Congratulations to Special Education’s Emily Harrington and Matt Lambert on their NIH-funded study from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. The pair will explore strategies caregivers use with children age 30-45 months with spoken language delays.

Harrington, Lambert Collaborate on NIH Funded Study

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University Primary School will host their annual open house tomorrow starting at 9 a.m. Prospective families, researchers, and community members are welcome to tour our Reggio Emilia-inspired Lab School. More Info: https://bit.ly/3TDFM46

Hyun-Sook Kang, associate professor, and graduate student Martin Lehrer of EPOL were part of the panel “Demystifying Peer Review” at the Universitas 21 Graduate Researchers in Education Community of Practice webinar.

Kang, Lehrer Represent Illinois at U21 International Webinar

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Congratulations to elementary education major Morgan Cloman on being named to the 2026 Homecoming Court! Morgan serves as vice president of Delta Sigma sorority, board member of NAACP, and is president of Strengthening and Empowering Educators of Diverse Status (SEEDS).

EPOL Ed.M. Alum Le’Passion Darby has published a chapter in a new book. Her chapter, “Why Katherine Johnson? Why Now? The Shifting Symbolism in Black Women Statuary at HBCUs,” focuses on West Virginia State University's decision to honor the NASA mathematician with a campus statue.

Alum Publishes Chapter in New Book on Commemorations of Women's Achievement

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Congratulations to Sarah Zehr Gantz, Ph.D. '16 EPOL, on receiving the Athena Award from the Executive Club of Champaign County. Gantz, who is an adjunct faculty member in the College, currently serves as associate vice president of academic affairs for the University of Illinois system.

Alumna Zehr Gantz Wins 2026 Athena Award

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Ok, NOW we're in the homecoming spirit 🧡💙

Congrats to @ciatillinois.bsky.social's Gayithri Jayathirtha on receiving the National Science Foundation CAREER Award. It recognizes early-career faculty with the potential to serve as role models in research and education and advance their department’s or institution’s mission.

Jayathirtha Receives NSF CAREER Award

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Sometimes it feels like you need a science degree to comprehend all the medical data that comes your way when managing type 1 diabetes. Cynthia D’Angelo wants to change that by investigating ways to make the data more digestible and easier to learn through her new NSF-backed study.

Creating Learning Tools for Confident Choices

Creating Learning Tools for Confident Choices by Ashley Lawrence / Sep 24, 2026 Learning to enjoy life to the fullest is a process for everyone. Two College of Education researchers are designing solutions to make this learning process a bit simpler fo...

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Youth Literature Festival Community day is Saturday! Join us at the I Hotel and Conference Center to meet some of your favorite children's and young adult authors, enjoy performances, book signings, activities, and more! More Info: https://youthlitfest.education.illinois.edu/community/index.html

How do we keep more science and math teachers in the classroom? A new study from the Illinois Workforce and Education Research Collaborative explores why these teachers stay in their jobs and what contributes to their job satisfaction.

IWERC and NORC release two reports on rural science and mathematics teacher retention

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While the demand for education in Illinois prisons is higher than ever, access to those classes still lags according to state data. Education Justice Project's Ashton Klekamp talked with OpenCampus and WBEZ about the data, and the need to expand access for incarcerated students.

EJP: Education Access Needs Expansion in Illinois Prisons

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Fall enrollment numbers showed growth in a number of areas for us this year: - 30% total enrollment growth since 2016 - Huge growth in CS+Ed. and Secondary Ed. Math majors - New programs like Trauma-Informed Education and Instructional Design, Technology, & Organization are seeing massive gains

Education at Illinois Maintains Strong Enrollment for Fall 2026

It's another record-breaking enrollment year for the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, with growth for the College of Education included. The College's overall student enrollment continues to t...

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The Alma Project, a new character education project at the University of Illinois, aims to cultivate the qualities of neighborliness and purpose in Illinois undergraduate students and enhance campus culture. @educationillinois.bsky.social Read more here: news.illinois.edu/illinois-new...

