December 2019  THE COLLEGE INSIDER NEWS ABOUT FACULTY, STAFF, AND STUDENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA COLLEGE OF EDUCATION

CONGRATULATIONS

Sara Chavarria honored as Arizona Champion Congratulations to Assistant Dean Sara Chavarria , who was recently recognized as an Arizona Champion by the Appointed Professionals Advisory Council . Chavarria was selected as an Arizona Champion for many reasons, but most notably because of her efforts to increase college access to first generation students and students with limited financial means. She works tirelessly on programs that serve students of all ages, including programs like Linking Southwest Heritage through Archaeology , the Research Experience and Mentoring (REM) undergraduate program, and the Sustainable Bioeconomy for Arid Regions (SBAR) graduate student fellowship program. Chavarria consistently demonstrates enthusiasm for working with research faculty from other disciplines in order to ensure that they are supported in their education outreach efforts. She is always looking for ways to help them learn how to work with underrepresented audiences in a thoughtful and nurturing manner.  The University of Arizona honored Chavarria and other Arizona Champions on the field at the homecoming football game early last month.

Nadia Alvarez Mexica awarded for her contribution to the higher education system in Mexico Last October, Assistant Professor of Practice Nadia Alvarez Mexia was awarded by the Autonomous University of Ciudad Juarez and the National Council of Sciences and Technology in Mexico for her professional career and contribution to Mexico’s higher education system. Alvarez Mexia was also a keynote speaker at Youth Researches 2019 where more than 150 undergraduate and graduate students presented research projects. Alvarez Mexia discussed challenges and opportunities of the research field considering cultural practices. At the conference, UACJ and CONACyT recognized her trajectory in higher education and efforts to promote internalization. This is her sixth award recognizing her expertise in developing short-term programs and mentoring students from Latin America and other countries.

Alexei Marquez recognized as 2019 40 under 40 honoree    Congratulations to educational leadership and policy doctoral student Alexei Marquez on being named a 2019 40 under 40 honoree . Marquez, who holds both a B.A. in secondary English education and M.A. in language, reading, and culture from the College of Education, is being recognized for her work as both a doctoral student and a coordinator of financial wellness at the university’s Thrive Center . She is also being honored for her service as an executive board member for the Southern Arizona Volunteer Management Association and as vice president of the UA Hispanic Alumni .

Kirsten Lansey selected to attend HECSE Short Course    Congratulations to disability and psychoeducational studies doctoral student Kirsten Lansey on being selected by the Higher Education Consortium for Special Education to attend the HECSE Short Course in Washington D.C. in January. Lansey and a select group of special education doctoral students from other universities will spend a day and a half with HECSE representatives in D.C. The group will hear from speakers representing congressional staff, national education associations, and the U.S. Department of Education . They will also participate in visits to congressional offices and the Department of Education. At the conclusion of the HECSE Short Course, Lansey will join Assistant Professor Adai Tefera and DPS Department Head Carl Liaupsin at the HECSE Winter Summit for additional meetings and briefings with key leadership in D.C.

Bruce Mims completes El Tour De Tucson Congratulations to Adjunct Professor Bruce Mims for riding and completing the full El Tour De Tucson course last week! Held annually the Saturday before Thanksgiving, the 100-mile ride showcases Tucson’s beautiful vistas and desert landscape and brings in more than 9,000 cyclists from all over the country and beyond.

FACULTY PRESENTATIONS

Kris Bosworth delivers keynote at the 20 th International Congress on Addictions In late October, Professor Kris Bosworth delivered a keynote presentation entitled New Direction in School-based Drug Prevention at the 20th International Congress on Addictions in Mexico City. The conference was jointly sponsored by the Organization of American States and Centro de Integracion Juvenil .

Nolan Cabrera delivers presentation at inaugural University of Arizona Faculty Showcase series In late November, Associate Professor Nolan Cabrera delivered a presentation, titled White Immunity: Working Through the Pedagogical Pitfalls of Privilege , as part of the inaugural Faculty Showcase series . The UArizona series is supported by the Office of the Provost , the Regents and Distinguished Professors Council, and Arizona Arts and began as a request from the council.

Francesca López to speak at inaugural Dean’s Symposium on Educational Equity Asset-based pedagogy is essential for leveraging the assets of historically marginalized students, but how do educators and leaders develop the requisite knowledge to promote whole-student outcomes? This month, Associate Dean Francesca López will deliver a talk about school district needs that prompted district-focused research alliances concentrated on developing teachers’ and school leaders’ asset-based pedagogies. The symposium will be held Tuesday, December 3, at Penn State University .

