Research

individuals in the HEDCO lobby at the Graduate Student Research Poster Presentation
Research Driving Change

Faculty Research Spotlight    |   Impact and Outcomes    |    Student Research    |    HEDCO Institute    |    Research News   |    Research and Outreach Centers

We are home to 14 research and outreach units. Our faculty members in these units have a reputation for conducting innovative work in school reform, assessment, school-wide discipline and behavior management, positive youth development, family interventions, special education, early intervention, and culturally responsive educational practices. These programs help children and families of all ages—from infants and toddlers to adolescents and young adults. The work they do is making a difference in Oregon, across the country, and around the world.

Our research culture is field-leading and highly influential with a long tradition of translating research into effective models, methods, and measures that improve lives.

$61M
In faculty sponsored research and project grants FY2025
41
Principal investigators
in fy2025
89
Active research Awards
Received in fy2025
$682K
Average annual award
in fy2025

 

Lauren Cycyk
Faculty Research Spotlight

As part of the Autism Data Science Initiative at the National Institutes of Health, associate professor Lauren Cycyk is partnering with collaborators at the Oregon Health & Sciences University on a new initiative that will combine cutting-edge analytic work with direct outreach to the autism community to recommend ways to improve the health of people living with autism.

Learn more about the initiative

 Impact and Outcomes

43
commercial education products on the market right now
26,000+
implementing PBIS with the support of the Center on PBIS, 16,000+ schools using PBISApps
1 in 10
US Students were impacted by the use of The School-Wide Information System (SWIS)

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.

Our Education Products

Research and Outreach Units

Prevention Science Institute

Student Research

Recognized for decades of life-changing research, the College of Education fosters a culture of inquiry that empowers students to contribute to impactful solutions that advance equity, improve learning outcomes, and strengthen communities. 

Bonnie Schrag
 

Bonnie Schrag
Research on how body positivity can make real changes in student's home environment.

Havisha Khurana
 

Havisha Khurana
Exploring English proficiency in EL status that influence California students academic and behavioral outcomes. 

Lauren Berny
 

Lauren Berny
As a doctoral student, Lauren received a prestigious R36 dissertation grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

HEDCO Institute Classroom
HEDCO Institute for Evidence-Based Educational Practice

Strengthening connections between research and practice in K-12 education

The HEDCO Institute for Evidence-Based Educational Practice aims to impact future generations by supporting today’s educators. Using the latest tools and methods to conduct rigorous evidence syntheses that meet the rapid decision-making needs of education leaders, the HEDCO Institute translates the findings from existing research, providing education leaders with trustworthy information to support the implementation of evidence-based practices, and promoting healthy students and schools.

Discover the HEDCO Institute

Research News 

June 1, 2026

Lisa Mazzei

Lisa Mazzei receives AERA Dangerous Coagulations Award

COE Professor Lisa Mazzei received the 2026 Dangerous Coagulations Award from the American Educational Research Association’s Critical Posthuman and Postfoundational Studies in Education Special Interest Group. The award recognizes collaborative research teams whose scholarship advances post-foundational studies in education and pushes the boundaries of educational research through innovative and interdisciplinary approaches.

May 26, 2026

individuals holding red cups and a brown bottle

Heavy drinking takes toll on college students' cognition, UO study finds

Many students don’t realize that heavy drinking has negative effects for both the short- and long-term, said one of the study’s lead authors, Ashley Linden-Carmichael, an associate professor in the Department of Counseling Psychology and Human Services in the COE.

May 13, 2026

Ilana Umansky, PhD

Academic Gatekeeping of English Learner-Classified Students: The Case of California

Associate Professor Ilana Umansky, PhD, and QRME doctoral student Havisha Khurana, examine how keeping California students who have already demonstrated English proficiency in EL status influence their academic and behavioral outcomes compared to being reclassified.

May 6, 2026

multiple children sitting in a classroom looking upwards

UO researchers offer approaches to reduce absenteeism in US schools

Chronic absenteeism is one of the biggest challenges K-12 schools face across the United States. A new report from the HEDCO Institute at the University of Oregon offers promising approaches to reduce chronic absenteeism, including curriculum changes and better communication with parents.

 

 

 

All Research News  »

 

Research and Outreach Units

Click on the titles below to learn about the research and outreach unit's current work, see faculty and staff directories, learn about community impact, and more.   

Behavioral Research and Teaching
The BRT concentrates on student learning information systems and teacher decision-making by researching and developing basic skills and content assessments, and supporting accessibility to state accountability systems that document academic standards proficiency.
Center for Equity Promotion
CEQP is dedicated to working with communities to better understand and support the positive development of children and families, particularly those who are underserved by education, health, and social services systems.
Center on Human Development
CHD focuses on research, training, and outreach to support individuals with disabilities, their families, and communities. Home to the University Center for Excellence on Developmental Disabilities, our faculty and staff are particularly committed to bridging the research-to-practice gap through partnerships with schools and other community agencies. 
Center for Childhood Safety and Wellbeing
CSAW is designed to develop, implement and research a collective impact and public health approach to child safety and wellbeing.
Center on Teaching and Learning
CTL conducts research on the design, delivery, and efficacy of curriculum, instruction, and assessment as individual elements used in schools, especially in the primary, elementary, and middle school grades.
Early Childhood CARES
ECCares provides early intervention and early childhood special education services to children from birth to five-year-olds in Lane County who have a development delay, disability and/or sensory impairment.
Educational and Community Supports
ECS focuses on the development and implementation of practices that result in positive, durable, and scientifically substantiated change in the lives of individuals with disabilities and their families. Federal and state funded projects support research, teaching, dissemination, and technical assistance activities
intoCAREERS
IntoCareers works directly with leaders in education and workforce across the United States to develop and centralize evidence-based resources, curriculum, and technology-supported career action plans. By engaging state leaders, intoCareers maximizes at-scale impact while ensuring that the focus remains on empowering individuals in their personal Career Action Plans.
Oregon Career Information System
CIS provides a seamless connection between education, workforce, career, and reskilling. CIS assists state agencies, schools, community organizations, and private businesses to remove barriers to career planning, provide comprehensive information about opportunities, tools that teach career self-management skills, and information specific to Oregon’s labor and education markets.
Oregon Education Science Laboratory
OESL conducts research on teaching and learning in STEM+C education (science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and computing) with an emphasis on creating and studying learning environments that foster equity and inclusion for historically underrepresented groups.
Secondary Special Education and Transition
SSET conducts research and outreach activities to develop and implement research-based transition services that assist transition-age youth in developing knowledge and skills to fulfill their desired adult roles, including meaningful employment, completion of postsecondary education or training programs, and living independently in the community.
Prevention Science Institute
PSI is a multidisciplinary institute focused on understanding human development, preventing behavioral health problems, and implementing effective interventions in community settings.
HEDCO Clinic
HEDCO Clinic can assist with a variety of challenges from treating stuttering to helping families navigate parenting or relationship issues. We are here to assist caregivers of children and adolescents, individuals experiencing stress or mental health issues, couples, and families.
The HEDCO Institute for Evidence-Based Educational Practice
The HEDCO Institute for Evidence-Based Educational Practice provides K-12 education and policy leaders in the United States with relevant, accessible, valid, and reliable information about the latest research so they can implement evidence-informed practices and policies that promote the physical, mental, and social well-being of students, schools, and communities.