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 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 …
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 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 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 …
By Laurel White A new study from UW–Madison researchers offers insight into the unique experiences of Black men pursuing advanced degrees in engineering. The study, published in The Journal of Higher Education, found that Black men often entered their graduate education with high personal expectations, anticipation of challenging work, and assumptions of navigating graduate school in …
Two faculty members from the UW–Madison School of Education received awards from the Association for Education Finance and Policy (AEFP) at its 2026 Association for Education Finance and Policy (AEFP) Annual Conference. AEFP is a professional organization for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners working in education finance and policy from early childhood to postsecondary and beyond. Taylor …
Aireale Rodgers, an assistant professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis in the School of Education, has been selected for funding through UW–Madison’s Exceptional Service Support Program. The program recognizes assistant and associate professors who perform service activities beyond what is expected of tenure-track and tenured faculty members. The program offers flexible …
By Isabelle K. Dunai When Estevan Molina arrived at the airport, he carried a suitcase filled entirely with basketballs. About 40 of them — all different sizes, all donated by UW–Madison’s Athletic Department, and all deflated — were squeezed into a checked bag. The plan was clear: deliver them to youth programs and basketball academies across Senegal. …
UW–Madison graduate student and alumnus Christian Bonner, a general music teacher at Kennedy Elementary School, has been awarded a 2026 Wisconsin Arts Celebration Grant from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) and the Wisconsin Arts Board. Created in 2023 to celebrate the Wisconsin Arts Board’s 50th anniversary, the Wisconsin Arts Celebration Project provides free music, lesson …