Desiree Vega presents at 2019 NLPA Conference In late October, Associate Professor Desiree Vega traveled to Miami to present at the National Latinx Psychological Association Conference . Her presentation was titled Developing and enhancing Latinx family-school partnerships . The NLPA is a national organization of mental health professionals, academics, researchers, and students whose objective is to generate and advance psychological knowledge and foster its effective application for the benefit of Latinx people and communities.

Nolan Cabrera presents at ASHE and NAME annual meetings Last month, Associate Professor Nolan Cabrera sat on two panels at the annual meeting of the Association for the Study of Higher Education in Portland. The title of the first panel presentation was Shifting the gaze: How differentially situated scholars approach and experience the study of Whiteness in higher education . The second panel was titled Past, present, and future of Critical Whiteness Studies in higher education.  Cabrera also delivered a presentation, titled The White Hegemonic Alliance and resistance to multicultural education , at the annual meeting of the National Association of Multicultural Education in Tucson. As part of the University of Kent ’s Centre for the Study of Higher Education lecture series, Cabrera delivered a keynote lecture via Zoom titled The unbearable Whiteness of being: White immunity, White ignorance & racial marginalization.

WHAT'S NEW?

Students from The University of Arizona and University of Idaho come together to discuss Indigenous scholarship and research Associate Professor Sheilah Nicholas (Hopi) and University of Idaho Assistant Professors Vanessa Anthony-Stevens and Philip Stevens (San Carlos Apache) showcased a group of graduate students from The University of Arizona and The University of Idaho at the American Anthropological Association ’s Annual Conference, which was held on the traditional territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations in Vancouver, British Columbia. The graduate student-led roundtable, titled Why me, Why this, Why now: Changing the Climate of Graduate Education through Decolonizing Methods , discussed privileging Indigenous scholarship and collaborative research within Indigenous education.

Left to right: Garrison Tsinajinie (Diné/Navajo), University of Arizona; Vanessa Anthony-Stevens, University of Idaho, and her daughter, Hazel; Nicholas Wilson (Diné/Navajo), University of Arizona; Sheilah Nicholas (Hopi), University of Arizona; Lysa Salsbury, University of Idaho; Eulalia Gallegos Buitron, University of Idaho; Philip Stevens, San Carlos Apache, University of Idaho, Nhung Luong, University of Arizona; Rebekka Boysen-Taylor, University of Idaho.

Upward Bound students Serve Tucson and experience the 2019 Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta Last month Upward Bound students from Cholla and Pueblo High Schools worked with Serve Tucson to beautify John F. Kennedy Park . They pulled bufflegrass, picked up trash, landscaped the park, and heard from Mike Birrer, the founder of Serve Tucson, as he shared his story and explained the importance of keeping our city and community clean and beautiful. Earlier in the month, Upward Bound students traveled a few hours east to visit universities in Texas and New Mexico. The group visited the University of Texas at El Paso , New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, and University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. In between school visits, the students stopped by the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta to take in the wonder of the many hot air balloons.

Hermosillo pre-service teachers and faculty members explore education and collaboration opportunities at The University of Arizona A group of pre-service teachers and faculty members from the Escuela Normal Superior in Hermosillo, Sonora visited The University of Arizona to learn about graduate programs and explore possible institutional collaborations. The visit is part of the institutional agreement signed by CRESON , or Regional Center for Teaching and Teacher Education, and the College of Education. The group also visited the Bisbee Science Lab , local schools, and attended activities organized by the college and UA Global — Mexico Initiatives.

The Project FOCUS crowdfunding campaign is underway! For the last ten years, students with intellectual and developmental disabilities have been fully included at The University of Arizona through Project FOCUS , a two-year innovative transition program supported by the College of Education and Pima County Public School Districts. The 2019 Project FOCUS crowdfunding campaign is underway and will continue through December 31. Please help give these students the tools and support they need by making a gift today! Learn more about Project FOCUS at projectfocus.arizona.edu or make your gift online .

EVENTS

Take a break with some hot cocoa Join the College of Education Alumni Council for Cocoa With the Council! Everyone is welcome to stop by for hot cocoa and snacks! Come by room 239 anytime between 9 a.m. – noon on December 9 a.m. – noon.

FACULTY PUBLICATIONS

Quantifying the benefits of China-U.S. scientific collaboration Professor Jenny Lee and John Haupt , higher education doctoral student, wrote an article, titled Winners and losers in US-China scientific research collaborations , which statistically analyzes the benefits of China-U.S. scientific collaboration. The article, which was published in Higher Education , has been featured in Science , the Chronicle of Higher Education , Times Higher Education , and a piece from Insider Higher Ed . From Insider Higher Ed: “The article, published against a backdrop of increasing scrutiny of Chinese scientific collaborations and concerns from U.S. national security officials and lawmakers about the threat of academic espionage, finds that recent growth in U.S. science and engineering research depended on collaboration with Chinese scholars, while China’s total science and engineering research output would have increased from 2014 to 2018 even without collaboration with Americans.” Lee, J. J., & Haupt, J. P. (2019). Winners and losers in US-China scientific research collaborations. Higher Education, 1-18.

