokeek Foundation. “We are still here and still thriving. We are working to make sure our presence is known throughout the state and beyond.”

Native Americans have lived in Maryland for thousands of years. The name “Piscataway” means “where the waters blend,” and its people largely lived between the Potomac River, the Chesapeake Bay and the Blue Ridge Mountains, fishing, hunting and living off of the land. After the English arrived in the early 1600s, the tribe’s population declined

MORE AT + LEARN go.umd.edu/supporting-blueprint

amid disease and expropriation of traditional lands. By the 1940s, fewer than 5,000 people of American Indian descent lived in nine Southern Maryland communities. In recent decades, Piscataway descendants pushed for formal acknowledgment, resulting in an executive order from Gov. Martin O’Malley in 2012 that recognized the Piscataway Indian Nation and the Piscataway-Conoy tribes by the state.

Developing the UMD class materials from state, national and tribal archives and records took more than a year. Tribal citizens combined knowledge from published and undocumented stories and artifacts, such as state and federal treaties, wampum belts made of shells, newspaper clippings, census reports, genealogical records, and conversations with community members, friends and family.

Though the course is currently only offered to Honors students, the goal is to expand access to all UMD students by offering multiple classes and incorporating the current course as a foundational requirement for a Native American studies minor.

ENDEAVORS 2024

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Not Just Rolling the Dice COLLEGE OF EDUCATION RESEARCHER HELPS ENSURE NEW ONLINE GAME IS GROUNDED IN SOLID SCIENCE ON HOW KIDS LEARN MATH

BY EMILY SCHUSTER

IMAGE:

PBS K

IDS

I

n a new PBS Kids online game released in October, kids can suit up as special agents, scope out escape rooms and defeat a dastardly villain. They’ll also learn important math concepts along the way, thanks in part to a College of Education researcher.

Kelly S. Mix, professor and associate dean for research, innovation and partnerships, consulted on both game design and evaluation of the game, “Dicey Escape.”

“Researchers are always hoping that the work we do will find its way out into the public and be helpful,” says Mix, a former elementary school teacher who studies how young children develop an understanding of numbers as a concept along with mathematical reasoning.

“This was one of those times that I could feel a direct connection. I have this knowledge base, and I was able to bring it into this situation where people are working to reach children.”

Intended for ages 5 to 7, “Dicey Escape” is linked to the Emmy

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UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND COLLEGE OF EDUCATION

Award-winning live-action comedy series “Odd Squad.” The popular show from Sinking Ship Entertainment and Fred Rogers Productions follows kid agents working at a secret agency who respond to bizarre events in their community and set things right using fantastical gadgets—and math, of course. The game’s release was timed to coincide with the Oct. 1 premiere of the show’s fourth season, “Odd Squad UK.” Taking on the role of an Odd Squad agent, “Dicey Escape” players move through a series of escape rooms by searching for objects and solving increasingly complex math problems, all of which involve dice. They might start by matching the number of dots on a die with the correct numeral before moving on to addition or greater or less than problems; in the final level, they use algebraic thinking to fill in the blanks on both sides of an equation.

Over the course of the adventure, they ultimately defeat a new “Odd Squad” villain, Dottie Doubloon.

Throughout the seven-month game development process, Mix consulted with game developer Sinking Ship Entertainment, PBS Kids and executive producer Fred Rogers Productions.

She reviewed the team’s ideas and gave suggestions on math concepts to incorporate into the game, and also helped the developers think about how to structure, sequence and vary the math challenges in developmentally appropriate ways.

Mix also consulted with Fluent Research on the evaluation process, advising them on how to measure the game’s effectiveness and providing

feedback on their research design.

“Dr. Mix was a critical part of the process,” says Abby Jenkins, senior director of content for PBS Kids. “This is a great example of how a scholar can provide actionable insights for media producers that are understandable, doable and digestible.”

Ellen Doherty, “Odd Squad” executive producer and chief creative officer at Fred Rogers Productions, adds, “Working with advisers who really understand both math and kids in our target audience is integral to how we make games for ‘Odd Squad.’ The insights and practical guidance shared by [advisers like] Dr. Mix help our teams ensure that children who play ‘Dicey Escape’ have an experience that is both fun and full of learning.”

Researchers are “always hoping that the work we do will find its way out into the public and be helpful.

”

PBS Kids uses online games to reinforce concepts introduced through the storylines of its shows. According to Silvia Lovato, its senior director and head of learning and research, games give kids hands-on practice with the concepts they’ve seen on a show. By designing games that are engaging and that allow players to personalize their learning, PBS Kids hopes to encourage kids to play again and again.

“We know that the more time they spend with the content, the more likely they are to learn,” says Lovato.

Peace Education in a Time of Conflict

s a child, Jing Lin witnessed terrible violence during the turmoil of the Cultural Revolution in China. Her research on the causes of violence and her journey with inner contemplation through meditation gave her the revelation that humanity’s greatest challenge is that we have lost touch with the fact that we are interconnected. As a result, Lin, professor of international education policy, has been on the leading edge of peace education for many years. While her books and courses delve much deeper into these themes, here are a few key points about how to be a peace educator in a time of conflict and violence.

HOW IT CAN TRANSFORM YOU— AND THE WORLD

BY SANDHYA RANI JHA

PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK

Peace begins with you. Long before entering a 1 classroom, it’s important to seek peace within yourself.

Peace and the planet go hand in hand. When 4 we treat nature as a commodity, it is a mirror of how

Start by finding a practice to quiet the mind and ground the body. For example, you might begin the day with a gratitude practice or say an affirmation in the mirror. “Those things can set our mind and heart and body right,” says Lin.

we treat each other as commodities and create hierarchies in which some people are treated as superior to others, says Lin. “My own well-being is connected to yours, to the flowers, to the birds, to the skies,” she says. For example, in her “Global Climate Change and Education” course, Lin adopts contemplative practices such as meditation, arts and reflective writing to help students connect deeply with nature.

ways of creating peace matter. Remember 2 All that peace can be personal (practicing meditation in class), interpersonal (developing deep listening skills), and national and international (learning about where nonviolent strategies have resulted in change). Most importantly, says Lin, strategies for peace education should be creative and holistic and should have some body-based elements, such as tai chi or breathing exercises. “We emphasize the mind so much.

Reading materials, talking and analyzing don’t always go to the heart,” she says.

is part of all learning. We may immediately 3 Peace see how to weave peace education into history or art.

But peace can be part of any subject. In chemistry, how is peace disrupted when chemicals harm people and nature? In engineering, what do technological advances mean for our ability to create and to destroy? In literacy, how do we learn to speak the language of love and forgo the language of hate?

“Peace education, to me, is not a separate subject,” says Lin. “It should be integrated into every subject, into school mission statements, into university strategic plans.”

Be like water. In some parts of the country and 5 the globe, laws are constraining what teachers are allowed to teach. Lin offers this advice: “There are visible ways to teach peace, and invisible. To treat a child as a whole child is an invisible way; to treat them as a decent, respectful, intelligent human being.” Peace education can’t work if we try to force the result, she says, but we can keep moving forward if we find a pathway that avoids points of resistance.

“Be like water. Water goes around rocks and stays in a low place, but eventually, it gathers force and magnitude and forms into an ocean,” says Lin. “Similarly, the work of teaching peace can keep flowing, and we can remain hopeful of a major shift with hope for peace in the world.”

ENDEAVORS 2024

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A Decade of Dialogue and Discovery in Cuba UMD-LED STUDY ABROAD FIELDWORK PROGRAM CELEBRATES 10 YEARS

BY EMILY SCHUSTER

Anastasia Lavrenyuk had been looking forward to spending spring break conducting research in Cuba since before she even began her doctoral studies in international education policy at the University of Maryland. As an international student from Russia, she was fascinated by Cuban-Soviet relations.

And having lived in Mexico, she was eager to continue working in Latin America.

This year, Lavrenyuk was among 16 graduate students from the UMD College of Education and School of Public Policy and the George Washington University (GWU) who participated in the UMD-led spring break study abroad fieldwork program

in Cuba, which is celebrating its 10th year. The experience is part of the course “Embargoed Exchanges: International Investigations in Cuban Education.” More than 100 UMD graduate students have participated in the program over the last decade—meeting with Cuban educators and scholars, visiting schools and educational sites, and conducting their own research. Students have incorporated their Cuba-based research into their dissertations, written peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters, and presented their research at academic conferences.

While in Cuba, Lavrenyuk and Anna Grigoreva, a fellow UMD

TERRAPIN TEACHERS TURNS TEN PROGRAM MARKS A DECADE OF BUILDING AND SUPPORTING THE STEM EDUCATOR WORKFORCE

BY MAHELATE SOLOMON ’24

PHOTO: CARNISA ALLEN/PXL BOOTH

A

University of Maryland program that recruits and prepares highly qualified STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) educators celebrated its 10th anniversary this fall.

With the goal of helping to address the critical shortage of STEM teachers in Maryland, Terrapin Teachers provides a

14

UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND COLLEGE OF EDUCATION

pathway to secondary education teacher certification for undergraduate and graduate math and science students at UMD. Over its decade-long history, the robust program has provided UMD students with opportunities to teach approximately 1,200 lessons in local elementary, middle and high school classrooms. Today, 80% of Terrapin Teachers’ 123 alums teach in U.S. classrooms, with 70% of those in Maryland.

“We have a one-credit course that gives people just a taste of teaching,” says Terrapin Teachers co-Director Daniel Chazan, the Jean, Jeffrey, and David Mullan Professor of Teacher Education. This introductory course, “Inquiry Approach to Teaching STEM,” offers students the ability to observe classes and plan and teach a student-centered lesson with the support of local teachers in Prince George’s County Public Schools. In other courses, students explore project-based instruction, analyze student work and study classroom interactions. Many courses include fieldwork experiences with local students.

