June 24, 2025
Highlights from UCR’s 71st Commencement
UC Riverside concluded its 71st Commencement season on June 17, with UCR’s Class of 2025 walking at eight discipline- or degree-based ceremonies.
Approximately 6,100 graduates, 35,000 in-person guests, 32,000 online streamers, and about 375 volunteer staff participated in the celebrations, which started on June 6.
Highlanders belonging to specific groups also took part in additional micro celebrations organized by various student resources like the University Honors Cording, and year-end celebrations hosted by UCR’s ethnic and gender centers.
June 17, 2025
SOE Announces 2025 Alumni Excellence Awards in Education
Four alumni of the UC Riverside School of Education (SOE) were honored on Tuesday, May 6 at the second annual Alumni Excellence Awards in Education. The awards were established to recognize outstanding alumni who, in alignment with the mission of the SOE, are committed to advancing equitable systems and practices. The awards, hosted by Dean Joi A. Spencer, were held at the UCR Alumni and Visitors Center and sponsored by Schools First Credit Union. The 2025 award winners are: Hsin-Yu Teresa Hsu-Contreras, M.Ed. ‘18 Graduate Program Alumna Teresa Hsu-Contreras is a dedicated community
June 09, 2025
Q&A: UCR experts weigh-in on critical race theory litigation
A California appeals court has temporarily blocked the Temecula Valley Unified School District’s controversial ban on critical race theory (CRT), ruling the policy is unconstitutionally vague and could silence educators. The decision halts enforcement of the district’s Resolution 21 policy, which was approved in late 2022, pending the outcome of a lawsuit that seeks to nullify the ban.
June 01, 2025
Celebrating UCR’s Class of 2025
At any given time, our camera rolls are packed with tons of pictures. So, when we asked students from the UC Riverside Class of 2025 to look back at their photo galleries and find memorable moments captured during their entire university journey, we knew we were asking a lot of them.
But, goodness, it was so worth it.
May 09, 2025
UCR addresses teacher shortage in San Bernardino
Addressing a critical teacher shortage, UC Riverside has partnered with the San Bernardino City Unified School District to launch a new teacher residency program that fully covers tuition, provides living stipends, and guarantees teaching jobs for successful participants.
May 08, 2025
Framework offered for higher ed to defend racial equity
As the nation’s colleges and universities respond to the U.S. Supreme Court’s “race-neutral” admissions mandates and the Trump administration’s efforts to cut funding to campuses with DEI programs, a UC Riverside education professor urges institutions to respond to racial inequalities by working to improve their “racial climate health”—a concept she developed that draws from the medical and public health fields.
April 17, 2025
New national center supports higher education governance
UC Riverside and the University of Michigan have launched a national center to help the governing boards of higher education institutions stay focused on their missions of student success, equity, and long-term sustainability.
April 14, 2025
Tara Yosso honored by national educational research association
UC Riverside education professor Tara J. Yosso, has been named a 2025 fellow by the American Educational Research Association, or AERA, in recognition of her exceptional and sustained research contributions.
April 08, 2025
Business, education, and engineering grad programs ranked high
UC Riverside’s business, education, and engineering programs placed high in U.S. News & World Report’s 2025 rankings of graduate programs in the U.S.
The School of Business climbed 17 positions for its part-time Master of Business Administration, or MBA, program to rank No. 56 in the nation. The Marlan and Rosemary Bourns College of Engineering, or BCOE, ranked No. 89 overall, saw increases in five programs. The School of Education ranked No. 90 overall among 258 schools with doctoral-level programs.
March 31, 2025
UCR scholars receive grants for education equity research
Scholars from UCR’s School of Education have received two $75,000 grants from the Spencer Foundation to support research focused on improving social-emotional learning for immigrant students and advancing racial equity in teacher education.
March 31, 2025
Ariana Aparicio Aguilar wins ‘Seed to Tree’ scholarship
UC Riverside doctoral student’s research will help advance equity in higher education.
