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.
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Brief videos highlighting remarkable research and grant awards within the College of Education
INTERIM DEAN, THOMSON PROFESSOR
Emily Tanner-Smith
Professor Tanner-Smith discusses meta analysis project that focuses on examining the effectiveness of mathematics interventions.
PHILIP H. KNIGHT CHAIR
Beth Stormshak
Professor Beth Stormshak, PhD discusses The Family Check-Up Model and its unique, strength-based approach.
EVERGREEN ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR
Elizabeth Budd
Evergreen Associate Professor Liz Budd, PhD, discusses her project that focuses on addressing health disparities within Latinx communities.
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR
Ilana Umansky
Professor Umansky speaks to her involvement in the National R&D Center to Improve Education for Secondary English Learners.
Impact and Outcomes
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.
Research News
August 11, 2025
UO launches center to help improve middle schoolers' mental health
"We're in a mental health crisis. For the past two decades, mental health issues have been escalating, particularly among youth," said John Seeley, PhD, a professor and associate dean for research in the University of Oregon College of Education. "The COVID-19 pandemic put a spotlight on students in need of additional supports, and that's the aim of the center — to help provide those additional supports."
July 1, 2025
UO plans national children’s mental health center with $11M grant
With a new $11 million federal grant, the University of Oregon will create a national center for children’s mental health, putting the university at the forefront of national prevention efforts to improve the mental health and well-being of adolescents. In partnerships with middle schools, the center will focus on identifying issues early on.
June 30, 2025
Four-day school week may not be best for students, review finds
A new University of Oregon review of 11 studies found little evidence that the four-day school week benefits student academic performance, attendance, behavior or graduation rates. The HEDCO Institute for Evidence-Based Educational Practice at the UO conducted the systematic review, a rigorous analysis of the highest-quality research available on the four-day school week in the United States.
June 2, 2025
Emily Tanner-Smith, PhD, selected as a Society for Prevention Research Fellow
The 2025 Recognition and Honors Committee, with nominations from the membership of the Society for Prevention Research (SPR), selected Emily Tanner-Smith to be a Fellow. Fellowship is an honor that SPR bestows upon a small and select group of members who have a particularly distinguished record of contributions in the field of prevention research.
Jennifer Ruef, PhD, is one of four UO researchers to receive the National Science Foundation’s most prestigious honor for early-career faculty in 2024. Ruef’s project is focused on student perceptions of math and partnering with teachers to improve how they teach math.
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.