PD

2025 UConn ECE New Instructor Orientation

Posted on by

UConn ECE Welcomes 290 Newly Certified Instructors This Spring

This spring, UConn Early College Experience (ECE) celebrated the certification of 290 instructors, including 224 new partners who completed New Instructor Orientation. These educators earned certification in 242 courses, expanding access to UConn courses across Connecticut high schools.

Led by Program Director Chris Todd and the ECE staff, the day-long orientation introduced instructors to key aspects of the program, including teaching responsibilities, student registration, and alignment with NACEP standards. Breakout sessions covered UConn instructional resources, program operations, and student enrichment opportunities such as Pre-College Summer.

Afternoon discipline-specific meetings connected instructors with Faculty Coordinators and peers, fostering collaboration and community. With over 40 Faculty Coordinators participating, the event underscored UConn ECE’s commitment to supporting its growing network.

As the academic year concludes, UConn ECE celebrates this milestone and remains focused on enriching educational opportunities for both teachers and students statewide.

Posted in PD

Spring 2025 UConn ECE LLAS Instructor Workshop

Posted on by

On Friday, May 16th, UConn Early College Experience and the faculty from Latino and Latin American Studies (LLAS) welcomed certified ECE LLAS instructors to their annual professional development conference, held at the UConn Hartford campus in the Hartford Times Building. This year’s theme, “Contextualizing the Present in the Past: Lessons from Latin America to Help Us Understand Today’s World,” invited participants to reflect on how historical patterns in Latin America—such as authoritarianism, populism, and censorship—can help illuminate current global political challenges.

The day began with program updates, followed by a compelling presentation from Dr. Rodolfo Fernandez, Assistant Professor in Residence, El Instituto who explored how Latin American history offers critical insights into contemporary threats to democracy and the ways individuals have historically resisted them. After lunch, ECE Instructor Bonnie Nietupski presented “Digital Humanities: Empowering Students to Explore and Compare Justice & Law, Memory & Hope in Latin America,” highlighting innovative approaches to student engagement and research. The afternoon concluded with a collaborative session on teaching in times of fear and the role of emerging technologies like ChatGPT. Instructors shared strategies for navigating challenging classroom discussions while equipping students with the tools to connect past and present. The conference offered valuable perspectives, practical resources, and a renewed sense of purpose for educators teaching at the intersection of history, politics, and social justice.

UConn LLAS courses offered through UConn Early College Experience.

Spring 2025 UConn ECE Statistics Instructor Workshop

Posted on by

On Wednesday, May 14th, UConn Early College Experience (ECE) and the Department of Statistics hosted their annual professional development workshop for all certified UConn ECE STAT instructors. The day was filled with insightful discussions and academic exchange. The workshop began with  short welcome and preliminary announcements, setting a collegial tone for the day. Later Prof. Nalini Ravishanker led a dynamic discussion focused on teaching strategies and course materials, encouraging instructors to share their experiences and ideas for enhancing student learning.

Following a short break the group reconvened for a presentation by Professor Kun Chen from the Department of Statistics. Attendees appreciated the opportunity to hear directly from a leading faculty member on current developments in the field.

UConn Statistics courses offered through UConn Early College Experience.

Spring 2025 UConn ECE HDFS Instructor Workshop

Posted on by

On Tuesday, May 13th, UConn Early College Experience (ECE) and the Department of Human Development and Family Sciences (HDFS) hosted their annual professional development workshop for all certified UConn ECE HDFS instructors. The event brought together educators from across the state to reflect on the past year, share best practices, and engage in meaningful professional learning.

The day began with a warm welcome and program updates from Dr. Shannon E. Weaver, Faculty Coordinator of the HDFS 1070 and Naomi Inman, Graduate Assistant. Attendees also heard from ECE Program Director, Chris Todd, who provided an important update about all things UConn ECE. Morning sessions included discussions on syllabi requirements and yearly evaluations, led by Dr. Weaver. A keynote presentation on Emerging Topics in Developmental Science followed, offering insights into current trends in the field/ After lunch, instructors participated in a session on evaluating textbooks and engaged in breakout roundtable discussions to share their reviews. The afternoon concluded with a larger group discussion and closing remarks from Dr. Weaver and Naomi Inman. The workshop provided a valuable space for collaboration, reflection, and continued growth within the ECE HDFS teaching community.

UConn HDFS courses offered through UConn Early College Experience.