March 27, 2025
The SOE Community at AERA 2025
The 2025 AERA Annual Meeting will be in Denver from April 23 – 27 The UCR School of Education will be well represented at this year’s American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Meeting, including the introduction of SOE Professor Tara J. Yosso as a 2025 Fellow. The AERA Fellows Program honors scholars for their exceptional contributions to, and excellence in, education research. Below is a complete list of presentations, papers, and events at this year’s conference. Also, the University of California will host a UC Reception on Thursday, April 24, 7–9pm at the Hyatt Regency Denver
February 21, 2025
SOE unveils new mural featuring Pops Peterson’s “Walk With Her”
The UC Riverside School of Education, or SOE, has introduced a new mural in Sproul Hall, featuring "Walk With Her," a piece by artist Maurice “Pops” Peterson. The artwork reinterprets Norman Rockwell’s iconic 1964 painting, “The Problem We All Live With,” which depicts Ruby Bridges, one of the first Black students to integrate into an all-white elementary school in New Orleans, Louisiana.
February 19, 2025
UC Riverside sees surge in college applicants
More prospective students sought admission to UC Riverside this school year than ever before.
The number of applicants to be first-year students for fall 2025 surged by 23.2%, reaching a record 70,578, according to data released by the UC Office of the President. This increase from the year before follows previous records for applicants for the falls of 2024 and 2023, with 57,420 and 56,462 applicants, respectively.
February 05, 2025
Latina college students lost ground after the pandemic
Family obligations contributed to a disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the academic performances of UCR Latina students, a UCR study study has found.
January 23, 2025
UCR scholars honored by the White House for early career achievements
UCR professors Rachel Wu, Eunsoo Cho and Mahesh Raj Neupane have each received the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, or PECASE, according to a recent announcement from The White House.
January 16, 2025
UCR professors ranked among nation's top 200 education scholars
UCR education professors Eddie Comeaux and Rita Kohli have been named among the nation’s top 200 education scholars in a ranking by the American Enterprise Institute, or AEI.
November 06, 2024
UC Riverside STEM Educators Gather at NASA JPL for Training Institute
Pasadena, CA — Twelve STEM educators from eight California school districts convened this week at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena for the launch of a three-day STEM Educator Institute. Organized by the University of California, Riverside (UCR) School of Education (SOE) in partnership with NASA JPL, the Institute aims to equip teachers with advanced, inclusive strategies for STEM education that can be directly implemented in their classrooms. The event, which kicked off on October 28, marks an innovative step in integrating NASA’s cutting-edge resources into K-12 education
October 23, 2024
Cultural war conflicts cost US schools billions of dollars
Two-thirds of nearly 500 U.S. school superintendents surveyed described moderate to high levels of culturally divisive conflict in their school district over race, LGBTQ+ student rights, and book access that is disrupting education and costing U.S. schools billions of dollars, according to a report released Wednesday by academics at four universities.
October 15, 2024
UC Riverside receives seven grants totaling $7M for graduate education
GAANN fellowships from the Department of Education will support students pursuing research in areas of national need
September 26, 2024
UCR Palm Desert Addresses Critical Teacher Shortage
Future Teachers Can Now Apply to Join the Teacher Education Program at UCR Palm Desert
September 25, 2024
Teacher education director to join Hispanic leadership academy
UCR’s Frances Valdovinos has been named a fellow by the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, or HACU, for this year’s Leadership Academy/La Academia de Liderazgo.
September 25, 2024
Generous Alumna Bequest Helps the SOE Support the Whole Student
UCR alumna Barbra Kerr plans to leave a legacy with a gift to the School of Education.
September 24, 2024
Spreading the Word
UCR language scholar Alice Lee explains why ‘correcting’ Black Language in the classroom is counterproductive to student success. If you’ve ever jammed to a favorite song, kept it real with friends, or were hustlin’ to get all your work done, you’ve used Black Language but probably didn’t acknowledge it as such. Alice Lee, an assistant professor of critical literacy in UCR’s School of Education, credits this disconnect to a long history of colonialism and anti-Blackness that still shapes how we view Black people and Black Language.
