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Spring 2026 UConn ECE Allied Health Workshop

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Our ECE Allied Health Instructors met for their annual professional development conference on Monday, March 16th. Attendees were welcomed by the Department Head for UConn Allied Health Sciences, Justin Nash, Ph.D., before engaging in a discussion surrounding key challenges in their ECE courses, sharing teaching strategies and favorite classroom activities to foster a culture of collaboration and peer support. Many thanks to faculty coordinator Bruce Blanchard, Ph.D. for his commitment to creating valuable professional development opportunities for our Allied Health Instructors.

UConn AH courses offered through Early College Experience.

Spring 2026 UConn ECE Animal Sciences Workshop

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ECE Animal Science Instructors convened on the Storrs campus on Thursday, March 12th. Instructors heard a presentation entitled “Artificial Intelligence, not Augmented Intelligence”, from UConn Engineering professor Arash Zaghi, Ph.D., then engaged in discussions surrounding the role of AI in their own teaching environments, before ending the day with a trip to the UConn Dairy Bar! Many thanks to ECE Faculty Coordinators Amy Safran, Ph.D., and Jenifer Nadeau, Ph.D., for their continued support for this group of ECE instructors!

UConn ANSC courses offered through Early College Experience.

Spring 2026 UConn ECE Earth Sciences Workshop

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Wednesday, March 11 was a busy day in ECE! We hosted three professional development conferences, including a virtual session for our Earth Sciences instructors. Hosted by ECE faculty coordinator Robert Thorson, Ph.D., the event gave instructors the opportunity to discuss geoscience communications, through engagement with three recent nationally published articles that illustrate how Earth Science Education topics are communicated in the media. The articles are linked below, along with some context from Dr. Thorson, for those interested in reading them for yourselves!

Determinism – The Atlantic. November 2025. Invited essay Why Concord? by Robert A Gross and Robert M. Thorson for the Special Edition, The Unfinished Revolution. The key idea for discussion is environmental determinism; the extent to which the landscape controls outcomes that become history.

Language – The Washington Post. February 9, 2026. Column by Andrew Van Dam titled What separates a lake from a pond? What about creeks and rivers? He quotes me as an expert and links to my work. The key idea for discussion is that the words we use for the same thing depend on our mélange of vernacular cultures, in this case bodies of water that are flowing (fluvial) and stationary or slowly moving (lentic) water.

Spirit – The Wall Street Journal. January 16, 2026. Mineral Wisdom, an essay-review of the book The Whispers of Rock: The Stories that Stone Tells About Our World and Our Lives by Anjana Khatwa. The key ideas for earth science educators are to engage the non-cognitive feelings students have about rocks and fossils in order to enhance the cognitive learning of Earth Science.

Thank you to all who attended, and to Dr. Thorson for his continued support of our ECE instructors! We are excited for the next event!

UConn ERTH courses offered through Early College Experience.

Spring 2026 UConn ECE Spanish Workshop

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Wednesday, March 11 was a busy day in ECE! We hosted three professional development conferences, including one for our Spanish instructors. A group of 75 instructors convened in the Student Union, for a keynote address from Dolores Juan-Moreno, Associate Teaching Professor of Spanish at Clark University. The talk centered around an intergenerational story of community engagement and experiential learning. This was a welcome opportunity to bring many of our Spanish instructors together to learn and talk together, and we extend our thanks to faculty coordinators Eduardo Urios-Aparisi, Ph.D. and Celines Villalba Rosado, Ph.D., for the work they did to make this experience a memorable one! We look forward to next year’s event.

UConn SPAN courses offered through Early College Experience.

Spring 2026 UConn ECE American Sign Language Workshop

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Wednesday, March 11 was a busy day in ECE! We hosted three professional development conferences, including one for our American Sign Language instructors. The day was jam-packed with content, beginning with an overview of UConn’s ASL opportunities and resources. Additionally, instructors had the opportunity to engage in a Teacher Talk hosted by Mike Schlang from the UConn ASL faculty, and a student panel surrounding former ASL experiences in their high schools. Finally, Kristine Hall from Los Angeles’ Pierce College delivered a keynote address surrounding the Signing Naturally curriculum.

