Faculty and Staff in the News
Academic excellence at the College of Education begins with our internationally renowned faculty. As award-winning scholars, professionals, and innovators in research, outreach, education, and more, they are just as likely to publish in The New York Times as the The Oregonian. In the classroom, they are passionate teachers who inform and inspire. Out in the field, they are dedicated mentors who help students build real-world skills and strong professional networks.
We are the highest-ranked academic unit at the University of Oregon, due largely to a decades-long record of national and international research and development in special education, counseling psychology, educational leadership, and school psychology. Our research culture is unique and highly influential because our faculty have a long tradition of translating research into effective models, methods, and measures that improve lives. Our innovations have an enduring impact in Oregon and across the nation.
Books from our faculty reflect the extent of expertise and interest within their departments and programs. As a college in a research university, our faculty’s variety of interests connect research to teaching and teaching to learning.
Faculty and Staff Support Students to Graduation and Beyond
Our students are smart, creative, and increasingly diverse. Our faculty and staff support and celebrate their successes. With over 26,321 College of Education alumni to date, we work hard to provide inspiring educational opportunities in the classroom and beyond.
Bricker-Squires Faculty Chair in Early Intervention
Dr. Sara Schmitt is an associate professor in the College of Education's prevention science and special education program. As an academic expert in self-regulation and school readiness in young children, her research is focused on two areas: identifying contextual and individual predictors and correlates of self-regulation and school readiness in early childhood, and designing and evaluating targeted interventions, curricula, and policies to enhance these skills in children from minoritized populations, for example, those living in poverty. Dr. Schmitt has an extensive background in developing early childhood interventions that are low-cost, feasible to implement and incorporate in preschool classrooms, and are accessible to all early educators. These research lines are in the service of detecting and preventing early learning problems and, ultimately, reducing socioeconomic disparities as children make their way through formal schooling.
Dr. Schmitt is also interested in training practitioners to better support children’s development of self-regulation in early childhood. For example, she is currently leading training and implementation support efforts for a new early childhood curriculum (Early Learning Matters) that is being implemented in nearly 3,000 military child development classrooms worldwide, serving hundreds of thousands of children and families.
Recent Media:
New research to test validity of an early learning curriculum (Oregon News, September 24, 2024)
UO Scientists and Big Ten peers Make Powerful Partners (Oregon Quarterly, July 3, 2024)
Sara Schmitt awarded grant for early childhood curriculum evaluation (July 14, 2024)
Products with a Purpose
The College of Education HEDCO Building is the anchor innovation hub among the six buildings that house the majority of our classrooms, research and outreach units, clinics, and faculty labs. Driving change by developing highly scalable products and services has always been part of the distinctive culture of our college. In fact, the research and development work of our faculty has created an “EduTech” industry in Eugene and Lane County. Our research and development has always been inspired by our desire to effect evidence-based change that redresses disparities in education and health – “products with purpose.” This work is now focused on addressing racism and bias.
Career Trek engages students in highly interactive, developmentally-appropriate, and gamified career exploration
Designed specifically for elementary school, CareerTrek scaffolds vocabulary and activities to introduce and reinforce key, evidence-based career development concepts.
CareerTrek is developed by IntoCareers, an outreach unit at the College of Education.
KinderTEK® iPad math, KinderTEK Pro Connected, KinderTEKOffline
KinderTEK™ was developed by the Center on Teaching and Learning in collaboration with Concentric Sky, Inc with funding from the Department of Education.
Used by approximately 5,000 elementary students and over 200 teachers in almost 100 schools in 50 districts. In 2020, KinderTEK Pro Connected and iPads were made freely available to 180 Head Start families to foster math learning and communication.
MOCCA: Multiple-choice Online Causal Comprehension Assessment
MOCCA is a computer-adaptive online assessment to diagnose specific types of poor comprehension in grade 2 to 8 students.
MOCCA was developed by four universities — the UO, University of Minnesota, Georgia State University and Chico State University. Work continues with Emberex to improve access to and use of the assessment tool.
Cultivate School and Community Learning Collaborative
Research and Evidence-Based Professional Development for K12 and Early Learning
Oregon Research Schools Network (ORSN) is now Cultivate! Cultivate partners with ESDs, Districts and Schools to deliver research and evidence-based Professional Development that supports developing High Quality Environments for Children & Adults to learn and work.