“The idea of teaching sounds really great when you’re in the college classroom, … but nothing compares to [observing] the day-to-day of an actual teacher,” says Jade Miles ’25, a mathematics major and Terrapin Teachers student.

international education policy doctoral student, interviewed six Cuban professors who had studied in the Soviet Union.

Although the chance to further her research was exciting and rewarding, for Lavrenyuk, one of the most memorable parts of the experience was “the warm reception we received from the Cuban delegation.”

The chance to build cross-cultural relationships and engage in dialogue is a hallmark of the program. Although the Cuba program is marking one decade as a UMD-led, graduate-level experience, its success in building solidarity and fostering intellectual interchanges between Cuban and U.S. educators and scholars goes back even farther.

The program originated in 1994 as an academic exchange in Cuba between U.S. and Cuban education scholars. Sheryl Lutjens—then a faculty member at the Northern Arizona University and now a professor of interdisciplinary and emerging programs at California State University, San Marcos—led the original program in partnership with the Asociación de

PHOTO: JAHAIRA DIXON/TERRAPIN TEACHERS

Terrapin Teachers is based on the nationally known UTeach model. UMD Professor and former Senior Vice President and Provost Mary Ann Rankin established Terrapin Teachers at UMD in 2014 after leading the development of the UTeach program when she was dean of natural sciences at the University of Texas, Austin. Terrapin Teachers is the result of a collaboration among the UMD Office of the Provost, College of Education and College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences.

The program connects students to mentor teachers and continues to support them after they become certified teachers.

“It’s not like they graduate and they’re off,” explains Caren Chang, co-director of Terrapin Teachers and professor in the UMD Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics.

Pedagogos de Cuba (APC, the Association of Cuban Educators).

In 2015, Taylor Woodman M.A. ’12, Ph.D. ’19—then a doctoral student and now an assistant clinical professor in the UMD College of Education—worked with Lutjens and colleagues at the APC and GWU to reimagine the program in Cuba as a graduatelevel study abroad course. Woodman now leads the program in collaboration with colleagues at the APC. Over the years, Woodman and his colleagues have navigated various logistical challenges—from changing policies toward Cuba under the Obama, Trump and Biden administrations, to the COVID-19 pandemic that forced the program to pivot to a virtual format from 2020 to 2022.

“The U.S. embargo has a direct impact on academic life in Cuba. … This program is a rare opportunity for Cubans to directly engage in academic discourse with U.S. scholars,” says Woodman. “It’s important for educators to work across language, cultures and political and geographic space.”

+ LEARN MORE AT go.umd.edu/cuba-program

“They are still part of the Terrapin Teachers community. …

Teaching is challenging, especially in those first years, and they’ve got support.”

Terrapin Teachers provides resources to local educators in order to “elevate the STEM teacher profession by providing professional learning,” according to Terrapin Teachers Associate Director Anisha Campbell. Resources include an asynchronous online course available through UMD’s Extended Studies program to anyone interested in exploring teaching STEM, as well as networking opportunities such as book clubs and dinners for Terrapin Teachers alums and students.

Miles shares that the program has provided her with a chance to make an impact in the classroom in real time.

Math and science courses can be isolating to minoritized students, she notes, and her goal is to make STEM courses accessible to all students.

“It’s really important as a teacher to make sure every single student takes away something from the course,” says Miles. “If we start them early [and] get them interested in science and math … then they can pursue it later on. It’s [also] important that people who don’t find math as their passion still have appreciation for it and still enjoy the learning process.”

Program leaders hope to recruit future STEM teachers with the Teaching Fellows for Maryland Scholarship, which offers 100% tuition and room and board.

ENDEAVORS 2024

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IMPACT

One of my favorite

In 1964, teaching fourth graders in Lexington,

Massachusetts, I gained the insight that led 15 years later to the discovery of Think-Pair-Share in Howard County, Maryland. I was doing a dramatic reading of a description of street scenes of Italian immigrants in New York City. When I asked the children to tell me what I had just read to them, all they could retell was banana carts. In mild exasperation, I asked them to tell each other what I had read. After a couple of minutes, they all wanted to say much more about the story. From that point on, I placed students in pairs to process information. This experience affected every day of my 26 years working with student teachers at UMD.

classroom experiences has been the opportunity to implement my own lesson plans with first grade students in a tutoring setting. Having the chance to practice teaching, receive weekly feedback and take formative and summative data was an amazing hands-on learning experience.

The UMD College of Education has given me a diverse and close-knit community of passionate educators who inspire me to become a better student, teacher and leader every single day. I am beyond thankful to learn from the faculty, staff and students within our college.

ALYSSA ORLANDO ’25, SPECIAL EDUCATION MAJOR

FRANK LYMAN, JR., PH.D. ’78

Viewpoints

|

What was your most meaningful classroom experience?

While teaching

“Curriculum and Instruction in Elementary Education: Mathematics” last fall, my students were discussing a problem that I have used every time I have taught this class and have thought about deeply over the years.

I thought that I had considered every possible solution and strategy for the problem. However, one of my students shared an entirely new, unique and brilliant approach to the problem that blew my mind. The moment reminded me that my students have so much to teach me, and that it’s critical to remain open to continuing our own learning, even in our fields of expertise.

SARA KIRSCHNER, ASSISTANT CLINICAL PROFESSOR

In my first year teaching,

I was shocked when the student who caused me more trouble than any other came up to me after graduation and, tears in his eyes, hugged me. Nothing about that year had given me any indication that this student liked me. I had assumed quite the opposite. I realized that the impact we have on students will always live beneath the surface and that negative behavior does not always signal disrespect. Since then, I’ve reminded myself that every behavior is part of a bigger story and students deserve my best efforts to understand that story.

PAUL MYETTE ’98

In Dr. Candace Moore’s

“Designing Qualitative Research in Counseling and Student Affairs Contexts” course, we collaborated with a classmate to peer review our research proposal drafts throughout the semester. As my classmate Na’eem Allen-Stills and I debriefed in class, he affirmed that I helped him think differently and that he thinks how my brain works is beautiful. As a first-generation student, I sometimes struggle to believe I can perform well in a competitive Ph.D. program. Counteracting this, my instructors and colleagues create environments validating my perspectives and contributions to our research and field.

HUONG TRUONG, PH.D. STUDENT, HIGHER EDUCATION,

+

READ MORE AT go.umd.edu/meaningful

HAVE A MEANINGFUL CLASSROOM EXPERIENCE STORY TO SHARE? EMAIL US AT coecomm@umd.edu 16

UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND COLLEGE OF EDUCATION

STUDENT AFFAIRS AND INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION POLICY, STUDENT AFFAIRS CONCENTRATION

ASK THE EXPERTS: Jazmin Pichardo and Carlton Green 5 TIPS FOR TALKING ACROSS DIFFERENCES AND DISAGREEMENTS

BY NATIFIA MULLINGS

In this election year, heated political rhetoric and contentious debates have underscored the challenges of discussing diverse viewpoints in a polarized climate. Now more than ever, schools and communities are engaged in efforts to teach youth how to talk across political differences.

Recognizing the importance of equipping University of Maryland students, faculty and staff with the skills to engage in conversations around complex issues, the College of Education and the Office of Undergraduate Studies collaboratively launched the Intergroup Dialogue Training Center in Spring 2024. Under the leadership of co-Directors Jazmin Pichardo and Carlton Green, the center serves as a campuswide resource for dialogue facilitation training, curricular support and ongoing professional development.

It will prepare faculty to implement new general education requirements that aim to help students understand the structural dimension of racism and develop skills for engaging across differences. The center’s goal is to foster a culture of meaningful, productive conversations across diverse sociocultural, political, ideological and disciplinary perspectives on campus.

To help foster productive conversations, Pichardo and Green offer these five tips:

1

Reframe conversations as opportunities for growth. Instead of labeling these types of discussions as “contentious” or “divisive,” Green suggests framing them as “necessary” and “constructive.” This shift in perspective emphasizes fostering community and collaboration rather than seeking agreement, which can result in suppressing diverse viewpoints. By viewing disagreements as opportunities for growth and understanding, students can facilitate more open, productive dialogues.

2

Create a brave (not just safe) space. Cultivating environments where students feel both physically and emotionally secure is essential. Equally important is ensuring that students are comfortable sharing their perspectives. “In brave spaces, students are encouraged to question biases, challenge assumptions and engage in meaningful dialogue,” says Pichardo.

“These spaces empower students to take risks, make mistakes and, most importantly, learn from one another.” To establish brave spaces, cocreate discussion norms, build trust and openly define what bravery means for everyone involved.

3

Embrace and manage emotions. Instead of suppressing emotions like fear of disagreement, embrace them as important aspects of dialogue that help promote understanding and connection. “Identifying, naming, communicating and responding to one’s own—as well as others’—emotions are skills that help with navigating conflicts and communicating care to others,” says Green. He also emphasizes the importance of promoting empathy, which can help students understand each others’ perspectives and build mutual respect.

4

Lean into first draft thinking. In educational settings, there’s often pressure to provide the correct answers. Pichardo and Green challenge that notion by embracing “first draft thinking.” “It’s OK to offer emerging ideas, perspectives or observations, even if they’re still being processed,” says Green. This mindset not only promotes a culture of curiosity and learning but also makes it easier for students to engage with diverse perspectives.