July 11, 2024
UCR education professor wins prestigious school psychology award
The American Psychological Association will honor UC Riverside assistant professor Stephanie Moore with the 2024 Lightner Witmer Award, which recognizes early-career professional and academic school psychologists who have demonstrated sustained, outstanding scholarship.
July 08, 2024
UCR School of Education Announces 2024 Ph.D. Doctoral Graduates
Announcing our 2024 UCR School of Education Ph.D. doctoral graduates
June 13, 2024
SOE Teacher Education Program Graduates First Ever UCR Palm Desert Cohort of Graduates
Given the critical teacher shortage in the Coachella Valley, the UCR School of Education worked with leaders at UCR Palm Desert to add a cohort of students eager to earn their M.Ed. along with their CA teaching credentials. Last night, in an emotional ceremony celebrating the success of both the program and its graduates, that first class of six students crossed the stage to receive their degrees. The spirit of the evening was summed up by the words of Dr. Frances Valdovinos, Assistant Dean and Director of Teacher Education: “Whatever you do, give it 100%. Echelen ganas! Don’t let anyone tell
June 03, 2024
Celebrating UCR’s Class of 2024
Rewind four years ago when most of this graduating class of collegians were seniors in high school and you’ll be reminded of bittersweet Zoom commencement ceremonies where graduates huddled around a screen to not get their diplomas or shake hands with their principals or hug their classmates.
May 22, 2024
Black Americans: A link between cognitive health and financial instability
Racial minorities develop cognitive impairments, such as Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias at younger ages.
May 22, 2024
Middle School Initiative expects to boost college access
To boost college access, UCR’s School of Education is reaching out to Inland Empire middle school students and their families through a Middle School Initiative aimed at helping them get on the right academic track for college. The school is sponsoring an essay contest, sending representatives to eighth-grade promotion ceremony, and a creating summer academy for middle school students to embrace science, technology, engineering, arts, and math.
May 02, 2024
Positive climate boosts high school grades, study finds
A study led by a UC Riverside graduate student has found that Latino high school students achieve higher grades when they perceive a more positive school climate and when they have a stronger sense of self-esteem.
April 24, 2024
In the Media: Disneyland class at UC Riverside is no Mickey Mouse course
By JORDAN B. DARLING | jdarling@scng.com PUBLISHED: THE PRESS ENTERPRISE | February 29, 2024 at 5:30 a.m. A tour in Adventureland loads guests onto Jeeps for a peaceful safari led by Mickey Mouse himself. As Mickey begins to narrate, the safari stops when a tree falls, blocking the path. Mickey tells riders it’s about to get rough before turning onto a bumpy road. Things go awry when the group disturbs animals, who give chase. This ride doesn’t exist — other than on paper during a unique course at UC Riverside. It came from the imagination of UCR students who are putting themselves into the
April 18, 2024
UC Online Awards Funds to Provide Greater Access to Unique Education Course
More students at UCR and across the UC system will have access to a popular course offered by the UCR School of Education thanks to an award approved by the UC Online Leadership Team. The course, EDUC134: Abnormal Psychology for Educators, teaches students about psychological diagnoses from both a clinical psychology and special education/school psychology point of view. “This course is unique in content,” says Dr. Katherine Meltzoff, Associate Professor at the UCR School of Education, “as there is not an equivalent course on other UC campuses.” The course goes in-depth about various
March 25, 2024
The SOE Community at AERA 2024
The 2024 AERA Annual Meeting will be in Philadelphia from April -14, 2024 Dozens of UCR School of Education faculty, students, and researchers will participate at this year’s annual American Educational Research Association, or AERA meeting. AERA is the largest national interdisciplinary research association devoted to the scientific study of education and learning. This year’s event will be held in-person from April 11-14 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. “AERA is an important opportunity for educators to come together and exchange ideas. Having so many of our scholars sharing their scholarship
February 14, 2024
UCR to offer BA degree to students in the Norco state prison
UC Riverside will offer a Bachelor of Arts program within the confines of the Norco California Rehabilitation Center, a prison about 50 east of Los Angeles.