Examining the relationship between social persuasion, self-efficacy, and STEM career decision-making Assistant Professor Lia Falco recently published a study that clarified social persuasion as a source of self-efficacy in early adolescence and examined the influence of social persuasion on STEM self-efficacy. The article, titled Social Persuasions in Math and Their Prediction of STEM Courses Self-Efficacy in Middle School , was published in The Journal of Experimental Education.  Falco, L. D., & Summers, J. J. (2019). Social Persuasions in Math and Their Prediction of STEM Courses Self-Efficacy in Middle School. The Journal of Experimental Education, 1-18.

Exploring the experiences of bilingual school psychology students in a cultural immersion program at the Texas-Mexico border Associate Professor Desiree Vega recently published a study that investigated the experiences of seven bilingual school psychology graduate students’ participation in a two-week cultural immersion experience at the Texas-Mexico border. Findings revealed five significant themes related to their experience: 1) pushed out of comfort zone, 2) bonding with peers, 3) language, culture, and identity, 4) awareness of unique challenges, and 5) changes needed in the immersion program. The article, titled Bilingual School Psychology Graduate Students’ Perceptions of a Cultural Immersion Experience , was published in School Psychology International.   Vega, D., & Plotts, C. (2019). Bilingual school psychology graduate students’ perceptions of a cultural immersion experience. School Psychology International, 0143034319888965.

The reality of Border Patrol presence on campus At the beginning of the semester, Associate Professor Nolan Cabrera and Global Curriculum Integration Manager Adrián Arroyo wrote an article about the politics of border patrol presence on The University of Arizona campus. Read the full article on Nexos .

Exploring how visual analysis can be used to analyze power, ideologies, inequity, and resistance in picturebooks  Professor Kathy Short and Worlds of Words executive board members and college alumni Holly Johnson and Janelle Mathis recently released their book, C ritical Content Analysis of Visual Images in Books for Young People . The book provides a clear research methodology for understanding and analyzing visual imagery and offers strategies for "reading" illustrations in global and multicultural literature. Johnson, H., Mathis, J., & Short, K. G. (Eds.). (2019). Critical Content Analysis of Visual Images in Books for Young People: Reading Images. Routledge.

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Spotlight on Stellar Students! Name: Rena Daniella Mendoza Major: Literacy, Learning, and Leadership in Education (Leadership for Equity Access & Success Emphasis) Minor: Thematic Expected graduation: December 2019 Hometown: Tucson, AZ Spirit Animal: Wolf What led you to the University of Arizona College of Education? A Wildcat at heart, I always knew that the University of Arizona was my home. I am a born and raised Tucsonan, and being from a Hispanic family, I couldn’t see myself anywhere else.  What have you learned in the College of Education that's made a difference to you? Being a student in the College of Education has impacted my life tremendously. It has genuinely awoken my more profound purpose. I knew my calling was to help others in their educational journey, whether it's by helping a student with their homework or teaching others how to use software. The College of Education community — the professors, advisors, and faculty members — have added to my mission. They have prepared me with all the resources needed for my success and the tools to support my own “students.” I have truly placed my theory into practice.  Tell us about something you're involved with in the College of Education and how it's impacted your life. I am a non-traditional student, a parent, and a full-time employee at San Miguel High School, and I felt that I needed to be involved with the College of Education. I want to help current and future students to have a connection to the college. I am a leader ambassador for the College of Education, which allows me to tell other people about this community and how education is not only for a traditional classroom. I am also the vice-chair for the Dean's Undergraduate Advisory Board . I decided to join this board to represent online students, parents, and any other non-traditional student like me. Outside of the college, I am a student representative on the board for Literacy Connects . This community connection has helped me see that we need to spread equity through Tucson.  What are your post-graduation plans as of now? As of now, I am applying to the The University of Arizona for my graduate degree to pursue an emphasis in learning design and technology. I want to be able to aid in the success of future and life-long learners by designing or developing technologies into their learning. By doing this, I also want to enhance equity in the digital classroom so that students of diverse cultures or economic differences can succeed. By working with students and educators (present and future), I hope to make an impact on not only the Tucson community, but also those out of the state. What advice do you have for students just getting started in the College of Education? I want to tell students who are considering teaching or have a calling for education that the University of Arizona College of Education is home. We are like no other college; all staff and faculty are interested and engaged in the learning of every student. The calling that you have is a seed that needs nourishing and feeding this mission will lead to a clearer career path for you. Education is about learning in all concepts in and out of the classroom.

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