5

Focus on collaborative solutions. “In dialogue, we are seeking to build relationships across differences in order to collaboratively solve problems,” says Pichardo. Encourage students to identify shared goals and explore how different perspectives can contribute to innovative solutions.

ENDEAVORS 2024

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IMPACT

FACULTY AWARDS & ACCOLADES | SEPT. 2023–AUG. 2024 TARA BROWN, associate professor

NATHAN FOX, Distinguished University

(TLPL), was awarded the Kofi

Professor (HDQM), was awarded

Lomotey Outstanding Reviewer

Postdoc Faculty Mentor of the

Award by Urban Education.

Year by UMD.

ALBERTO F. CABRERA, professor emeritus

SHARON FRIES-BRITT ’81, Ph.D. ’94,

(CHSE), was named a Top Scholar

Distinguished University Professor

in Higher Education by

(CHSE), was appointed to the

ScholarGPS.

Advisory Committee for the National Science Foundation Directorate for

NATASHA CABRERA, professor (HDQM), was named editor of Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development.

STEM Education.

AMY GREEN ’02, M.A. ’10, Ph.D. ’17, assistant clinical professor (TLPL), was appointed to the National Oceanic

MEGHAN COMSTOCK, assistant professor (TLPL), was awarded the Outstanding Dissertation Award by the American Educational Research Association (AERA) Division A (Administration, Organization and Leadership).

SUSAN DE LA PAZ Ph.D. ’95, professor (CHSE), was recognized with the Distinguished Researcher Award from the Special and Inclusive Education Research Special Interest Group (SIG) of AERA.

and Atmospheric Administration’s Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee.

KIMBERLY GRIFFIN M.A. ’01, dean and professor (CHSE), was named to the Rick Hess Straight Up Edu-Scholar Public Influence

DANA GROSSER-CLARKSON, associate clinical professor (TLPL), was Association’s Special Award.

curricula to support the Fey-Graeber Fellowship program.

Multilingual Learners,” was the top downloaded title in Cambridge University Press’s Cambridge Elements series across all subject areas in 2023.

SHANNON KANE, assistant clinical professor (TLPL), was named a 2023 Clinical Fellow by the Association of Teacher Educators.

MELANIE KILLEN, Distinguished University Professor (HDQM), received the Distinguished Contributions to Development Science Award from

(CHSE), was named an AERA Congressional Fellow for 2024–25.

DENNIS M. KIVLIGHAN, JR., professor

mental health care for children and adolescents in Sicily, Italy, by adapting a group therapy model developed in Taiwan.

JIONI LEWIS, associate professor (CHSE), SHENIKA HANKERSON, assistant professor (TLPL); LAURA MAHALINGAPPA, associate professor (TLPL); MELINDA MARTIN-BELTRAN, associate professor (TLPL); COLLEEN O’NEAL, associate professor (CHSE); RACHEL ROMEO, assistant professor (HDQM); SEHRISH SHIKARPURYA, assistant professor (CHSE); and CIXIN WANG, associate professor (CHSE) were granted UMD Graduate School. The award supports faculty-led projects that directly involve graduate students.

UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND COLLEGE OF EDUCATION

Oliveira’s book, “Teaching Young

Scholar Award to increase access to

Faculty-Student Research Awards from the

18

(TLPL), and co-author Luciana de

(CHSE), received a Fulbright Global

Affairs Administrators in Higher Education.

children’s mathematics workbooks and

LOREN JONES, associate clinical professor

awarded the UTeach STEM Educators

received the Dr. Susan R. Komives

donating his share of royalties from his

and Developmental Disabilities.

JEONGEUN KIM, associate professor

Research Award from NASPA—Student

recognition award from UMD for

Award from the Council for Exceptional Children’s Division on Autism

year in a row.

ment and lecturer (CHSE),

was honored with a special

Tom E. C. Smith Early Career

Rankings by Education Week for the third

leadership studies and develop-

Center for Math Education (TLPL),

professor (CHSE), received the

the Jean Piaget Society.

BRITTANY DEVIES, program manager for

JAMES FEY, professor emeritus in the

SEYMA INTEPE TINGIR, assistant clinical

was named an American Psychological Association (APA) Fellow in Division 35 (Society for the Psychology of Women) and Division 45 (Society for the Psychological Study of Culture, Ethnicity, and Race).

WILLIAM MING LIU M.A. ’95, Ph.D. ’00, chair and professor (CHSE), was awarded the 2024 CSES Award for Distinguished Leadership in Psychology by APA’s Committee on Socioeconomic Status (CSES).

JEFF MACSWAN, professor

SEHRISH SHIKARPURYA, assistant

ZEENA ZAKHARIA, associate professor

(TLPL), and KELLIE ROLSTAD,

professor (CHSE), was awarded

(CHSE), was honored as a UMD

associate professor (TLPL),

the Family and Multicultural

Graduate Faculty Mentor of

were named co-recipients of the

Concerns Network Interest

the Year.

James E. Alatis Prize for Research

Network Award by the American Association

in Language Policy and Planning

for Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.

in Educational Contexts. Rolstad also received the Mid-Career Research Award from the Second Language Research SIG of AERA. SARAH MCGREW, assistant professor (TLPL), was awarded the Harry J. Carman Award by the Middle States Council for Social Studies.

JULIE PARK, professor (CHSE), and MARGARET WALKER ’91, clinical professor (TLPL), along with staff member Kiyah McDermid M.Ed. ’20, project coordinator (CHSE), were named Do Good Innovators by UMD’s Do Good Institute for their contributions to tackling the world’s grand challenges.

MEGAN MADIGAN PEERCY, professor (TLPL), received the Leadership Through Research Award from the Second Language Research SIG of AERA. RACHEL ROMEO, assistant professor (HDQM), was recognized for her outstanding achievement in mentoring students with UMD’s Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Faculty Mentor of the Year Award. She was also named the 2024 Young Investigator Award Winner by Flux: The Society for Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience.

KENNETH RUBIN, professor emeritus (HDQM), was awarded the Distinguished Contributions to Developmental Psychology Award

by APA Division 7 (Developmental Psychology).

DELIDA SANCHEZ, associate professor (CHSE), was named an APA Fellow in Division 17 (Society for Counseling Psychology) and Division 45 (Society for the Psychological Study of Culture, Ethnicity and Race).

LAURA STAPLETON Ph.D. ’01, chair and professor (HDQM), was elected president of

THE CENTER FOR DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION IN HIGHER EDUCATION won NASPA’s Gold Award in the Equity, Inclusion, Social Justice and Related category.

the Society of Multivariate Experimental Psychology.

EBONY TERRELL SHOCKLEY Ph.D. ’12, associate dean for undergraduate

S PE C I A L DI S T I NC T I O N S

studies and educator preparation, and clinical professor (TLPL), was named editor of the Chronicle of Middle-Level Education Research SIG and awards chair for the Research for Black Education SIG by AERA. CHRISTY TIRRELL-CORBIN, clinical professor (HDQM), and DAVID WEINTROP, associate

MELANIE KILLEN, Distinguished

professor (TLPL), were chosen as

University Professor (HDQM), and ALLEN WIGFIELD, professor emeritus (HDQM), were elected to membership in the National Academy of Education, one of the highest honors that an education researcher can achieve.

the College of Education’s 2023 Dean’s Impact Professors in recognition of their rigorous research that has made a significant impact on policy, practice, schools and society.

JENNIFER TURNER, associate professor (TLPL), was awarded the Africana Studies Institute Faculty Fellowship at the University of Connecticut.

MARGARET WALKER ’91, associate clinical professor (TLPL), received the Pearl Greenberg Award for

Killen was named a Distinguished University Professor in 2024.

As the highest appointment UMD bestows upon tenured faculty, the professorship recognizes excellence, impact and significant contributions to the field.

Teaching and Research in Art Education from the National Art Education Association’s Committee on Lifelong Learning.

CIXIN WANG, associate professor (CHSE), was awarded the Distinguished Contributions to Scholarship

DEPARTMENT ABBREVIATIONS CHSE | Counseling, Higher Education and Special Education

Psychological Association.

HDQM | Human Development and Quantitative Methodology

PEGGY WILSON, assistant clinical professor

TLPL | Teaching and Learning, Policy and Leadership

Award by the Asian American

(TLPL), was named editor of the Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar Journal.

ENDEAVORS 2024

19

Can AI

Foster Equity in Education?

ACROSS THE COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, STUDENTS AND FACULTY ARE EXPLORING HOW TO HARNESS AI TO CREATE MORE EQUITABLE OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL LEARNING LEVELS. THE KEY? IT’S IN THE WAY THAT YOU USE IT.

BY CHRISTINA FOLZ

20

UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND COLLEGE OF EDUCATION

Artificial intelligence (AI) has been called many things, but “equalizing force” probably doesn’t leap to mind for most people. Then again, most people don’t have the same life experiences as University of Maryland graduate student Muhammad Fusenig, who temporarily lost his ability to read, write and understand language after suffering hemiplegic migraines in his early 20s.

“There were many times when I could not adequately express myself or find the words that I knew I had the capacity for,” says Fusenig, who is pursuing a Ph.D. in educational psychology. “It was an incredibly limiting experience.”

As an undergrad who studied political science at the University of California, Davis, Fusenig initially aspired to a career that would draw on the very skills he was struggling with: speaking, writing and reading. But as he began having frightening stroke-like symptoms shortly after undergoing surgery for a spinal injury, his focus shifted to understanding the mechanisms behind language and how AI-based language-processing tools might help him and others experiencing similar difficulties. He developed an assistive writing program to aid him in finding the right words when his brain wouldn’t deliver them.