Thank you, as always, to faculty coordinator Linda Pelletier, Ph.D., as well as all guest contributors, for making this session a day to remember! We look forward to next year’s event already.

UConn ASLN courses offered through Early College Experience.

Spring 2026 UConn ECE French Workshop

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On March 9th, 2026, ECE held its annual professional development conference for certified French instructors. The event included discussions on Kettly Mars’ “Laquelle de nous était Eurydice”. Additionally, attendees conversed about the role of artificial intelligence in the service of education. A full day’s agenda is available in French below:

9h Mohamedou Moustapha: L’éducation en Mauritanie.

9h30 Fadi A. Elsaid: L’héritage visuel de l’Encyclopédie : La représentation des arts et métiers dans la Description de l’Égypte entre empirisme et impérialisme

10h10 Emmanuel Buzay: L’IA au service de l’enseignement : outils, pratiques et retours d’expérience

11h30 Ambassadeurs husky, updates and feedback.

Many thanks to Faculty Coordinator Florence Marsal, Ph. D. for her continued support for our ECE French community, and to all attendees for their engagement at the event. We look forward to connecting with many of you at the next event as well!

UConn FREN courses offered through Early College Experience.

Spring 2026 UConn ECE History 1400 Workshop

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On Wednesday, February 25th, our ECE History 1400 instructors gathered for their annual professional development experience under the guidance of ECE Faculty Coordinator Thomas Maulucci, Ph.D. Discussions were lively, covering topics including Marxist critiques of political economy, the Protestant ethic and spirit of Capitalism, the British Industrial Revolution, and economic divergence between Europe and Asia.

Many thanks to Dr. Maulucci and all of the workshop attendees for making this a fulfilling day! We look forward to the next time our History 1400 instructors join us on campus.

UConn HIST courses offered through Early College Experience.

Spring 2026 UConn ECE Asian & Asian American Studies Workshop

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On Wednesday, February 11th, our ECE Asian and Asian American Studies instructors convened virtually for an enriching and topical discussion surrounding birthright citizenship in the United States. Please engage with the event overview below:

Teaching the 14th Amendment & Birthright Citizenship: Making Sense of the Political Moment Through Asian American Histories

Birthright citizenship—a cornerstone of the 14th Amendment—is once again under attack. In partnership with Asian Law Caucus, this workshop delved into the history and ongoing relevance of the 14th Amendment, exploring how Asian Americans have played a pivotal role in shaping its legacy. Together, we examined landmark moments including the Chinese Exclusion Act, United States v. Wong Kim Ark, and Executive Order 14160, and reflected on the broader question: Who gets to be an American citizen? Educators left with historical context, up-to-date legal insights, and ready-to-use resources to teach this critical topic in their classrooms.

Guest Contributor Bios

Sulynn Miao, Teach Asian American Stories

Sulynn Miao has a background in education and mental health, with a focus on youth, identity, and intergenerational healing. As Curriculum & Program Manager at AAPI New Jersey, she develops educational resources, community programs, and professional development centered on Asian and Pacific Islander histories. She is currently pursuing an M.A. in Asian American Studies at San Francisco State University.

Kimberly Leung, Asian Law Caucus

Kim Leung is a civil rights attorney with experience in both state and federal courts. She is part of the legal team challenging Executive Order 14160 in New Hampshire Indonesian Community Support v. Donald J. Trump, a case defending birthright citizenship. Kim is a staff attorney at the Asian Law Caucus, where she works with community partners on voting rights, civic engagement, and language access. Previously, she served as an Assistant Attorney General in Illinois. Based in Chicago, Kim also serves on the boards of the Asian American Bar Association of Greater Chicago and the Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community.

All of us at ECE extend our sincere thanks to the workshop’s attendees, guest contributors, and faculty coordinator Jason Chang, Ph.D. for their tireless commitment to providing enriching educational opportunities to ECE instructors and students alike.

