Ronda Fritz earned a special education doctorate in literacy from the University of Oregon in 2016. That was three years after Mississippi instituted a statewide literacy program that would bring its statewide reading scores from the bottom to the top of the country using a science of reading program.
Congrats to COE alum Mike Seager, MEd ’12 (Special Education), winner of Eugene School District 4J’s 2026 Golden Apple Award in the teacher/licensed specialist category. Mike is a special education teacher at Roosevelt Middle School. Core to his work with students is his Academic Success Rubric, a comprehensive list of skills needed for students to be successful in the classroom.
Yvonne Fasold, a three‑time UO graduate in English, Interdisciplinary English and Education, and Curriculum and Instruction (’67, ’69, ’92), built a 40‑year career as a creative, student‑centered educator before retiring and continuing her service as an active community volunteer. A College of Education donor for over twenty years, Yvonne has helped future teachers prepare to meet the diverse learning needs of students through scholarship support.
With a unique 4+1 model, hands-on classroom experience, and donor-funded scholarships, the University of Oregon College of Education’s Educational Foundations program is shaping the next generation of public-school teachers.
With support from the Berdine Jernigan Scholarship, Anahi Cortes, class of 2028 (educational foundations), is preparing to create classrooms where every student feels welcome.
The Tillamook Family Counseling Center welcomed Amanda Bunger in mid-November as its new Executive Director. Bunger was born and raised in Burns and attended Southern Oregon University, earning a bachelor’s degree in sociology before completing a master’s degree in counseling, family and human services at the University of Oregon.
On the latest episode of This is Oregon meet CDS alumni Melaney Grenz, '99, project manager at the Center on Brain Injury Research and Training (CBIRT) at the University of Oregon. Grenz discusses how her work with CBIRT helps support people with Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs) and what their impact can have on school, work, and daily function.
Springfield Public Schools special education teacher Sally Golden was named and celebrated as Oregon’s 2025-26 Teacher of the Year. Sally, a double-duck with a degree in Educational Studies, '99 and in Middle-Secondary Special Education, '00, has been a special education teacher in the Springfield Public Schools district for 20 years.
COE Double Duck Alumni Shaheen Munir-McHill, ' 11 MS, SPED, '13 PhD, SPSY, associate professor of practice and the coordinator of Special Education K-12 license and endorsement programs at Portland State University, has been named PSU's College of Education Researcher of the Year for 2025.
Ask alum Adrian Cruz, FHS '21, what made the difference for him at the University of Oregon, and he’ll say advising support. Or working for a program that inspires high schoolers to pursue higher ed. Or his time with Duck Rides, the free transportation service.