Spring 2025 UConn ECE EDLR 2001 Instructor Workshop

Posted on by

It was a beautiful day on Friday, April 25, when we were joined by a group of 15 EDLR 2001: Contemporary Social Issues in Sport instructors on the UConn Storrs Campus. Thanks to the continued efforts of Dr. Danielle DeRosa, Faculty Coordinator for Educational Leadership, this group has grown to include teachers from a variety of unique disciplines, including History, English, Health/Physical Education, and Social Studies. Each provides a unique lens through which to teach their students about the industry of sport. Instructors were given the opportunity to meet with Eric Schneider, Associate Director of Athletics and Compliance at UConn, to discuss the ever-evolving landscape of college athletics, including NIL (name, image, and likeness) policies.

The afternoon was topped off by a walking tour of several of UConn’s athletic facilities, including Gampel Pavilion, the flagship site of the “Basketball Capitol of the World”, along with the baseball, softball, volleyball, and ice hockey facilities. Many thanks to Dan Petrik, a Master’s candidate in Sports Management, for the exciting tour.

Thank you to all who joined us for the day’s events, and especially to Danielle for her continued collaboration with the ECE program.

UConn Education (EDLR/EDCI) courses available through UConn Early College Experience.

Spring 2025 UConn ECE Spanish Instructor Workshop

Posted on by

ECE extends our thanks to the 85 certified Spanish Instructors who joined us at Friday, April 11th’s annual Professional Development conference. The group convened on the UConn Storrs Campus, joined by Professor Oscar Martin, chair for the Department of Languages and Literatures at Lehman College. Professor Martin delivered a lecture entitled “Estudiantes, hay camino y se hace camino al andar” (Translation: “Students, there is a path, and the path is made by walking”). Following the keynote address, instructors had the opportunity to work on a collaborative group project with their peers.

Thank you to all who joined us this past week, especially our wonderful faculty coordinators for ECE Spanish, Gustavo Nanclares, Ph.D. and Celines Villalba Rosado, Ph.D.

We look forward to connecting with you all again soon!

UConn Spanish courses available through UConn Early College Experience.

Spring 2025 UConn ECE Art Instructor Workshop

Posted on by

ECE welcomed our Art instructors for a virtual professional development experience this past Thursday, thanks to the tireless efforts of Cora Lynn Deibler, our ECE Faculty Coordinator for Art. Attendees got the chance to be in community with two guest speakers, whose information can be found below!

Douglas Degges, Assistant Professor of Painting and Drawing, University of Connecticut

Professor Robyn Phillips-Pendleton, University of Delaware

Thank you to all who joined us this past week, and for their continued support of the ECE Art program!

UConn Art courses available through UConn Early College Experience.

Spring 2025 UConn ECE Italian Instructor Workshop

Posted on by

Some of our favorite professional development experiences are when we get to take our instructors off-campus, to engage with their field of expertise in a more hands-on way. We got that opportunity this past Friday, April 4th, when our Italian instructors convened at the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art in Hartford, Connecticut. We extend our thanks to Tina Chiappetta-Miller, Ph.D., our faculty coordinator for ECE Italian, for her tireless work to make this experience happen!

Our instructors were treated to a private guided tour of the museum, followed by a wonderful presentation by Stephanie Barnett, School and Teacher Programs Manager for the Wadsworth. We also got a lot of great photos of the event, which we encourage you to take a look at below!

UConn Italian courses available through UConn Early College Experience.

Spring 2025 UConn ECE LMS Training

Posted on by

On Thursday, March 27th, our ECE Library Media Specialists met for their semesterly training. Attendees were treated to a number of informative sessions which helped deepend their understanding of the resources that the UConn Library has to offer ECE students and instructors. The day’s schedule is attached below:

  • Government Information @ UConn Library – Kristina Edwards, Electronic Resources Librarian
  • Universal Design for Learning in One-Shot Instruction Sessions – Erica Charis-Molling, Instructional Design and Learning Librarian
  • Acknowledge, Cite, Evaluate: Your Usage of AI – Renee Walsh, STEM Librarian
  • Introduction to Zotero – Rob Walsh, Waterbury Campus Library Director

For all those who could not attend, information and recordings will be uploaded to the ECE LibGuide very soon. Check the link below for more details! Thank you to all who contributed their time, and to all those who attended this past week’s event! We’ll see you in the Fall.

UConn Library resources available through UConn Early College Experience.

Spring 2025 UConn ECE German Workshop

Posted on by

On Tuesday, March 25th, we welcomed our ECE German instructors to the UConn Storrs Campus, in collaboration with our ECE Faculty Coordinator for German, Dr. Anke Finger.