We look forward to the next workshop already!

UConn AAAS courses offered through Early College Experience.

Spring 2026 UConn ECE Kinesiology Workshop

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On Wednesday, January 28th, we hosted our annual ECE Kinesiology professional development workshop, in collaboration with faculty coordinator Allison MacKenzie, MS. The event was focused on providing instructors an opportunity to give feedback on the course, and share strategies to make improvements for future semesters. Additionally, they discussed a variety of fitness and addiction resources, including ideas for research and activities to integrate into the learning module. This was a welcome opportunity for our instructors to be in community with one another, and share strategies for each others’ classroom concerns. We can’t wait for the next one!

UConn KINS courses offered through Early College Experience.

Spring 2026 UConn ECE Civil Engineering Workshop

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On Thursday, January 15th, our ECE Civil Engineering instructors met for a virtual professional development discussion, facilitated by faculty coordinator Sarira Motaref, P.E.. Attendees engaged in two discussion sessions, focusing on AI integration into Engineering courses and Neuroinclusive teaching practices, respectively. We are grateful to all who attended, and look forward to the next opportunity to connect with our CE instructors!

UConn Civil Engineering courses offered through Early College Experience.

Fall 2025 UConn ECE Math Workshop

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Our final professional development workshop for 2025 was our virtual ECE Math event, held on December 15th. As has become a tradition of sorts for our math team, instructors convened for a morning meeting which allowed them the chance to break into groups (organized by the primary math course that they teach) and discuss the current state of affairs for their classrooms and the course as a whole. We extend our thanks to faculty coordinator Anthony Rizzie, Ph.D. and assistant Andrew Jaramillo, Ph.D. for their continued support for our ECE Math instructors and students.

Happy New Year, ECE family! We are excited to continue to collaborate with you throughout 2026.

UConn MATH courses offered through Early College Experience.

Spring 2026 UConn ECE Plant Science and Landscape Architecture Workshop

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Welcome to 2026, ECE Family! We kicked off the new year with our annual Plant Science and Landscape Architecture professional development experience. This year, PSLA instructors were graciously invited to attend the 2026 UConn Extension Vegetable and Small Fruit Grower’s Conference, where they were able to attend a variety of learning sessions, observe research poster presentations, and network with other educators and individuals from the agricultural services industry. We extend our thanks to the UConn College of Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources, and ECE Faculty Coordinator Julia Kuzovkina, Ph.D., for their efforts to share this experience with our certified instructors!

UConn PSLA (formerly SPSS) courses offered through Early College Experience.

Fall 2025 UConn ECE Human Development & Family Sciences Workshop

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Tuesday, December 9th marked our final in-person professional development workshop for 2025! 25 certified Human Development & Family Sciences instructors convened on the UConn Storrs campus to hear guest addresses and engage in roundtable discussions surrounding issues of Artifical Intelligence usage in the classroom. We were joined in the morning by Erica Charis-Molling, an Instructional Design and Student Success Librarian at UConn, who presented a virtual AI literacy course that she designed for UConn students, which provides a detailed and fascinating overview of AI ethics and citation, and the impacts of various types of AI usage on learning outcomes. Later on, Tina Huey, Ph.D. and Xiaochen Liu, Ph.D. from the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning’s department of Faculty Development facilitated a conversation surrounding AI usage in the college classroom. We are grateful to all our guest contributors, as well as our attendees and faculty coordinators, Drs. Shannon Weaver and Brian Chapman, for their engagement and continued support of our ECE community!

On behalf of all of us at ECE, we wish you a happy and restful holiday season, and we will see you back on campus in 2026!

UConn HDFS courses offered through Early College Experience.

Fall 2025 UConn ECE English Conference

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Our largest event this semester was our Fall English Conference on November 21st, which boasted over 100 attendees from high schools across the state. The theme of this year’s conference was Speaking Together: Discourse as Literacy, and throughout the day instructors were encouraged to “explore activities and strategies that put students in conversation with each other, hone their critical thinking skills, and build their confidence as consumers and producers of knowledge”. There were several panel sessions throughout the day, which focused on themes including reading and revision, authentic discussion, and multi-modality. 