Our NSF-funded FRACTAL group has been busy this summer! Their work explores how teachers learn to integrate human-centered design into geometry instruction. From designing culturally relevant challenges to tracing student learning during authentic design experiences. More: https://bit.ly/4xvPWSg

NSF-Funded FRACTAL Group Shares Research on Human Centered Design

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We’re honored to recognize four alumni whose impact on education has been felt far and wide: 🔸 Robert Griegoliet 🔹 Steven Launius 🔸 Terry Vaughan III 🔹 Danielle A. Murchison Read more about our awardees and the upcoming Salute to Education event: https://bit.ly/4AfO7v3

We’re welcoming three new faces to our faculty ranks this fall: 🔸 Christian Hines - @ciatillinois.bsky.social 🔹 Sandra Camargo Salamanca - @epsyatillinois.bsky.social 🔸 Nikki Wright - Education Policy, Organization & Leadership More: https://bit.ly/4r9ulxb

Keeping the momentum going with our newest Illini ⏩ Key stats from the 2026-27 tenth-day numbers: -College enrollment up 30% over 10 years -Students from underrepresented populations up 53% over 10 years -First-gen students up 198% over 10 years -International Students from 38 countries & 41 states

Investing in our own. We’re proud to announce that 11 faculty members have earned promotions for 2026-27. Additionally, Stephanie Toliver received the Campus Distinguished Promotion, recognizing extraordinary work. We’re pleased to have them at Illinois for years to come. https://bit.ly/4xKtzcw

Join us one week from today for the Goldstick Family Lecture. 🗣️ Dr. Jennifer Kurth: Inclusive Education: The Right to Belong 📍 U. of I. Philanthropy Center ⏰ 4:00 p.m. More info: https://education.illinois.edu/alumni/the-goldstick-family-lecture

Congratulations to Haeryun Kim on being recognized by the Embassy of the Republic of Korea for her academic performance and leadership qualities.

EPOL Ph.D. Candidate Receives Award from The Embassy of the Republic of Korea

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Three faculty members from our College will serve as Op-Ed Project Public Voices Fellows for 2026-27: 🔶 Rochelle Gutierrez, professor C&I 🔷 Jon Hale, professor EPOL 🔶 Mirelsie Velazquez, associate professor EPOL More:

Three from Education Named Op-Ed Project Public Voices Fellows

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A new initiative developed by College of Education faculty and staff aims to promote neighborliness on the Illinois campus. The Alma Project will use coursework and community service to inspire students and faculty to be active neighbors who contribute to their communities’ well-being.

Illinois’ New Character Development Project Aims to Cultivate Neighborliness

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Congrats to EPOL alum Marisol Jimenez on being named an Illini Science Policy Program Scholar. She will work with the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, Office of Broadband to address challenges in agriculture, digital & health equity, education, and environmental justice.

Jimenez Named Illini Science Policy Program Scholar

Jimenez Named Illini Science Policy Program Scholar Aug 5, 2026 10:30 am by Communications Office Share on Facebook Tweet var urlTemp = 'https://blogs.illinois.edu/view/1526/1555641918' Email function setCaptionWidth(alignment) { ...

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More than a billion people worldwide live with a disability, yet few websites are fully accessible, and few students receive training in designing technologies that are accessible to them Join us Sept. 9 for this talk featuring Rachel Adler from @ischoolui.bsky.social. More: https://bit.ly/4gQTSGY

Congratulations to Royel Johnson, Ed.M. '11 EPOL, on being named editor of The Review of Higher Education, the flagship journal of the Association for the Study of Higher Education.

Alum Johnson Named Editor of The Review of Higher Education

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Game. Day. I-L-L baby!

We mourn the passing of the 11th dean of the College of Education, P. David Pearson. He was a decorated researcher in the field of literacy. He was named a member of the National Academy of Education in 2003, an AERA Fellow in 2009, and this year, elected to the American Academy of Arts & Sciences.

If you're excited to be an Illini, put your hands up 🙌 Applications for the class of 2031 are NOW OPEN! Apply: https://www.admissions.illinois.edu/start-your-application/

The College of Education is saddened to announce the passing of Tom McGreal. He served as a professor in Education Policy, Organization & Leadership for 32 years. McGreal was known as a leader in educational administration and teacher evaluation research.

Former Faculty Member Tom McGreal Passes Away

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