His interest in AI brought him across disciplines—and across the country— to study the practical and theoretical aspects of artificial intelligence at UMD’s College of Education. “There’s a lot of moralizing that goes on with [AI],” says Fusenig, who is evaluating how college students are using his AI-based software and what their motivations are. “But we don’t really know why somebody’s using it in school or out of

school,” he adds. “To me, AI seems like a very equalizing force.”

Fusenig is part of a small team in UMD’s Disciplined Reading and Learning Research Laboratory headed

by Patricia A. Alexander, Distinguished University Professor and world expert on text-based learning, knowledge development and reasoning. His story underscores that AI, like so many transformative technologies, cannot be reduced to a single word like good or bad.

In other words, people’s common fears that AI can be used for cheating and learning shortcuts are true. Yet equally true is the reality that AI can help level the playing field for historically excluded students or empower teachers in marginalized communities with effective new tools they wouldn’t be able to access otherwise.

“Context is everything,” explains Alexander. “Any form of AI has its pros and its cons, and one of the things we have to be sensitive to and aware of is, how do we prepare students to use those devices in a way that proves them to be extremely facilitative?”

Alexander and Fusenig are among the many experts at the UMD College of Education looking to harness the power of AI to foster equity at all levels of education. While some faculty and students are focused on providing fairer learning experiences for historically excluded students in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math), others are exploring how to expand access to training among K-12 teachers. What they all have in common is a nuanced understanding that, given the explosive growth of AI, it’s incumbent on educators to lead the way to its responsible integration in learning spaces everywhere.

Generative AI to increase students’ confidence and belonging

For David Weintrop, associate professor with a joint appointment in the College of Education’s Department of Teaching and Learning, Policy and Leadership, and the College of Information, studying AI in the context of computer science was a logical choice. “People are often surprised at how incredibly powerful generative AI is when it comes to writing code,” he says. “You can give tools like ChatGPT very high-level, abstract prompts, and they can produce functioning code that can do lots of things that otherwise would take a very long time.”

Weintrop is coleading a project with Assistant Professor Joel Chan in UMD’s College of Information to evaluate whether the widespread availability of large language models like ChatGPT is helping or hindering college students from historically excluded backgrounds (those who are Black, Indigenous or people of color; women or nonbinary; English language learners; or first-generation college students) in learning introductory programming.

The project is funded by a $60,000 grant from Google and a $50,000 grant from UMD’s Teaching and Learning Transformation Center.

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ENDEAVORS 2024

21

(CONT. FROM PG 21)

Weintrop and the team want to understand how these learners perceive generative AI. On one hand, they theorize that the students may find these tools build their confidence by augmenting learning. On the other, the researchers also think it’s possible the learners could find generative AI alienating. For example, if ChatGPT can enable good grades without learning, historically excluded students might experience an amplified sense of imposter syndrome. They may feel like, “I’m just faking it and using these other tools, and I still don’t know what’s going on,” Weintrop says.

In Spring 2024, the team collected baseline data from students in introductory computing classes. In the fall, they’ll roll out the same course, but this time integrating generative AI tools into the design of the class. Ultimately, they’ll measure the impact of the large language models on the students’ interest, confidence, self-efficacy and sense of belonging.

Although the study won’t conclude until December, Weintrop has already made some intriguing observations, noting that most students don’t want to use AI as a shortcut to learning.

“They wanted to develop a deep conceptual understanding and fundamental 22

UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND COLLEGE OF EDUCATION

proficiency in learning to program,” he says.

But that doesn’t mean they can’t benefit from generative AI at all.

“Students are going to be graduating into a world where those tools are accessible,” Weintrop says. “So it makes sense to me that they learn how to use them in responsible and rigorous ways as opposed to just pretending they don’t exist.”

Janet Shufor Ph.D. ’24—who recently earned her doctorate in teaching and learning, policy and leadership, specialization in technology, learning and leadership, and worked in Weintrop’s group—explored similar questions about the impact of generative AI on historically excluded K-12 students learning to code. She found that even younger learners were largely able to self-moderate their use of AI. “They don’t rely on the tools to write the code because they’re aware they have to learn to code themselves,” she notes.

Natural language processing to guide educators

Natural language processing (NLP) is a component of AI that allows a computer program to understand human language as it’s spoken or written. In his M-Powering Teachers project, which is funded by a Grand Challenges Team Project Grant from UMD, Assistant Professor Jing Liu and his team are using NLP to analyze transcripts from K-12 mathematics classrooms and provide specific, actionable feedback to help teachers improve. For example, they’re exploring how often the educators interact with students or

take up their ideas.

“I generate the feedback as a way [to guide] teachers’ professional learning, so that, for schools and classrooms that don’t have a lot of resources, and teachers who don’t have a lot of support in terms of their instructional practices, they can at least rely on AI tools,” Liu says. “I think that’s just another way to think about equity.”

Liu was a member of the faculty group that helped launch the campuswide Artificial Intelligence Interdisciplinary Institute at Maryland (AIM) in April, which supports faculty research, learning opportunities and advances in ethical AI. One of his team’s initial observations is that NLP alone appears to be less helpful to educators than NLP combined with human input. Liu noted that teachers who were given AI-based analyses alone generally found it challenging to interpret the feedback and weren’t particularly motivated to do so. However, when combined with human coaching, NLP seemed to be a very helpful training tool.

In fact, Liu recently received a grant from the Overdeck Family Foundation to conduct a study that will assess the impact of combining human coaching with automated feedback.

He is also leading an effort jointly supported with $4.5 million from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Walton Family Foundation and the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative to create high-quality benchmark data on math teaching from diverse upper elementary and middle schools—information that is currently lacking, he says.

“From a technical perspective, when you develop AI models, the initial data you use to train the models has to be pretty representative, so that

Opposite: Ph.D. student Muhammad Fusenig developed an AI-based assistive writing program and conducts research on student-AI interaction. Left: Fengfeng Ke, who will join UMD as a Clark Leadership Chair in January, researches the effectiveness of using AI-powered “virtual students” in preservice educator training.

The role of educators and students

your downstream model and applications can be more unbiased,” he adds.

To address that, Liu is collecting a wealth of information from demographic surveys and other sources about students’ test scores, sense of belonging, perceptions of mathematics and more. The data will be used to train subsequent AI models using the highest-quality—and most equitable— information possible. “So rather than just … developing more AI models, let’s take a step back and create the best data first,” he explains.

AI-based “virtual students” to enhance teacher training

When Fengfeng Ke joins the UMD College of Education as a new Clark Leadership Chair in January 2025, she says that one of the questions she wants to explore is: “How can we train the teachers … to help the classroom to become more equitable or more inclusive and more personalized in general?”

Ke will bring to Maryland a deep background in game-based learning, immersive learning, computer-supported collaborative learning and the inclusive design of e-learning.

Her research looks at using AI-powered “virtual students” as part of educators’ preservice training protocols, with the goal of creating an accessible, scalable teaching simulation

that can augment in-person practicums, she says. A National Science Foundation award of approximately $600,000 supports this work.

The virtual students draw on large language models to help educators practice interacting with a diverse group of students. The technology offers a more sophisticated training modality than traditional role-playing exercises that use fixed decision trees, which are flowchart-like tools that map the outcomes of particular courses of action.

Ke is particularly interested in helping teachers work more effectively with neurodiverse populations, including students with autism, although she does not yet have access to the dataset needed to evaluate an AI-based intervention. Like Liu, she notes that high-quality data from diverse populations are needed (in her case, data representative of neurodiverse individuals) before further AI models can be developed to benefit that group. “It’s a critical bottleneck right now,” she says. But eventually, she hopes to explore whether simulations enhanced by generative AI can be empowering tools for both neurodiverse students and the teachers, caregivers and healthcare providers who interact with them.

As a renowned thought leader on AI in education, Alexander regularly consults with faculty in engineering, medicine, writing and other disciplines, in addition to teaching students. She emphasizes that everyone has a role to play when it comes to ensuring the technology is used responsibly. That begins with understanding that AI should never be used as a substitute for one’s own thinking—which defeats the purpose of learning. For that reason, Alexander asks her students to first master tasks and concepts without using technology.

“But once they have acquired some fundamental skills, augmenting those with AI is very helpful to them,” she adds. “We all look up words. We all do things like that all the time, even if we consider ourselves to be proficient.”

In addition, educators have a responsibility to talk about the AI elephant in the classroom by providing thoughtful guidance to students on how to use the technology effectively while acknowledging its shortcomings.

That includes reinforcing that AI is only as inclusive as the data it draws upon, which is frequently lacking in that respect.

Yet, as the critical work being done

by UMD College of Education faculty and students highlights, AI also has tremendous potential to create fairer, more individualized educational experiences. You might even call it an equalizing force.

ENDEAVORS 2024

23

All in the Family

For some EdTerps, the College of Education is a family affair

Colle

en &

BY EMILY SCHUSTER

T

he University of Maryland College of Education prides itself on its culture of caring and belonging and its familylike environment. But for some EdTerps, that feeling of family is a bit more literal.

Endeavors spoke with nine families that are proud to boast multiple EdTerps—including spouses, siblings, grandparents, parents and children—among the college’s faculty, staff, students and alums.

Tiffany & Gloria

Alison & Mckinley

Jane

Colleen (Moore) Eccles ’07, M.Ed. ’08 Jane Mooney McCarl ’52 WHY THEY BECAME EDTERPS: Coming from a family of educators, both Jane and her granddaughter Colleen always wanted to teach. Jane adds, “I loved the University of Maryland because I grew up at the foot of the university.”

