School of Education

School of Education at AERA Thu, April 13, 9:50 to 11:20am CDT (7:50 to 9:20am PDT) Event: Engendering New Examinations of Gender: Norms, Stereotypes, and Motivation Abstract: These four papers offer an examination of the role of gender in motivation and learning from four perspectives: gender norms about achievement in different fields; gender identity and sense of belonging in STEM; gender and self-management in math; and motivation in queer-spectrum students in a Women's and Gender Studies biology course. Paper: Interplay of Gender and Self-Management in Mathematics Performance When

Ambassadors support the vision and spirit of SOE by collaborating with faculty and staff to provide engaging, informative, and personalized experiences for the community.

Three UCR School of Education doctoral students, Giselle Salinas (Special Education), Aya Shhub (Special Education), and Elissa Monteiro (School Psychology) served as co-chairs for this year’s annual University of California Special Education, Disabilities, and Development Risk conference, held at UCR. Established in 2005, UC SPEDDR is a graduate student-led conference dedicated to research on special education, disabilities, and developmental risk needs in California schools. This year’s conference marked the first in-person event since Covid, and welcomed students from UCR, UCLA, UC Irvine

Dean Joi A. Spencer shares advice for students, her desert island music, and a glimpse into what she does in her free time.

Suneal Kolluri published a new article in Urban Education, “What Do I Need That For?”: The Misalignment of Masculinity and College Preparation in an Urban School.” Kolluri is an assistant professor in the Educational Policy and Leadership department in the UC Riverside School of Education. His scholarly work has been featured in the Review of Educational Research, Educational Researcher, and the Harvard Educational Review. Below is an abstract and link to the article. Abstract Young Black and Latino men face profound academic obstacles in transitioning to college. Few studies have interrogated

Frances Valdovinos has been named Assistant Dean and Director of Teacher Education program at UCR’s School of Education (SOE). Valdovinos joined SOE in 2016 as a student academic advisor and was recently appointed assistant dean and director of teacher education, a role she served as interim for a year.

Join us in welcoming three new faculty! José Del Real Viramontes, Ph.D. is an assistant professor in the Higher Education Administration and Policy program the School of Education at the University of California, Riverside. Prior to UCR, he was an assistant professor in the Higher Education/Community College Leadership program at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He holds a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction with a specialization in Cultural Studies in Education from the University of Texas at Austin. As a former community college transfer student, his research explores the

This year, in addition to the SOE undergraduate awards, SOE established new awards that honor our exceptional graduate students, faculty, and staff. The recipients were honored at SOE’s Commencement reception at The Barn. Below is a full list of awards and honorees. Academic Excellence Award This award recognizes undergraduate students—one from each Education Concentration—who are selected by the Undergraduate Education Committee (based on faculty nominations) for achieving excellence in their academics, research, and community engagement or creative activity. Stephanie Zeng is a memorable

UC Riverside School of Education (SOE) is grateful to the following donors for helping create five new endowed scholarships. The new scholarships are part of UC Riverside’s student success fundraising initiative, Beyond Brilliant, which aims to raise $50 million over 5 years to broaden access to our world-class educational experience and provide additional resources for student-centered programming. Dr. Vera Machado Martinez Endowed Graduate Student Scholarship Fund, SOE’s first Beyond Brilliant Initiative gift, will provide support for students in the School of Education who seek to become

Join us in congratulating UCR graduate student Alexis Weatherspoon for being selected to the John Smartt Summer Scholars Program at The Rutgers Center for Minority Serving Institutions. The internship program is designed to give interested master's students the opportunity to receive professional experience, connect with scholars in the higher education field, and learn fundamental research skills in connection to equity and leadership. Interns will get a $1,500 stipend, the opportunity to do and publish research, academic mentoring, and administrative experience, among other things. This year

The Inland Empire Alumni Network (IEAN) for the University of California, Riverside is a group of local UCR alumni who promote a sense of community throughout the Inland Empire. They host networking and programming events that enrich student experiences and also promote student-alumni interaction to establish relationships with other Highlanders. The IEAN for UCR takes part in many volunteer leadership and service projects to represent the Highlander community’s proud and lifelong commitment. Samantha Jobelius, SOE’s enrollment manager, is the current president of the IEAN for UCR and also

In celebration of teacher appreciation week, SOE honored two alumnae with the Alumni in Excellence Awards at an intimate reception at The Barn. This awards program, now in its second year, honors alumni currently on faculty at a K-12 school who, in alignment with SOE’s mission, are committed to advancing equitable educational systems and practices in their K-12 work. Andrea Zambrano and Alejandra Sanchez were nominated by colleagues, and selected by a panel that included Interim Dean Louie Rodriguez, Interim Assistant Dean and Director of Teacher Education Dr. Frances Valdovinos, SOE Community

Since the start of the pandemic, online learning and the impacts of COVID-19 have presented challenges for UCR students. With limited resources available to support student achievement and persistence, School of Education (SOE) advising staff noted flagging GPAs and higher student withdrawal rates were threatening to exacerbate gaps in educational opportunity and degree completion. In order to lessen these challenges, the SOE sought support from the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) to strengthen the Undergraduate Writing Support Program which was launched in 2019. The HEERF

Taking on the position and responsibility to present students’ concerns to the Associated Students of UCR council could be intimidating. However, Dorothy Leigh Doronila didn’t hesitate to take on the role as ASUCR’s representative for School of Education students. Doronila is a first-generation student majoring in Education, Society, and Human Development as well as Political Sciences and Administrative Studies, with a concentration in finance. Her goal is to connect students to greater opportunities that the University of California, Riverside and extended communities have to offer. Doronila

Interim Dean Louie Rodriguez encourages students to use their tools and resources to successfully guide them in their educational journeys…with a little help from Dora the Explorer.

UC Riverside is one of 10 institutions honored by Excelencia in Education with the Seal of Excelencia certification for its efforts serving Latino/a/x students.