Instructors were treated to a tour of UConn’s own William Benton Museum of Art, before a keynote address by Isabel Avens, a PhD candidate in German Studies with a graduate minor in Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies from Cornell University. Avens also earned her M.A. in German Studies from the University of Connecticut!

Thank you to all who joined us for an exciting professional development experience.

German courses available through UConn Early College Experience.

Spring 2025 UConn ECE Allied Health Workshop

Posted on by

ECE extends our thanks to our Allied Health instructors, who joined us on the Storrs Campus on Tuesday, March 18th, for their annual professional development experience!

Our instructors were welcomed in the morning by Professor Justin Nash, department head for Allied Health at UConn, before embarking on a series of conversations involving working through key challenges in teaching ECE courses, sharing best practices, and establishing a precedent of peer support and collaboration across ECE Allied Health.

We also offer a special thanks to our faculty coordinator, Professor Bruce Blanchard, for his tireless efforts to support our ECE Allied Health community.

Allied Health courses available through UConn Early College Experience.

Spring 2025 UConn ECE French Workshop

Posted on by

On Friday, March 14th, UConn ECE welcomed 37 of our French instructors to the Storrs campus for an invigorating professional development opportunity!

The morning consisted of a lecture on the theme of childhood and its manifestations in French cinema, led by Assistant Professor in French Studies, Dr. Raphaël Koenig. Then, in the afternoon our instructors were given the opportunity to visit UConn’s Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry for a tour and a lecture on puppetry in France and French-speaking countries led by Dr. John Bell, Director of Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry and Associate Professor in the Dramatic Arts Department.

Many thanks, as always, to Dr. Florence Marsal, our faculty coordinator for French, for her tireless efforts to support our ECE Allied Health community.

French courses available through UConn Early College Experience.

Spring 2025 UConn ECE Earth Sciences Workshop

Posted on by

We’re back from Spring Break, and onto the final stretch of the Spring semester! This past Monday, March 24th, ECE welcomed our Earth Sciences instructors to the Storrs Campus, in collaboration with Dr. Robert Thorson, our wonderful faculty coordinator for ECE ERTH.

This year’s workshop was titled Connecticut’s Sense of Place, and consisted of two educational activities (described below), followed by a brief walking tour of key teaching sites that Dr. Thorson (“Thor”) utilizes to teach his introductory geoscience classes.

A brief overview of each workshop session:

PART A – Our Land

A dialogue slide show featuring ten places in CT that, taken together, provide an solid overview of how the geology influences our sense of place. This approach was summarized in an article in UConn Today by Elaina Hancock titled “Appreciating the Bones of Connecticut’s Landscape.” This article covers a series of ten mini-essays published together in a cover issue of Connecticut Magazine titled Our Land.

PART B – Teachers Responses to Connecticut’s “Sense of Place.”

The teachers were assigned a series of four short essays that collectively narrate how the Connecticut landscape came to be. These are: Part 1 – Making Connecticut and Part 2 – Connecticut’s Glacial Gifts and Part 3 – Exit Ramp Culture and Part 4 – Losing Ground. During this part of the workshop, Thorson highlighted each essay before the teachers shared their responses with each other.

Many thanks to all who joined us for a wonderful morning!

Earth Sciences courses available through UConn Early College Experience.

Spring 2025 UConn ECE Educational Psychology Workshop

Posted on by

On Wednesday, March 19th, our ECE Educational Psychology Instructors met virtually for their annual professional development, thanks to the efforts of our ECE Faculty Coordinator for EPSY, Dr. Joseph Madaus.

Instructors had the chance to connect with the Dean of the NEAG School of Education, Dr. Jason Irizarry, before our keynote discussion led by Jonathan Mooney: entrepreneur, activist, and author of The Short Bus: A Journey Beyond Normal.

We encourage you to check out the link above for more information about Mooney’s journey to write his fascinating book.

Thank you to all who donated your time and energy to help make this an incredible opportunity for our instructors to connect and engage!

Educational Psychology courses available through UConn Early College Experience.

Spring 2025 UConn ECE Asian and Asian American Studies Workshop

Posted on by

On Thursday, March 13th, UConn Early College Experience and the faculty from Asian & Asian American Studies (AAAS) welcomed certified ECE AAAS instructors to the annual professional development workshop held at UConn’s Benton Museum of Art. The day began with registration and a warm welcome on the museum’s second floor, where participants discussed both individual and collective goals for the workshop. Attendees then explored the Minnie Negoro exhibit, followed by a reflective session focused on pedagogies related to Japanese American WWII incarceration. After a midday lunch break, the afternoon featured interactive sessions including a pair-and-share syllabus review, discussion of Asian American Studies frameworks, and strategies for incorporating inquiry-based learning into the classroom The workshop provided a meaningful space for collaboration, critical reflection, and the exchange of ideas to enhance teaching practices in Asian and Asian American Studies.