HOW UMD PREPARED THEM FOR THEIR CAREERS: Colleen’s yearlong

internship through the master’s degree in curriculum and instruction with certification (MCERT) program helped her “grow as an educator.” It even led to a full-time job when the middle school where she interned offered her a position. She became a National Board-certified teacher and is now an induction coach supporting new teachers in Prince George’s County.

Jane taught elementary school in Prince George’s County and Baltimore. She left teaching after having children but volunteered in her kids’ schools, where she developed a sixth grade accelerated reading program. Of her years at UMD, she says, “I grew up in a small, sheltered community. The University of Maryland widened my circle tremendously.”

FONDEST UMD MEMORIES: Jane was very active on campus and

became the first woman on the Terrapin Club Board of Directors. “My grandma is often the first woman because she doesn’t take no for an answer,” Colleen explains. Colleen remembers the excitement of the women’s basketball team winning the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I championship in 2006 and then candidate Barack Obama visiting campus in 2008.

SWEETEST FAMILY TRADITION: Jane invited her first grade class to

Laura & Nihat

24

UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND COLLEGE OF EDUCATION

her wedding in 1952, and Colleen and her husband, who met as middle school teachers, followed her example.

More than 50 students attended their wedding in 2012, and the student orchestra provided the music.

Gloria Chin Quee, business manager Tiffany Coates ’14, scheduling coordinator WHY THEY BECAME EDTERPS: Tiffany joined the UMD staff

in 2016 and the College of Education in 2020. Gloria, who had been working at UMD since 2008, began looking for a way to join her daughter at the college.

“Tiffany was always telling me how wonderful it was, and I thought, ‘I want to be there,’” says Gloria. In 2022, she became an EdTerp.

THE BEST THING ABOUT BEING EDTERPS TOGETHER: “I like know-

ing where my child is, that I can go down the hallway and stick my head in her office,” says Gloria. Tiffany retorts, “She just likes to show up for our snacks.”

THE MOST CHALLENGING THING: “Tiffany’s quiet, and I’m not,”

says Gloria “I think she’s used to it, but maybe it’s a little embarrassing because her mom is animated.”

WHY THEY LOVE BEING EDTERPS: For both, it’s the culture of

the college that shines. Gloria says, “The leadership here and the people make our community great.”

FAVORITE SPOTS ON CAMPUS: Tiffany enjoys attending per-

formances at the Hoff Theater, and Gloria loves her office, decorated in “Terps colors” (red and gold).

HOW THEY’RE TRANSFORMING EDUCATION FOR GOOD: Both are

essential to keeping the college running, from Tiffany’s work scheduling classes and events, to Gloria’s work handling payroll and human resources.

“I try to do my job the best way I can to help make sure everyone else can do theirs,” says Tiffany.

Laura Mahalingappa, associate professor Nihat Polat, chair and professor, Department of Teaching and Learning, Policy and Leadership HOW THEY MET: The couple met through

English language teaching in the country of Georgia, 25 years ago. Nihat, originally from Turkey, attended a presentation Laura, an American, gave about vocabulary teaching strategies. “Native speakers were a rare commodity,” Nihat explains, so he recruited Laura to become an English instructor at his university.

WHY THEY BECAME EDTERPS: After serving as faculty members at Duquesne University and Texas State University,

Alison Jovanovic ’98, principal faculty specialist Mckinley Jovanovic ’28, secondary education/history major WHY THEY BECAME EDTERPS: As an EdTerp alum, Alison—a former

social studies teacher—was excited to return to UMD as a field supervisor in 2010 and a faculty member in 2012. Her daughter, Mckinley, who will be a fifth-generation teacher in her family, recently decided to become an educator after gaining teaching experience through a leadership program.

Alison was careful to let Mckinley make her own career and college decisions. “Years ago, I said I thought she’d make a great teacher, but I had not said much beyond that,” she says. She was surprised when McKinley chose to follow in her footsteps in social studies education, and she was thrilled when Mckinley chose UMD. THE BEST THING ABOUT BEING EDTERPS TOGETHER: Mckinley sometimes studies in Alison’s office, and they meet up for lunch. “I really am friends with my mom, and I’m excited to have her as both a support system and an expert,” says Mckinley.

THE MOST CHALLENGING THING: One logistical challenge is avoiding potential conflicts of interest. Alison oversees the internship experience for undergraduates specializing in social studies education, so Mckinley will pursue the Integrated Master’s Certification Program.

WHY THEY LOVE BEING EDTERPS: Alison appreciates the college’s

social justice values and the opportunity to teach future social studies educators how to develop civically minded students.

In her first semester, Mckinley is enjoying attending EdTerps events and building connections with the community.

they joined UMD in 2022. They were drawn to the college because of its reputation and because it has a rare applied linguistics doctoral program.

THE BEST THING ABOUT BEING EDTERPS TOGETHER:

are the number one source of energy, enthusiasm and happiness for me,” says Nihat. “I love the vibrancy in our research, partnerships and collaborations.”

Being married to a research partner gives ideas lots of time to brew. “We recently published a paper that we crafted on a two-hour car drive,” says Nihat. Another advantage is coordinating schedules to juggle work and parenting.

FAVORITE SPOTS ON CAMPUS: For both, it’s the Benjamin Building courtyard.

Laura likes the garden, and Nihat enjoys playing soccer there with other EdTerps on Wednesdays.

THE MOST CHALLENGING THING: “Sometimes

In one recent example, they ran a college essay writing workshop for high school students of color. “It wasn’t just about writing; it was about self discovery,” says Laura.

people may see us as a single person, but we don’t always agree with each other,” Laura says.

WHY THEY LOVE BEING EDTERPS: “Our people

HOW THEY’RE TRANSFORMING EDUCATION FOR GOOD:

ENDEAVORS 2024

25

Jannah & Muhammad Fusenig, Ph.D. students in educational psychology WHY THEY BECAME EDTERPS: After enrolling in 2019 to follow

her passion for cognitive science, Jannah began trying to get her brother to join her because the program was “so up his alley.” Muhammad says, “After years of being whittled down, she finally convinced me” to enroll in 2023. Jannah studies multimedia learning; Muhammad researches artificial intelligence in education. (See page 20.)

THE BEST THING ABOUT BEING EDTERPS TOGETHER: Jannah takes on

the big sister role and passes on tips, and both give each other feedback. “I don’t know anyone else that will sit me down at midnight and say, ‘I like what you’re doing,’ or ‘Let me say this with love, but this is a hot mess,’” says Muhammad.

“There’s brutal honesty that I appreciate.”

THE MOST CHALLENGING THING: “I’m

sure Muhammad gets annoyed because every h JaornPnataricia A. A d& a rofess m P m ty time we meet someone new, I Mnguuishhaed Universi ti r, Dis advise say, ‘This is my little brother!’” says Jannah. their h it w der lexan

r)

(cente

WHY THEY LOVE BEING EDTERPS: Muhammad admires that the

college is “forward-thinking and willing to embrace change,” while Jannah enjoys opportunities to teach undergraduate courses and pursue her own research.

FAVORITE SPOTS ON CAMPUS: Jannah has set a goal to explore

work spaces in every building on campus this year; her current favorite is McKeldin Library. Muhammad likes the Benjamin Building’s Student Lounge; he gets snacks from the EdTerps Pantry and takes occasional naps.

Adelaide Sudbrink ’25, early childhood education/early childhood special education major Kurt Sudbrink, assistant dean for development WHY THEY BECOME EDTERPS: Kurt joined the

college in 2015 after working in fundraising for schools and universities.

26

Amira Edwards ’25, elementary education major Jade Edwards ’24, master’s student in curriculum and instruction, Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages specialization WHY THEY BECAME EDTERPS: Fraternal twins Jade and Amira grew up playing school and visiting their grandmother’s high school classroom. In high school, they earned 60 college credits through UMD’s Middle College Teacher Preparation Program, and they enrolled as elementary education majors in 2022.

The twins’ dad attended UMD, and Jade always wanted to be a Terp (“for me, it was always Maryland, Maryland, Maryland,”) but Amira “was trying to be different” and thought she might attend another school. “But deep down I knew I loved Maryland,” she says. Their younger sisters, Kamryn ’27 and Britne ’27, are also fraternal twins and UMD students.

THE BEST THING ABOUT BEING EDTERPS TOGETHER: For two years,

Amira and Jade were roommates; they still live in adjacent apartment buildings. They also interned in the same elementary school. As for being at UMD with their little sisters, Amira says the best part is “seeing them grow and being their two mothers on campus.”

Last year, Jade, Amira and their sister Kamryn were all UMD cheerleaders, and the four sisters often get together for dinner.

THE MOST CHALLENGING THING: “Finding some alone time. We are constantly around one another, which is great, but can be a little overwhelming,” explains Jade.

WHY THEY LOVE BEING EDTERPS: Both appreciate the supportive

faculty and staff. That’s what convinced Jade to stay for graduate school. “I thought, ‘I can’t leave Maryland.

This is such a great school,” she says.

her senior year of high school, Kurt gifted her a UMD sweatshirt.

THE BEST THING ABOUT BEING EDTERPS TOGETHER:

“If I’m having a rough day, I can go talk to my dad and feel better,” says Adelaide. When Kurt works

“I’m pretty passionate about educa-

late, he invites Adelaide and her sister,

tion,” he says, noting that his father

Genevieve, also a UMD student, to

was also an EdTerp. Adelaide always

grab dinner.

knew she wanted to be a teacher, but

THE MOST CHALLENGING THING: Maintaining

her dad gave her a not-so-subtle nudge

professional distance can be tricky.

to choose UMD. For Christmas during

“My dad and I are very close, but if

UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND COLLEGE OF EDUCATION

we’re at events together, I can’t talk to him the same way I talk to him at home,” explains Adelaide. Kurt adds, “I’ve worked hard to keep myself out of Adelaide’s accomplishments. I’ve wanted to keep space there.”