We extend our sincere thanks to faculty coordinator Scott Campbell, Ph.D., and Jackie Donaldson, Ph.D. student in the English Department, for their collaboration and efforts in making this a memorable experience for our instructors!

UConn English Courses available through Early College Experience.

Fall 2025 UConn ECE Music Workshop

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On Thursday, November 13th, 30 of our ECE Music instructors gathered for a virtual professional development workshop. Attendees were joined by Justin McManus, the Director of Athletic Bands at the University of California, Los Angeles, for a guest lecture and Q & A session. Many thanks to faculty coordinator Shannon McAllister for her continued support for our ECE instructors and community! We look forward to the next workshop.

UConn Music Courses available through Early College Experience.

Fall 2025 UConn ECE Library Media Specialist Training

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On Thursday of last week, ECE hosted our Library Media Specialists for their semiannual training, thanks to the organization and efforts of Anna Twiddy, Student Success & Engagement Librarian. As always, we were joined by a number of librarians from the UConn Library who shared their expertise in four unique sessions. Details are below!

Session Contributor
Student Search Success Tips: Demystifying the Library Website Ery Caswell, Student Success & Engagement Librarian
Helping Students Transition to College Writing Expectations John Rendeiro, Student Success & Engagement Librarian
Finding Primary Sources Laura Smith, Archivist
Leveraging the Library’s AI Literacy Basics Modules in HuskyCT Erica Charis-Molling, Instructional Design & Learning Librarian

Thank you to all of our contributors, and for those of you who were able to attend!

To access information from the training, as well as a number of other helpful resources, please visit the ECE LibGuide (linked here: https://guides.lib.uconn.edu/ECE)

We will see you in March 2026 for another virtual training event!

Fall 2025 UConn ECE Sociology Workshop

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On Friday, November 7th, our ECE Sociology Instructors convened on the UConn Hartford Campus for their annual professional development conference. Instructors were given the opportunity to engage in a lively discussion of current successes and challenges in their classroom, followed by a presentation of exemplar assignments by instructors Mike Barile and Karen Prager, and faculty coordinator Ingrid Semaan. We extend our thanks to our contributors, and to Ingrid for her continued efforts to support our ECE instructors and community!

Sociology (SOCI) courses available through UConn Early College Experience.

Fall 2025 UConn ECE Environmental Sciences Workshop

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This past week, ECE took a field trip with our Environmental Sciences Instructors to the UConn Middlesex County Extension Center in Haddam, CT. Instructors were given lots of time to share resources and build connections with one another, as well as engaging in a keynote address entitled Building Connections to Urban Forests: Your Teacher’s Toolkit.

We extend our thanks to faculty coordinator Morty Ortega, as well as Dr. Mayra Rodriguez, the UConn Extension Center’s Assistant Extension Educator in Urban and Community Forestry for their efforts in creating a meaningful professional development experience for our instructors!

Environmental Sciences (NRE) courses available through UConn Early College Experience.

Fall 2025 UConn ECE Environmental Sciences Workshop

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This past week, ECE took a field trip with our Environmental Sciences Instructors to the UConn Middlesex County Extension Center in Haddam, CT. Instructors were given lots of time to share resources and build connections with one another, as well as engaging in a keynote address entitled Building Connections to Urban Forests: Your Teacher’s Toolkit.

We extend our thanks to faculty coordinator Morty Ortega, as well as Dr. Mayra Rodriguez, the UConn Extension Center’s Assistant Extension Educator in Urban and Community Forestry for their efforts in creating a meaningful professional development experience for our instructors!

Environmental Sciences (NRE) courses available through UConn Early College Experience.

Fall 2025 UConn ECE Human Rights Instructor Workshop

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This past week, UConn’s Human Rights Institute hosted their annual summit, titled “Sport and Human Rights”. Our ECE instructors were invited to the second day of the conference, convening on the UConn Storrs campus on Thursday, October 23rd. The keynote address was delivered by Pablo Torre, host of the acclaimed podcast “Pablo Torre Finds Out” and a celebrated sports journalist and human rights advocate.

