Benjamin Bulletin - Winter 2015 | UMD College of Education



Cole Field House, the home of Maryland basketball for 47 years, is about to begin a process of renovation and conversion that will make it an athletics training facility unmatched in Division I sports. The New Cole Field House will accommodate a state-of-the-art research facility to advance the discovery of innovative diagnostics and treatments in human motion, as well as to further research on concussions and traumatic brain injuries, muscle-brain physiology and biochemistry, human physiology and performance, exoskeleton-robotic treatments, and medical biomechanics.	How Much Do I Make? Confessions of a Proud Teacher Educator Dr. Taharee Jackson, newly arrived Assistant Professor of Minority and Urban Education in the Department of Teaching and Learning, Policy and Leadership, reflects on her multiracial family background, which sparked her passion for social justice and led her to prize a meaningful professional life over financial security. MLDS Center Investigates the Creation of Synthetic Data The Maryland Longitudinal Data System Center has embarked on a four-year project to develop viable synthetic data sets, which will help education researchers and policymakers answer crucial questions about Maryland’s schools and students. The project is designed to protect the confidentiality of Maryland students, a key aspect of the MLDS mandate. MEP Examines Declining College Enrollment Between 2009 and 2014, the number of full-time freshmen at Maryland’s colleges and universities decreased by nearly 14%. Maryland Equity Project fellow Joseph Popovich looks at the causes. Other recent MEP policy briefs address classroom technology and out-of-school suspension
In a letter to the editors of Education Week written with Learning and Education Academic Research Network (LEARN) co-chairs, Dean Donna Wiseman urges Congress to reject a major cut to education research proposed by members of the House Appropriations Committee. “While the proposed cuts would have a devastating impact on the education research community – decreasing research funding to levels not seen in 20 years – the biggest losers would be students, especially those who already face barriers to academic achievement,” Dean Wiseman and her co-authors write. In November, Dr. Sharon Fries-Britt, professor of higher education in the Department of Counseling, Higher Education and Special Education, contributed to an NBC News story on the resurgence of student activism on college campuses. “Students are establishing a higher level of scrutiny as they evaluate the actions and commitments of institutional leaders to address racism and hostile campus climates,” Dr. Fries-Britt said. Please share your news with the College by emailing us at coecomm@umd.edu. You can read previous class notes at ter.ps/COEClassNote.	Faculty Alberto Cabrera Honored as ASHE Mentor of the Year Jade Wexler Receives OSEP Grant for PACT+ Reading Intervention Project MARC Hosts October Research Conference on Fairness in Assessments Cixin Wang is Lead Author on Two Bullying Prevention Studies KerryAnn O’Meara Launches ADVANCE Study on Faculty Inequitiess Diane Ketelhut’s Application-Based Game Wins at International Conference Alumni Teena Ruark Gorrow (Ed.D. ’96) Publishes Stunning Photo Book Studying Bald Eagle’s Nests Renique Kersh (M.Ed. ’01) Appointed Associate Vice Provost for Engaged Learning at Northern Illinois University Joan Lombardi (Ph.D. ’82) Joins Center for American Progress as Senior Fellow

Cole Field House, the home of Maryland basketball for 47 years, is about to begin a process of renovation and conversion that will make it an athletics training facility unmatched in Division I sports. The New Cole Field House will accommodate a state-of-the-art research facility to advance the discovery of innovative diagnostics and treatments in human motion, as well as to further research on concussions and traumatic brain injuries, muscle-brain physiology and biochemistry, human physiology and performance, exoskeleton-robotic treatments, and medical biomechanics.

How Much Do I Make? Confessions of a Proud Teacher Educator
Dr. Taharee Jackson, newly arrived Assistant Professor of Minority and Urban Education in the Department of Teaching and Learning, Policy and Leadership, reflects on her multiracial family background, which sparked her passion for social justice and led her to prize a meaningful professional life over financial security.

MLDS Center Investigates the Creation of Synthetic Data
The Maryland Longitudinal Data System Center has embarked on a four-year project to develop viable synthetic data sets, which will help education researchers and policymakers answer crucial questions about Maryland’s schools and students. The project is designed to protect the confidentiality of Maryland students, a key aspect of the MLDS mandate.

MEP Examines Declining College Enrollment
Between 2009 and 2014, the number of full-time freshmen at Maryland’s colleges and universities decreased by nearly 14%. Maryland Equity Project fellow Joseph Popovich looks at the causes. Other recent MEP policy briefs address classroom technology and out-of-school suspension

In a letter to the editors of Education Week written with Learning and Education Academic Research Network (LEARN) co-chairs, Dean Donna Wiseman urges Congress to reject a major cut to education research proposed by members of the House Appropriations Committee. “While the proposed cuts would have a devastating impact on the education research community – decreasing research funding to levels not seen in 20 years – the biggest losers would be students, especially those who already face barriers to academic achievement,” Dean Wiseman and her co-authors write.

In November, Dr. Sharon Fries-Britt, professor of higher education in the Department of Counseling, Higher Education and Special Education, contributed to an NBC News story on the resurgence of student activism on college campuses. “Students are establishing a higher level of scrutiny as they evaluate the actions and commitments of institutional leaders to address racism and hostile campus climates,” Dr. Fries-Britt said.

Please share your news with the College by emailing us at coecomm@umd.edu. You can read previous class notes at ter.ps/COEClassNote.

Faculty

Alberto Cabrera Honored as ASHE Mentor of the Year

Jade Wexler Receives OSEP Grant for PACT+ Reading Intervention Project

MARC Hosts October Research Conference on Fairness in Assessments

Cixin Wang is Lead Author on Two Bullying Prevention Studies

KerryAnn O’Meara Launches ADVANCE Study on Faculty Inequitiess

Diane Ketelhut’s Application-Based Game Wins at International Conference

Alumni

Teena Ruark Gorrow (Ed.D. ’96) Publishes Stunning Photo Book Studying Bald Eagle’s Nests

Renique Kersh (M.Ed. ’01) Appointed Associate Vice Provost for Engaged Learning at Northern Illinois University

Joan Lombardi (Ph.D. ’82) Joins Center for American Progress as Senior Fellow