HOW THEY’RE TRANSFORMING EDUCATION FOR GOOD:

For Adelaide, it’s by supporting firstyear and transfer students at her job in the college’s Office of Student Services. For Kurt, it’s by connecting the college to the resources it needs to do its work.

Rossina Zamora Liu ’98, assistant professor William Ming Liu M.A. ’95, Ph.D. ’00, chair and professor, Department of Counseling, Higher Education and Special Education HOW THEY MET: Rossina, then a UMD

undergraduate, joined efforts that then doctoral student Will was leading to establish an Asian American studies program.

WHY THEY BECAME EDTERPS: The couple spent 18 years in Iowa City and served on the University of Iowa’s faculty but felt a strong desire to raise their daughter near family and in a racially diverse community. Rossina is from Maryland, and when a department chair position opened in 2018, they jumped at the chance to return to UMD.

into the building together, teach and do our work, and then walk out together and talk about how our day was,” explains Will.

THE MOST CHALLENGING THING: Setting boundaries between work and personal life is important to both. They sometimes talk about their research—such as their forthcoming book on white supremacy and white privilege—when walking their dogs. But mostly, they schedule formal meetings with each other for in-depth, work-related conversations.

HOW THEY’RE TRANSFORMING EDUCATION FOR GOOD:

For Rossina, it’s by “challenging systemic racism within education, uplifting the perspectives of communities of Color and forging cross-racial solidarity.”

Will feels privileged to have been part of launching the Disability Studies minor, TerpsEXCEED program and Intergroup Dialogue Training Center (see page 17).

WHY THEY LOVE BEING EDTERPS: “Absolutely the

community. It is one of the best places to work but also to exist,” says Rossina.

THE BEST THING ABOUT BEING EDTERPS TOGETHER:

“There’s something precious and beautiful about being able to walk

Sue Bredekamp ’72, M.A. ’76, Ph.D. ’85 Victoria (Vicki) Thompson ’70 Sue spoke to Endeavors on behalf of her sister and herself a few days before Vicki passed away from complications from non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in August.

Rossina & Will

Vicki &

Sue

HOW UMD PREPARED THEM FOR THEIR CAREERS: Sisters Sue and Vicki both studied English and education, which equipped them for their work as bestselling writers and educators.

The author of 54 historical fiction novels, including mysteries and romances, Vicki honed her writing skills at UMD, studying English and secondary education. Her books were nominated for multiple awards, and she taught a course on writing popular fiction at Seton Hill University for two decades.

Before she was a pioneer in early childhood education and author of some of the most influential publications in the field, Sue was an English major who took a few education classes her senior year. One was an early childhood education course with Professor Carol Seefeldt, who inspired Sue’s passion for the field and became her mentor through her graduate studies and dissertation in early childhood education. “Mentorship makes all the difference,” says Sue. “She connected me to the career that changed my trajectory as a human being and as a professional.” One of Sue’s proudest accomplishments is leading development and administration of an accreditation system for childcare and preschool programs at the National Association for the Education of Young Children.

PHOTO: RILEY N. SIMS PH.D ’23

Amira & Jade

with sisters Britne (right) and Kamryn (laying across)

Kurt & Adelaide

FAVORITE SPOT ON CAMPUS: “The Center for Young Children is spectacular.

I learn so much every time I go there,” says Sue. ENDEAVORS 2024

27

ALUMNI

PROFILE

Blazing New Trails with Irene Zoppi Ph.D. ’04 AS THE FIRST PUERTO RICAN WOMAN GENERAL IN THE U.S. ARMY RESERVE, ALUM BREAKS BARRIERS AND LEADS WITH PURPOSE

BY ANDREW FAUGHT

W

hen Irene M. (Rodríguez) Zoppi Ph.D. ’04 was promoted to brigadier general in August 2017, it marked the first time a Puerto Rican woman held the rank of general in the U.S. Army Reserve.

Nobody can accuse her of underachieving. Nicknamed Ramba, after the fictional character Rambo, Zoppi speaks five languages and holds bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees, her Ph.D. in education policy, planning and administration from the University of Maryland.

Her dissertation focused on Latina women leaders in the military.

An Unlikely Path HOW A START IN EDUCATION LED TO A CAREER IN NAVIGATION DESIGN

BY AMANDA LOUDIN

Ji An wears a “Noogler hat” as a new Google employee in 2019.

28

UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND COLLEGE OF EDUCATION

Everyone has a favorite navigation app these days, from Waze to Apple Maps to Google Maps. Each has its own set of unique features, pros and cons, and they’re all but essential to modern driving. When you picture the people who develop these complex features we’ve all come to depend on, you probably don’t think of a degree in education as the normal launchpad.

And it likely isn’t. However, multiple education degrees proved the right stepping stones for Ji An M.A. ’14, Ph.D. ’20, a senior data scientist at Google Maps. After obtaining her undergraduate degree in education, An immigrated to the United States from China to teach Chinese as a second language in Michigan. There, she earned a master’s degree in teaching and curriculum from Michigan State University.

While working as a teacher, she became interested in measurement. “I was thinking a good deal about kids and test scores, and what it all means,” she says. “That led me to search for a program that would allow me to learn, help students and better understand how to evaluate them.”

That search led to the University of Maryland College of Education and its master’s and doctoral programs in quantitative methodology: measurement and statistics program (formerly measurement, statistics and evaluation). While

Zoppi has taught in public schools and at the university level and was a member of the Maryland State Board of Education, where she specialized in helping military families and students of color. Since December 2022, she’s served in a civilian capacity in cybersecurity, among other roles, for the National Security Agency at Fort Meade. Zoppi’s various roles have unique challenges and rewards.

“The military reserve demands discipline, adaptability and readiness for service,” she says. “In the civilian career, one can make a difference through innovation, leadership and community impact. The resilience and dedication required to excel in these dual careers form a unique and impactful career path that offers both personal growth and the opportunity to serve one’s country and community simultaneously.”

She was heavily influenced by her time at Maryland and the values of the College of Education, where she adopted this mantra: “Teaching, leading and serving with passion, purpose and promise.”

Zoppi’s dreams of military service had early beginnings.

Both of her parents served in the Navy and, visiting various

installations as a child, she came to appreciate discipline and base camaraderie. She served in the Middle East during the Persian Gulf War, leaving active duty in 1995 to join the U.S. Army Reserve as a captain.

Through it all, she’s prioritized self-care to avoid burnout.

“This involves setting boundaries, scheduling regular breaks and engaging in activities that promote mental and physical well-being,” Zoppi says. “Effective time management, delegation and open communication with colleagues and superiors can also contribute to a sustainable work-life balance.”

Now retired from the military, Zoppi hopes to work with the United Nations and various nongovernmental organizations in peacekeeping efforts around the globe in the future. She is also considering writing a curriculum for peace education programs in middle and high schools, an idea she got from Jing Lin, her professor of international education policy in the College of Education.

“If I can use my experiences to help others and support them, then I want to do that,” Zoppi says.

still a Ph.D. candidate, An headed west to the Bay Area and an educational start-up (Kidaptive, later acquired by McGraw Hill), where she worked as a data scientist. Her work focused on building a digital learning platform that could adapt to individual students’ needs to help them learn more efficiently.

While the work was satisfying, An soon began to wonder what else she might do with her education and knowledge. “The start-up was small, and we had a limited number of customers, so I wanted to find a bigger platform to make an impact.”

An’s search led her to Google in 2019, which had an opening for a product analyst, and eventually, her current position at Google Maps. “My work involves analyzing the vast amounts of data that power Google Maps, including road networks, road conditions and attributes, and real-time updates,” she explains. “This enables millions of people around the world to make informed decisions to get to their destinations efficiently and ultimately enjoy a smoother and safer driving experience.”

An finds herself frequently drawing on her UMD education to perform her job. “I often remember my professors and the strategies they taught me,” she says. “They gave me scientific rigor and problem-solving capabilities. They also taught me storytelling, and you can’t give a presentation or make your case if you can’t translate your statistics into persuasive language.”

FREE GIFT TO YOU

Get a throwback Testudo quarter-zip when you become a member.

ALUMNI.UMD.EDU/COE

ENDEAVORS 2024

29

ALUMNI

PROFILE

‘When We Collaborate, Everyone Wins’ AS A LEADER AND INNOVATOR, NANCY SHAPIRO PH.D. ’84 HAS BROKEN DOWN SILOS BETWEEN K-12 AND HIGHER ED

BY NATIFIA MULLINGS

30

When Nancy Shapiro Ph.D. ’84 first joined the University System of Maryland (USM) in 1997, the landscape of education was ripe for innovation.

“There was no PK-20, no P-16, none of that,” she recalls. Her mentor, then Chancellor Donald N. Langenberg, had a vision that education needed to be reimagined—not just for K-12 but across the entire pipeline leading into and including higher education.

It was this bold approach that would form the foundation of Shapiro’s work at USM, where she sought to break down silos and bridge the gap between K-12 and higher education in a way that had never been done before. “The first thing I did was bring all of the education deans from across the state to the table so that we could establish a unified approach to teacher preparation,” she says. “We needed to know what everyone was doing, and we wanted to make sure we weren’t just meeting the bare minimum set by the State Department of Education. We needed to do more.”