UConn AAAS courses offered through UConn Early College Experience.

Spring 2025 UConn ECE Environmental Science Instructor Workshop

Posted on by

On, Wednesday, March 12th UConn Early College Experience, in collaboration with the Environmental Sciences faculty, hosted the annual Professional Development Workshop for certified UConn ECE Natural Resources and the Environment (NRE) instructors. The event was held virtually via WebEx, allowing participants from across the state to join remotely.

The conference began with a warm welcome and introductions led by Morty Ortega. The highlight of the morning was a presentation by Dr. Rick Relyea, Professor and David M. Darrin ’40 Senior Endowed Chair at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Dr. Relyea shared valuable insights on freshwater salinization and its ecological impacts on animals, plants, and algae.

Following a short break, the session resumed with a practical segment focused on bringing environmental science into the classroom, equipping instructors with tools and strategies to engage students in real-world ecological issues.

The workshop concluded with final thoughts from Morty Ortega, wrapping up a morning of meaningful discussion and professional growth for NRE educators.

UConn NRE courses offered through UConn Early College Experience.

Spring 2025 UConn ECE European History Instructor Workshop

Posted on by

On Wednesday, March 12, UConn Early College Experience and the faculty from HIST 1400 welcomed certified instructors to the annual professional development conference, held on the UConn Storrs campus in the Babbidge Library’s HBL 1102 Instruction Room.

The day began with a welcome session, followed by a presentation from Dr. Dexter Gabriel, who spoke on “Black People in the European World: From the Early Modern Era through the Age of Emancipation.”

Attendees then engaged in a group discussion centered on selected articles and a video, including:

  • “A Conversation on the Black Presence in Tudor England” (Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco)
  • Scholarly works by Mullen, Mundell, Newman, and Miguel Valerio, exploring Black lives in 18th-century Britain and Afro-Christian identity in Iberia.

After a short break, Mr. Richard Bleiler, UConn’s Collections & Humanities Librarian, introduced instructors to primary sources available in the UConn Libraries related to Black people in Europe.

Following lunch, Dr. Kaveh Yazdani presented on “Slavery, Anton Wilhelm Amo, and the Appraisal of Blacks in German Lands, 17th to 18th Centuries,” offering valuable historical context and classroom insight.

The conference concluded with an open discussion on how to incorporate race and diversity into the HIST 1400 curriculum, fostering a deeper and more inclusive understanding of European history among students.

UConn History courses offered through UConn Early College Experience.

Spring 2025 UConn ECE American Sign Language Instructor Workshop

Posted on by

On Wednesday, March 12th, UConn Early College Experience and the ASL faculty welcomed certified ECE ASLN instructors to the annual Professional Development Workshop for a day of collaboration and learning. The day began with a with a campus tour, including a stop at the ASL Community Housing. Later attendees heard program updates from ASL faculty and staff, explored resources like the ASL Resource Center and language labs, and learned about ASL degree pathways and instructional support. Instructors observed live ASL classes and attended curriculum sessions. The day also highlighted student experiences, including Deaf Fest, ASL Club, and study programs in Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico. A group lunch provided time for networking before the workshop wrapped up with a visit to Mike Schlang’s ASLN 3306W: Advanced American Sign Language Level II class. Thank you to all who attended and contributed to this engaging and impactful event!

UConn ASLN courses offered through UConn Early College Experience.

Spring 2025 UConn ECE Animal Science Workshop

Posted on by

ECE Animal Science welcomed their instructors to the UConn Storrs Campus on Tuesday, March 11 for their annual professional development experience.

The workshop included discussions on course proceedings and assignments, and review of sample syllabi. Additionally, instructors were given the opportunity to observe a life course section of ANSC 1602: Behavior and Training of Domestic Animals. The true highlight of the day was a trip to the UConn Dairy Bar, where instructors got to experience our world famous UConn ice cream, compliments of our UConn dairy cattle!

A special thanks to our faculty coordinators, Jenifer Nadeau, Ph.D and Amy Safran, Ph. D for all of their hard work to support our instructors and their students.

Animal Science courses available through UConn Early College Experience.