February 13, 2024
UCR School of Education secures $1 million grant
UCR receives a $1 million grant from an Inland Empire collaborative group to further its efforts to address the California teacher shortage and diversify the teacher workforce.
February 08, 2024
UCR Lifted Gets off the Ground with Spark Grant
UCR Lifted receives $25,000 Spark Grant from Michelson 20MM
January 22, 2024
SOE Hosts Roundtable on the Critical Shortage of Dual Language Teachers
The School of Education's Teacher Education Program (TEP) recently hosted a roundtable on the critical shortage of teachers in dual language immersion (DLI) programs, where instruction is provided in English as well as in Spanish. Directors from school districts in the Inland Empire and Coachella Valley who are responsible for supporting the district's DLI programs attended and shared the challenges they face in fully staffing their programs, especially at the secondary level. With the Commission on Teacher Credentialing requiring DLI teachers to possess a Bilingual Authorization (BILA) to
December 08, 2023
Teacher Education Program Recommended for Accreditation from the Commission on Teacher Credentialing
The UCR School of Education completed their seven-year cycle of the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) accreditation process in November 2023. The accreditation team has recommended the UCR School of Education - Teacher Education Program for renewal of Accreditation. This is the highest recommendation possible and affirms the quality and effectiveness of the program and commitment by the Teacher Education Program (TEP) leadership, faculty and staff. “It is with excitement that I share the CTC accreditation site visit for UCR’s Teacher Education Program has been recommended
November 07, 2023
UCR now offers teacher education at its Palm Desert campus
Answering a great need in the desert region of Riverside County, UC Riverside has started a teacher education program at its campus in Palm Desert.
October 23, 2023
Diversity statements in UC faculty hirings is questioned
Use of diversity statements in faculty hiring can come into conflict with academic freedom protections, say the authors of a new paper published by the UC Berkeley Center for Studies in Higher Education.
September 27, 2023
Report urges public schools to do more to address racism
Educators and policymakers urged to positively address racism and its impact on learning and opportunity
September 17, 2023
U.S. News 2023 college rankings are out, and UCR surges
Once again, U.S. News & World Report has named UC Riverside the No. 2 university in the nation for social mobility. UCR also climbed 13 spots in the overall rankings, to No. 76 among the top 435 private and public universities.
September 11, 2023
Elite university admissions for athletes benefit white students
Special admissions for athletes, legacy students, and the children of faculty and dean’s choices greatly benefits white applicants, a UCR-led analysis shows.
August 24, 2023
Ph.D. Dissertation Defense Round up: 2022-2023
The School of Education is proud to announce and celebrate our doctoral graduates who successfully defended their dissertations this academic year.
August 24, 2023
Celebrating School of Education's 2023 Graduates
This year, we had over 330 students graduate from the School of Education. Of those students, 169 received theirs Bachelors, 101 received Master of Education (M.Ed.) plus Credentials, 29 received Master of Arts (M.A.), and 13 received their Doctoral (Ph.D.) Degrees. Below is a list of some of SOE's 2023 graduates, along with a few who received awards for their academic excellence this year. Sarai Palma Hernandez received her Bachelor's Degree in in Education, Society, and Human Development, with a concentration in Learning Behavioral Studies, and in Spanish with a concentration in Cultural
August 23, 2023
UCR professor’s work cited in Justice Sotomayor’s dissent
In this summer's landmark affirmative action case, Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor used UCR education professor Uma Jayakumar's research in her dissent.
July 05, 2023
Q&A: What does the end of affirmative action mean for UCR?
Emily D. Engelschall, associate vice chancellor of enrollment services, offers insight.
July 03, 2023
Dean Spencer’s Keynote at A Black Education Network Institute
The 18th Summer Institute held by A Black Education Network (ABEN) focused on Pedagogies & Practices for Successfully Reaching African American Students. At the institute, 120 educators from throughout the country gathered to engage with, learn from, and share best practices with the nation’s most inspiring Black educators. This year’s institute included SOE’s Dean Joi Spencer as a keynote speaker. During Dean Spencer’s keynote address, she shared her insights on the importance of advancing Black education and empowering the next generation of leaders. She also went over hallmarks of Black