This commitment to collaboration led to a historic partnership between USM and the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE), spearheaded by Langenberg and Nancy Grasmick, the state superintendent at the time. In an unprecedented move, Langenberg and Grasmick jointly defended their budgets before the General Assembly. “[Langenberg] locked in that relationship,” Shapiro explains. “For the first time, we had higher education standing side-by-side with K-12 to defend public education funding. It was groundbreaking—people realized that when we collaborate, everyone wins.”

As associate vice chancellor for education and outreach at USM, Shapiro would go on to organize forums for the systemwide deans and directors of teacher education, making sure to also find opportunities to engage colleagues in MSDE and at private and two-year institutions. She was intentional about extending her work to every corner of the state to ensure that all students were getting the best teachers the state could provide.

“Because of the infrastructure Nancy provided, we had useful data, an understanding of political contexts and resources to promote collaboration,” says Professor Donna Wiseman, who served as dean of the University of Maryland College of Education from 2008 to 2017. “We were able to work together to solve problems and respond to issues with a single voice.”

She adds, “I can honestly say that there is no way that Maryland’s teacher education network would be

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE 2024 ALUMNI AWARD WINNERS as solid and cohesive as it is if not for Nancy’s leadership and consistent oversight for the past three decades.”

Shapiro’s career journey has always been one of risk, innovation and exemplary leadership–qualities that the UMD College of Education Alumni Network Board recognized when it chose her to receive its 2024 Outstanding Alumni Award. At UMD in 1994, Shapiro became the first executive director of College Park Scholars, a living-learning program that offers first- and second-year students an immersive, interdisciplinary academic experience, with a unique opportunity to interact with professors outside the traditional classroom setting.

The impact was immediate. What started as a solution to fill empty residence halls and increase enrollment quickly evolved into one of the university’s most successful programs. College Park Scholars set a new standard for how UMD could foster academic and social growth, and decades later, it remains a highly sought-after program. Its success even garnered national attention, featuring Shapiro and her colleagues in the December 1997 issue of Washingtonian Magazine.

Shapiro and the teams she created and led had a proven track record of successfully building programs from scratch. She was initially tapped for College Park Scholars because of her work with UMD’s Professional Writing Program, where she collaboratively developed an innovative writing curriculum, drawing on her earlier experiences as a high school English teacher. The program is taught to more than 30,000 students each year.

While reflecting on her career and the impact she has made on education in Maryland, she says, “I’ve always loved getting students and teachers excited about teaching and learning. It’s been the best job in the business.”

Although Shapiro retired from USM in 2024, she remains deeply involved in the future of education. As a senior adviser for the Civic Learning and Democracy Engagement (CLDE) Coalition, she is focused on ensuring that all college graduates are prepared for the responsibilities of citizenship. “Education is the last line of defense for democracy,” she says. “If we’re not teaching students how to engage with and change their world, then we’re failing them, our country and our world.”

YOUR PASSIONS CAN LIVE ON Giving back is a Terp tradition. Extend your impact by giving through your estate plan in a way that supports your passions and shapes UMD’s future.

The UMD College of Education Alumni Network celebrated these seven remarkable alumni in September for their work to advance equity, serve students and transform education for good.

MORE ABOUT THE WINNERS AT + LEARN go.umd.edu/2024coealumawards

OUTSTANDING ALUMNI AWARD

Nancy Shapiro Ph.D. ’84

LINDA PIEPLOW ALUMNI VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR AWARD

Tia Washington ’03

ALUMNI STUDENT IMPACT AWARD

Sharon Fries-Britt ’81, Ph.D. ’94

Barbara Gill ’85, M.A. ’91

ALUMNI CHANGEMAKER AWARD

Barbara Hill Church ’70

Norka Padilla ’87

Lisa Smith ’05

Contact us to learn more

Kurt Sudbrink College of Education ksudbrink@umd.edu giftplanning.umd.edu

ENDEAVORS 2024

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School Day Surprise: 3 Alums Honored for Classroom Impact IN NEW EFFORT, COLLEGE OF EDUCATION LEADERS DELIVER BALLOONS, BASKETS AND A BONUS $1K

BY NATIFIA MULLINGS

PHOTO: STEPHANIE S. CORDLE

Jeimy Amaya

Alexis Cutler (center)

Pedro Gonzalez (center)

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eacher Appreciation Week typically means catered lunches, discounts at Staples and handwritten notes from parents and students.

This year, three local educators also got some unexpected recognition from their alma mater.

In a new initiative, representatives of the College of Education dropped by the workplaces of three of its alums on May 8 to honor them.

Jeimy Amaya ’10, M.Ed. ’24, an English teacher at the International High School at Langley Park; Alexis Cutler ’16, a second grade teacher at Tyler Heights Elementary School in Annapolis; and Pedro Gonzalez ’06, ’06, a Spanish teacher at Samuel Ogle Middle School in Bowie, each were showered with praise, a balloon bouquet, a gift basket filled with items from University of Maryland alumni-owned businesses and $1,000.

“We wanted to create an opportunity to celebrate all the ways that teachers have a transformative impact on their students’ lives and school communities,” said Dean Kimberly Griffin. “We just wanted to say thank you.”

Amaya, the daughter of Guatemalan immigrants and a first-generation student from Prince George’s County, recently earned National Board Certification while completing her master’s degree.

She joined the predominantly Spanishspeaking school in 2016 and was first runner-up for the county’s 2023 Teacher of the Year Award. Amaya recalled the first time she served as a substitute teacher at a Spanish immersion school and the reaction from students who never had a Latina teacher, and who made her feel needed.

“I didn’t expect this at all,” Amaya said of the recognition. “I’m shocked and excited.”

Gonzalez, known as Señor G, has taught at Ogle Middle School since shortly after graduating.

There he’s known for his high expectations, sense of humor and success in developing students’ fluency in Spanish; he also hosts a game club and produces the school News TV show and has deejayed school dances, emceed basketball games and streamed live video of school events for those unable to attend in person. He returned to teaching after recovering from devastating injuries sustained in a May 2023 accident.

“I don’t feel like I need to be recognized,” Gonzalez said. “This is not a hard thing to do because it comes from my heart. It’s effortless to teach middle school. I just love it.”

Cutler has been at Tyler Heights since 2016 and leads the Start the Adventure in Reading (STAIR) tutoring program and the Homework Mentoring Club. She was a 2023 finalist for Anne Arundel County Public Schools Teacher of the Year. Principal Julia Walsh said she’s regularly sought “as a model for teaching techniques and equitable strategies.”

“This moment of gratitude helps me to reflect on all of the positive impacts that I make every day,” Cutler said. “Sometimes the day-to-day gets tough, but when things like this happen it reaffirms the importance of what we do to grow students into community partners we are proud of.”

While the College of Education led the new initiative, it received support from alumni business owners who also wanted to recognize their fellow alumni.

Route One Apparel, Carrol’s Creek Cafe, Robin Hill Farms & Vineyards, Board and Brew, Sticky Fingers Sweets & Eats, Cakes by Jasmine and Barnes & Noble College donated gift cards, apparel, drinkware and more for the gift baskets, which are valued at $1,300.

ALUM TAKES THE HELM AT MSDE VETERAN EDUCATOR CAREY WRIGHT ’72, M.A. ’76, ED.D. ’94, RETURNS TO LEAD MARYLAND’S SCHOOLS

BY NATIFIA MULLINGS

This spring, the Maryland education community welcomed Carey Wright ’72, M.A ’76, Ed.D. ’94, as the new state superintendent of schools at the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE). A three-time alumna of the University of Maryland College of Education who has held key education leadership positions in Maryland and Mississippi, Wright brings both deep experience and a personal connection to the role.

A Maryland native who attended public schools in Prince George’s County, Wright served as interim superintendent for six months before being appointed to a four-year term, effective July 1. Reflecting on her return to Maryland, she shares, “It feels good to give back to a state that gave me so much for K-12, post-secondary education and work. It’s like coming home.”

She adds, “I’m excited about this opportunity, and I look forward to continuing my efforts to build relationships that will make a meaningful difference in the lives of children across the state.”

Wright’s career in education spans over 40 years. Most recently, she was CEO/president of Wright Outcomes, LLC, where she consulted with school districts, superintendents and educators on early literacy, professional development and strategic planning. For nine years, she served as state superintendent of education in Mississippi. In this capacity, she managed a substantial $2.5 billion budget and led key departments, including those focused on academics and

technology. Her influence also extended nationally through roles on the Council of Chief State School Officers and the Chiefs for Change executive boards.

Her career is marked by a commitment to improving educational outcomes, particularly for historically marginalized students. “Every data point has a face,” Wright says. “You cannot address student achievement without understanding their individual needs, whether they are students with disabilities, multilingual learners, or African American or Latino students. We want every child to thrive and succeed.”

Wright’s earlier roles highlight her extensive background in education leadership and her deep-rooted connection to the state and region. She served as chief academic officer for District of Columbia Public Schools, overseeing various academic units, including curriculum and instruction, youth engagement and school innovation. She was an associate superintendent for special education and student services in Montgomery County Public Schools, where she spearheaded initiatives for the district’s special education and alternative programs and advanced the professional development of teachers. She also held positions with Howard County Public Schools and Prince George’s County Public Schools.

Her vision for MSDE emphasizes research-based practices and data-driven decisions, aiming to elevate educational outcomes across the state.

“We need to use what we know works in our classrooms,” she explains. “If we can expand the use of expert coaches throughout the state, for example, we will be able to build capacity among all of our teachers and school leaders in areas where we need the most growth.”

As she steps into this pivotal role, Wright’s leadership promises to drive significant advancements in Maryland’s educational system, continuing her lifelong commitment to student success and educational excellence.