Spring 2025 UConn ECE Digital Media and Design Workshop

Posted on by

This past Friday, March 7th, our ECE Digital Media and Design instructors met for an engaging professional development experience on the UConn Storrs Campus, under the guidance of ECE Faculty Coordinator and Assistant Professor Kenneth Thompson. Instructors got to experience a digital artistry workshop led by Dennis Recchia, followed by an ever-relevant discussion of AI usage in DMD classrooms facilitated by Luiza Dos Printes Santos. Finally, they were led on a tour of the Digital Media and Design facilities on campus.

A special thanks to our faculty and guest contributors for their hard work on this incredible day!

Digital Media and Design courses available through UConn Early College Experience.

Spring 2025 UConn ECE Kinesiology Workshop

Posted on by

Welcome back to Storrs, UConn ECE Instructors!

Our first in-person professional development event of 2025 was held on Wednesday, February 26th, for our Kinesiology instructors, under the guidance of Instructor-in-Residence Allison MacKenzie, our ECE Faculty Coordinator for Kinesiology.

Our instructors talked assignment structure and course expectations, before an invigorating talk on social determinants of health and wellness.

Thank you to all who participated, and helped to create yet another enriching experience for our ECE instructors! We are glad to be back for the Spring semester.

Kinesiology courses available through UConn Early College Experience.

Spring 2025 UConn ECE Political Science Workshop

Posted on by

Our ECE Political Science teachers convened virtually on Wednesday, February 26th, marking our first virtual professional development experience of 2025!

The theme of this year’s Political Science Workshop was Bringing Politics into the Classroom. Instructors were treated to two discussion sections, which are described below:

Faculty Discussions: Instructors heard from UConn Faculty from “comparative politics and international relations about the rise and effects of authoritarianism in world politics. With many democratic nations around the globe sliding slowly towards authoritarianism, it is important to help students understand these trends, their consequences, and what they can do.”

Guest Speaker: We extend our thanks to Denise Merrill, “a UConn alum, adjunct political science professor, and former Connecticut Secretary of State”, for serving as our keynote speaker for this event. Secretary Merrill provided an invaluable opportunity for our instructors to be in community with an individual whose career in local and state-level politics has been rich and storied.

A special thanks as well to our ECE Political Science Faculty Coordinators, Oksan Bayulgen, Ph.D. and Evan Perkoski, Ph.D., for their tireless work to support our ECE students and instructors.

Political Science courses available through UConn Early College Experience.

Fall 2024 UConn ECE Math Workshop

Posted on by

On Thursday, December 12th, we hosted our final professional development workshop for Fall 2024! Certified ECE Math instructors met virtually this morning, under the guidance of ECE Faculty Coordinator for Mathematics, Dr. Anthony Rizzie.

For the beginning of the workshop, all instructors convened via Webex for some ECE and Math-related updates, before breaking into groups based on the specific Math courses that they teach. Finally, the workshop wrapped up with a discussion on student preparedness and readiness.

Thank you to all who participated, and helped to create yet another enriching experience for our ECE instructors!

Fall 2024 UConn ECE Anthropology Workshop

Posted on by

On Friday, December 6th, we hosted a professional development workshop for UConn ECE Anthropology instructors, thanks to the guidance of Dr. Alexia Smith, ECE Faculty Coordinator for Anthropology. Our instructors met in UConn’s Archeobotany lab, and were treated to several informative discussions. Topics are listed below:

  1. National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Career Competencies
  2. Scientific Archaeology: Transferrable Skills
  3. Exploring Cultural Heritage

This workshop marked our final in-person professional development experience for 2024, so we extend our appreciation to all who have participated and learned with us!

Many thanks to Dr. Smith for her dedication to the ECE community, and for her work in organizing an enriching experience for our instructors.

Fall 2024 UConn ECE Chemistry Workshop

Posted on by

On Monday, November 25h, UConn ECE Chemistry instructors convened on the UConn Storrs campus for their annual professional development conference, under the guidance of Dr. Fatma Selampinar, ECE Faculty Coordinator for Chemistry.

We were joined by Assistant Professor Alexander Askenov, who led a lecture on his research entitled “Introduction to Molecular Community Networking and the Dark Matter of Metabolomics”. Following the talk, instructors participated in an interactive workshop, involving analysis of public mass spectrometry data using the “MCN Approach” (steps outlined below):

– Setting up molecular networks using GNPS

– Use of Cytoscape software

– Displaying molecular structures with ChemDraw

– Exploring antibiotic-focused networks

– Structure prediction and prioritization

Following a short lunch break, the workshop wrapped with a discussion on “Future Applications in Drug Discovery” and closing remarks.

Many thanks to Dr. Askenov for creating an enriching experience for our instructors, and Dr. Selampinar for all of her work to support our ECE Chemistry community!