University of Wisconsin–Madison

Category: Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis

School of Education faculty and staff participate in UW–Madison program on AI in higher education

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By Laurel White Several faculty and staff from the School of Education are part of a new campus program dedicated to exploring how to engage with and respond to the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) in higher education.  Mark Dziedzic (Greater Madison Writing Project), Chris Kirchgasler (Department of Curriculum and Instruction), David Williamson Shaffer (Department of Educational Psychology), Peter van Kan (Department …

SERP student-led paper wins Best Student Paper Award at AERA

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A paper led by a Summer Education Research Program (SERP) student and co-authored by a UW–Madison faculty member and three graduate students has received a Best Student Paper Award from the Learning Sciences Special Interest Group (SIG) at the American Educational Research Association’s (AERA) 2026 Annual Conference.  The paper’s lead author is Reina Yorba-Rico, a …

ELPA higher education faculty member Xueli Wang wins inaugural UW–Madison graduate student mentoring award

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By Laurel White A faculty member in the School of Education’s Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis (ELPA) was one of just six faculty members campus-wide to be chosen for the The Graduate School’s inaugural Faculty Award for Excellence in Graduate Student Mentoring. Xueli Wang, the Barbara and Glenn Thompson Professor in Educational Leadership, received the …

School of Education student Benjamin Lebovitz receives campus Graduate Peer Mentor Award

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UW–Madison doctoral student Benjamin Lebovitz was selected as a recipient of the Graduate Peer Mentor Award at the 2026 Bucky’s Awards Ceremony on April 12. Lebovitz is a PhD student in the School of Education’s Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis (ELPA). The Graduate Peer Mentor Award recognizes graduate students who demonstrate strong mentorship …

UW–Madison’s Burt pens commentary urging faculty and students to tend their well-being

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By Laurel White In a new Teachers College Record commentary, a School of Education faculty member shares his reflections on how to maintain personal well-being while pursuing a successful career in academia. Brian Burt, a professor in the School of Education’s Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis and director of Wisconsin’s Equity and Inclusion Laboratory (Wei LAB) in …

School of Education alumna Erin Gill wins national honor for dissertation on LGBTQ+ youth in rural areas

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An alumna of the UW–Madison School of Education has been awarded the American Educational Research Association (AERA) 2026 Dissertation of the Year Award from the organization’s Rural Education Special Interest Group. Erin Gill, who graduated with her doctoral degree from the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis in 2025, is now a postdoctoral researcher …

UW–Madison’s López voted vice president-elect of AERA’s Division C

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UW–Madison’s Francesca López is one of four education researchers voted as division vice presidents-elect of the American Educational Research Association (AERA). López will represent Division C (Learning and Instruction) and will join AERA’s 2027-28 Council following the organization’s 2027 Annual Meeting, serving a three-year term. López is the Jim and Georgia Thompson Distinguished Professor in …

UW–Madison School of Education ranked No. 1 by U.S. News for third straight year

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For the third consecutive year, UW–Madison is home to the top-ranked school of education in the nation according to U.S. News & World Report’s Best Education Graduate Schools rankings published on Tuesday. In addition to the overall ranking, 12 graduate programs housed within the UW–Madison School of Education were also highly rated by U.S. News in its …

UW–Madison alumna wins Dissertation of the Year Award

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UW–Madison alumna Nicole Contreras-Garcia is the recipient of the Richard M. Romano Dissertation of the Year Award from the Council for the Study of Community Colleges (CSCC). Contreras-Garcia earned her PhD from the School of Education’s Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis in 2025 and is now an assistant professor of higher education leadership …

UW–Madison alumna receives AERA dissertation honor

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UW–Madison alumna Bethany Sansing-Helton has received an honorable mention for the 2025–26 American Educational Research Association (AERA) Division J Dissertation of the Year Award. Sansing-Helton earned her PhD in 2025 from the School of Education’s Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis. Her dissertation, “Toward a New Theoretical and Empirical Understanding of Faculty Engagement with …