Terrapin EdTalks April 9, 2025 Transforming Education for Good

SAVE THE DATE

go.umd.edu/edtalks

ENDEAVORS 2024

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CLASS NOTES

1970s

DEXTER CHAPIN M.A. ’74, PH.D. ’78, published a new book, “The American Idea, Resilience, and Thrivancy Education.”

THOMAS GRITES PH.D. ’74 received the 2024 American College Personnel Association (ACPA) Lifetime Achievement Award.

HEATHER HAMMER M.A. ’73 published her first historical fiction book, “Shetland Mist.”

The book tells the story of her great-great-grandmother, who lived in the 1800s in the remote Shetland Islands and raised nine children with many hardships but much resilience.

LEE HAVIS M.ED. ’74 authored the book “The Technology of Scientific Education: Practical Guidance for Creating a True Natural Reality,” based on his decades of work with the International Montessori Society, which he established in 1979.

1990s

MITRA MAHMOUDI DE SOUZA M.ED. ’98 published a young adult speculative fiction novel, “The Fragile.”

SCOTT FOSTER ’93 was among 12 game officials chosen to work the National Basketball Association Finals between the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks.

BARBARA FRIEDLANDER ’85, M.A. ’90, was honored as the Learning Disabilities Association of America’s Samuel Kirk Educator of the Year.

JOHN HENEGHAN ’97 received his third Wash100 Award from Executive Mosaic, an international leadership organization and media company.

STEVEN E. JONES PH.D. ’96 is a co-author of “Growing Groups into Teams,” a book on how to build and sustain highly effective teams that get results.

STEVE KOPPI M.ED. ’92 became executive director of Boston University’s Center for Career Development.

ROSE MINCE PH.D. ’94 assumed the role of Carroll Community College president after receiving a unanimous vote from the college’s Board of Trustees.

BRYAN PALMA M.ED. ’99 was appointed to the Board of Directors for CloudBees, Inc., a software delivery company.

2000s

TIKI AYIKU M.ED. ’05 was named vice president for education and events at the U.S. Green Building Council.

CAROLYN MCNAMARA BARRY PH.D. ’01 was selected as dean of the University of Scranton’s College of Arts and Sciences.

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UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND COLLEGE OF EDUCATION

SARA GOODMAN CONFINO ’02, M.ED. ’03, a bestselling author, released her newest novel, “Behind Every Good Man.”

CHRIS CONZEN M.ED. ’01 is executive director of Hudson County Community College’s new Secaucus Center in Secaucus, New Jersey.

ASHLEY S. DOYLE ’07, M.ED. ’08, was appointed supervisor of special education alternate learning outcomes in the Department of Special Education Services at Montgomery County Public Schools.

VANESSA GIBSON ’07 cofounded a nonprofit called Access Granted Youth Exploration, which offers learning opportunities for teens from lower-income households.

KIM JOHNSON M.ED. ’03, an awardwinning author, published her first historical thriller, “The Color of a Lie.”

KAROL MARTINEZ M.ED. ’07 received the 2024 ACPA Nancy J. Evans Voices of Inclusion Award.

TRICIA SHALKA M.ED. ’08 coedited a new book, “Creating Space for Ourselves as Minoritized and Marginalized Faculty: Narratives that Humanize the Academy.”

DANIEL SINGLEY M.A. ’03, PH.D. ’05, serves as president of the American Psychological Association’s Division of Men and Masculinities.

MING TOMAYKO M.ED. ’02, PH.D. ’07, was named associate dean for teaching and student success at the Jess and Mildred Fisher College of Science and Mathematics at Towson University.

2010s

JA’NYA BANKS ’18, M.ED. ’19, was recognized as a part of the Terrapin Club’s 30 under 30 Class of 2024.

JORGE BAXTER PH.D. ’16 was named dean of the College of Education (Facultad de Educación) of the Universidad de los Andes in Bogotá, Colombia.

BRIAN DANIELAK PH.D. ’14 joined the Institute for Defense Analyses as a research staff member.

BRITTANY FROWNFELTER ’11 was appointed to serve as assistant principal of Carroll Manor Elementary School.

JASON “JAY” GARVEY ’11, PH.D. ’13, was chosen as the new executive director for the Office of Institutional Research and Assessment at the University of Vermont.

CHRISTINE MAHAN PH.D. ’10 was selected by City & State Pennsylvania as one of its 2024 Trailblazers in Higher Education.

ALANA MURRAY ’98, PH.D. ’12, was appointed director of the Office of School Support and Well-Being for Montgomery County Public Schools.

BRIAN WALTON ’12 was nominated for 2023-24 Site Administrator of the Year in Franklin McKinley School District in California.

2020s

LINDSAY GOLDSTEIN ’22 was recognized as a part of the Terrapin Club’s 30 under 30 Class of 2024.

JOANNA HUNG ’23, a current Terrapin Teachers MCERT student, was awarded the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Prospective 7-12 Secondary Teacher Course Work Scholarship.

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MARINEL MARTINEZ-BENYARKO PH.D. ’24 earned the 2024 Latinx/a/o Knowledge Community Outstanding Doctoral Student Award from NASPA: Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education.

SONIA SWAMI ’22, M.ED. ’23, a Terrapin Teacher, was awarded the prestigious Knowles Teaching Fellowship.

ALICE SWIFT B.A. ’90, ED.D. ’22, started her role as principal of Abington Senior High School in Abington, Pennsylvania.

THE COLLEGE OF EDUCATION ALUMNI NETWORK BOARD

was honored with the Alumni Network of the Year Award from the UMD Alumni Association. The award recognizes the network for its growth, outreach and programming and commitment to the Alumni Association’s mission.

AMANDA MCCONNELL M.ED. ’10 is now assistant managing director of Brookings Metro at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C. OLISA MENAKAYA M.ED. ’19 received the Maitland P. Simmons Memorial Award for New Teachers from the National Science Teachers Association.

JULIET MORRIS B.A. ’15, M.ED. ’16, serves as an educational specialist at the Supreme Court Historical Society, where she researches and creates civics curricula for students and teachers across the country.

ENDEAVORS 2024

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SAVE

THE DATES Giving Day

MARCH 5, 2025 givingday.umd.edu

Do Good Service Project: Notes of Encouragement

MONTH of APRIL Terrapin EdTalks

APRIL 9, 2025 go.umd.edu/edtalks

Maryland Day

APRIL 26, 2025 marylandday.umd.edu

5th Annual Alumni of Color Celebration

MAY 15, 2025 go.umd.edu/alumocc

Do you have an idea for an event that EdTerps would love?

Send your thoughts to EdTerpsAlumni@gmail.com

Meet the Alumni Network Board Members of the Alumni Network Board represent a diverse group of alumni who support the College of Education’s efforts to engage and connect alumni to the university and each other.

PAST PRESIDENT

PRESIDENT ELIZABETH STUART WHITEHEAD ’98, ED.D. ’24 Visual Art Supervisor, Prince George’s County Public Schools

VICE PRESIDENT SELVON WALDRON M.A. ’20 Director, National Capital Region Genesys Works

TREASURER CANDICE LIETZKE ’98 Teacher, Kensington Parkwood Elementary School, Montgomery County Public Schools

SECRETARY JAIME BOWERS ED.D. ’24 Director of the Department of Testing, Research and Evaluation, Prince George’s County Public Schools

MEMBERSHIP CHAIR JEFF IMWOLD ’06 Assistant Principal, KIPP NYC College Prep High School

BARBARA FRIEDLANDER ’85, M.A. ’90 Coordinator of Special Projects, Frederick County Public Schools

BOARD MEMBERS JACOB GOLDBERG ’12 Student Records Associate, Prince George’s County Public Schools JEANNE T. SALVADO M.ED. ’96 High School Teacher, Montgomery County Public Schools KELLIE SKINNER ’09, M.ED. ’10 Special Education High School Teacher, Anne Arundel County Public Schools TIA WASHINGTON ’03 Learning and Achievement Specialist, Montgomery County Public Schools DARRYL WILLIAMS ED.D. ’11 Professor of Practice and Urban Studies, School of Education, Morgan State University

SAVE THE DATE 5TH ANNUAL ALUMNI OF COLOR CELEBRATION

MAY 15, 2025 SAM U E L RI G GS I V ALU M N I C E N T E R

SUPPORTING THE ELAINE JOHNSON COATES ’59 ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP LEARN MORE AT go.umd.edu/alumocc

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UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND COLLEGE OF EDUCATION

ALUMNI

PHOTO GALLERY

PHOTO: JAHAIRA DIXON/EAST 95TH STREET PHOTOGRAPHY

2024 MEMORIES At right, the College of Education unveiled a portrait of Elaine Johnson Coates ’59 (center right), the first Black woman to receive an undergraduate degree from UMD, by artist Ernest Shaw, Jr. (center left). All year, alums enjoyed events including (clockwise from top) a lunch for MCPS retirees, the Alumni of Color Celebration, Do Good Notes of Encouragement, the AERA annual meeting, Jump Start Your Teaching Career, and Books and Brews.

PHOTO: JAHAIRA DIXON/EAST 95TH STREET PHOTOGRAPHY

PHOTO: JAHAIRA DIXON/EAST 95TH STREET PHOTOGRAPHY

BENJAMIN BUILDING 3942 CAMPUS DRIVE COLLEGE PARK, MD 20742 CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED

college of TOP 25 RANKING #1 public education in Maryland

Among All U.S. Colleges of Education

college of education in the nation #16 public

“I am deeply proud of the work EdTerps do, and I am pleased that the College of Education has been recognized as one of the top colleges of education in the nation.”

DEAN KIMBERLY GRIFFIN Source: U.S. News & World Report 2024-25, Best Graduate Schools Rankings