For a full overview of the summit schedule, review the link here: https://summit.humanrights.uconn.edu/2025-summit/

ECE extends our thanks to faculty coordinator Sandra Sirota, Ph.D., and the Gladstein Family Human Rights Institute, for their support of our ECE instructors and community!

Human Rights (HRTS) courses available through UConn Early College Experience.

Fall 2025 UConn ECE Economics Instructor Workshop

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Our ECE Economics instructors took a trip to the UConn Stamford Campus this past Wednesday (10/22) for a professional development experience spearheaded by Dr. Natalia Smirnova, our faculty coordinator for ECE Economics. Instructors were provided the opportunity to engage with and hear from a number of esteemed guest contributors throughout the day. Descriptions of the professional development sessions and the speakers can be found below!

Please also check out the Economics Department’s post about the day, including some great pictures! The post can be found here:

https://econ.uconn.edu/2025/10/29/ece-economics-workshop-2025/

Session Guest Speaker & Bio
At the Local Level: Classroom Activities for Microeconomics Graham Long, Director of Curriculum & Instruction, Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Graham Long’s portfolio includes conducting teacher professional development workshops, writing curriculum, and managing a suite of programs to improve the economic and financial literacy of teachers and students across the country. He was previously a curriculum and assessment specialist for the Maryland State Department of Education. Graham began his career as a high school social studies teacher in the Baltimore County Public School system, and in 2011 was a recipient of a Fulbright-Hays Fellowship to study economics and workforce development education in China.
Global Trade: Who Wins, Who Loses, and Why It Matters Ariel Slonim, Curriculum Designer, Marginal Revolution University (MRU). Ariel Slonim is sharing her passion for economics literacy by helping to improve resources for economics education in the US. Prior to joining MRU, Ariel taught economics to 8th grade students in Brooklyn and taught as an adjunct at King’s College, NYC. Ariel has a master’s degree in economics from George Mason University (GMU).
The Big Picture: Basics for Teaching Macroeconomics Graham Long
The One Where No One Has a Job: Teaching Unemployment and Labor Force Participation Rates Ariel Slonim
Teaching and Learning Economics with FRED Data in the High School Classroom Diego Mendez-Carbajo, Senior Economic Education Specialist, Research Division, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Diego Mendez-Carbajo is a subject matter expert on FRED data. He leads outreach efforts to a broad range of FRED users and regularly contributes to the FRED Blog to tell the stories behind the data. Prior to his current role, Mendez- Carbajo was a college professor. His research on teaching and learning with data has been published in the leading field journals. Diego is FRED Economics Champion.
Moneyling – Financial Literacy Program for Schools Jennifer Degenhardt and Savanha Brubaker (cofounders)

Jennifer Degenhardt is a Spanish teacher, author, and curriculum developer with more than 30 years of classroom experience. She is best known for her comprehensible novels that make language learning engaging and accessible for students. As Co-founder of Moneyling, Jennifer has expanded her expertise into financial literacy, creating multiple books and countless vignettes that form the foundation of the Moneyling curriculum. She oversees the relatability and student-centered approach across all program content, ensuring financial concepts are presented in ways that connect with students’ real lives and spark meaningful conversations. Passionate about storytelling as a tool for learning, Jennifer combines her decades of classroom experience with her writing to make financial education accessible, engaging, and impactful.

Savanha Brubaker is a portfolio manager with decades of experience as a serial entrepreneur. At Paragon Strategies, she oversees a diverse portfolio that includes real estate, property management, angel investments, and operating companies. As co-founder of Moneyling, Savanha brings the financial and business expertise that underpins the program. She focuses on bridging finance, education, and innovation to make financial literacy accessible and actionable—particularly for underserved communities. Passionate about creating meaningful societal impact, she combines her background in finance and strategic investments with a philanthropic capitalist mindset to build programs that empower communities.

