— Erica Frankenberg, professor of education (educational leadership) in the Department of Education Policy Studies, was quoted in an article, “Hidden Segregation Within Schools Is Tracked in New Study” in Education Week. In addition, she had an invited, peer-reviewed blog post published in Equity Alliance. The mission of Equity Alliance is to promote access, participation and positive outcomes for all students by engaging educational stakeholders, reframing and advancing the discourse on educational equity and transforming public education, locally, nationally and internationally.
— Royel M. Johnson, assistant professor of education (higher education), gave a full day of talks, followed by workshops with the office of advancement and board of trustees at Franklin & Marshall College, in early March. The topics of the discussions were equity, leadership and student success. Additionally, Johnson’s alma mater, University of Illinois College of Education, selected him as the recipient of their “Young Alumni Award.” He will return to University of Illinois in the fall to receive the award.
— College of Education Dean Kimberly A. Lawless was elected American Education Research Association (AERA) division vice president for Division C: Learning & Instruction. In addition, several College of Education faculty members were elected to posts in AERA special interest groups: Hollie Kulago, associate professor of education (curriculum and supervision), treasurer, Critical Issues in Curriculum and Cultural Studies, SIG #28; Soo-yong Byun, associate professor of education (educational theory and policy) program chair, Sociology of Education, SIG #112; Amy Crosson, assistant professor of education (curriculum and instruction), program chair-elect, Vocabulary, SIG #133; Dana Stuchul, professor of education (curriculum and instruction), chair, Ivan Illich, SIG #161; and Madhu Suri Prakash, professor of education (educational theory and policy), secretary/treasurer, Ivan Illich, SIG #161. Further details can be found here.
— Dana Mitra, professor of education (educational theory and policy), was interviewed as a Rust Belt researcher in “This Town Won’t Die,” a newly released film about Johnstown, Pennsylvania. A trailer for the film can be viewed here.
— Paul Morgan, professor of education in the Department of Education Policy Studies and director of the Center for Educational Disparities Research (CEDR), was recently quoted in an Associated Press story, “ADHD diagnoses increasing in black kids, report suggests” on a new report by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) on prevalence rates for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and learning disabilities in the U.S. The story was picked up by The New York Times, ABC News, U.S. News and World Report and other media. The CDC report cites CEDR’s research on racial and ethnic disparities in disability identification.
— Leticia Oseguera associate professor of education (higher education) and senior research associate, was chosen as one of the keynote speakers at Oregon State University’s Undergraduate Student Success Summit.
— The Russell Sage Foundation (RSF), in partnership with the Economic Mobility and Opportunity program at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), has awarded Ericka Weathers, assistant professor in the Department of Education Policy Studies, an RSF-Gates Pipeline Grant. The initiative is designed to support early- and mid-career tenure-track scholars who are underrepresented in the social sciences and to promote diversity broadly, including racial, ethnic, gender, disciplinary, institutional, and geographic diversity. Weathers' research project studies the effects of habitual truancy on educational outcomes and whether effects differ for minority and socioeconomically disadvantaged students.
"Around the College" highlights accomplishments by faculty, staff and students in the College of Education, including publications; research presentations at conferences and workshops; and awards, grants and fellowships. Please share your news with us and your colleagues by emailing edrelations@psu.edu.