We are so grateful to all of the guest contributors, and to Professor Smirnova for their efforts to support our ECE instructors and community! Thank you to all who attended, and we will see you next school year.

Economics (ECON) courses available through UConn Early College Experience.

Fall 2025 UConn ECE Physics Instructor Workshop

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We welcomed a group of 60 (!) ECE Physics instructors to the UConn Storrs campus this past week (10/22), and lots of lively discussion ensued. Our guest speaker was Dr. George Gibson from the UConn Physics Department, who delivered an address entitled “Integrating Music Learning in Introductory Physics”. Many thanks as always to Dr. Dave Perry, our ECE Faculty Coordinator for Physics, for his role in coordinating such meaningful professional development experiences for our instructors.

We were excited to have such a large turnout at this year’s event, and we look forward to seeing many more of you next school year!

Physics (PHYS) courses available through UConn Early College Experience.

Fall 2025 UConn ECE Marine Sciences Instructor Workshop

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ECE was also present on the Avery Point campus last Friday, where we welcomed our Marine Sciences instructors through a collaboration with Faculty Coordinator Claudia Koerting, Ph.D.. Instructors were given the opportunity to hear from Professor Craig Tobias, new director at the CT National Estuarine Research Reserve, regarding what is new at the CTNERR! Additionally, they were able to engage in a lively resource exchange and conversation with one another regarding obtaining enrichment funding to supplement their instruction! Finally, the day ended with a boat tour of one of the vessels housed at the Avery Point campus!

Thank you to all who attended and contributed their time to supporting our community of instructors! We look forward to next year’s event.

Marine Sciences (MARN) courses available through UConn Early College Experience.

Fall 2025 UConn ECE Mechanical Engineering Instructor Workshop

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This past Friday (10/17/2025), we welcomed our Mechanical Engineering instructors to the Storrs campus for their first ECE professional development experience! Many thanks to our joint faculty coordinators, Jorge Paricio Garcia, Ph.D. and Edward Weingart for their collaborative efforts to make this a session to remember!

Several guest contributors joined instructors on campus for a variety of resource demonstrations. First, Nate Delson from Grove Education delivered a demo of Spatial Vis, an engineering education software that helps students improve their 2D and 3D spatial visualization skills via an app on their personal devices. Next, Rachel Gregorio of Tech Ed Solutions provided a demonstration of SolidWorks, an industry-standard engineering technology used in the UConn College of Engineering.

The afternoon continued with a field trip to the Krenicki Arts & Engineering Institute, an “innovative, interdisciplinary nexus that offers groundbreaking classes in areas like entertainment engineering and industrial design” that was born out of a collaboration between the College of Engineering and the School of Fine Arts at UConn. Instructors shared lunch in the Institute, and then were given the chance to explore the 3D printers at the facility.

It was a jam-packed afternoon, and we are already looking forward to our next workshop! Thank you to all of our contributors, our faculty coordinators, and our attendees for their support of our ECE instructors, students and community. We’ll see you next year!

Mechanical Engineering (ME) courses available through UConn Early College Experience.

Fall 2025 UConn ECE History 1300 Instructor Workshop

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On Tuesday, October 14th, our ECE History 1300 Instructors joined us on the UConn Storrs campus for their annual professional development experience! We extend our thanks to Dr. Sherri Olson, our ECE Faculty Coordinator for History 1300: Western Traditions Before 1500, for her creativity and dedication to creating a meaningful experience for our instructors. The morning began with an address from Dr. Kevin Feeney, an Assistant Professor in Roman History in the UConn History Department. Dr. Feeney delivered a lecture titled “Late Antiquity: An Age Between Ages”, followed by a Q & A session. In the afternoon, instructors participated in a Document Workshop entitled  “Education, Autocracy, and Censorship in Late Antiquity”, where participants discussed The Emperor Julian’s Edict on Teaching. It was certainly a jam-packed day!

Many thanks as always to our contributors and attendees, and we look forward to connecting with you all again next year!

History (HIST) courses available through UConn Early College Experience.