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From Los Angeles and New Orleans to Guangzhou and Santiago, scholars from the University of Colorado Denver’s School of Education & Human Development (SEHD) continue to share bold ideas, strengthen professional communities, and advance highly relevant research. This spring, CU Denver researchers are prominently featured at the upcoming American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Meeting, recently earned national recognition at the Association of Community College Teacher Education Programs (NACCTEP) Pre-Conference at the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) Annual Meeting, and have presented at a wide range of state, national, and international gatherings.

AERA 2026: CU Denver Scholars Set to Lead at the Education Field’s Premier Research Conference

SEHD scholars who presented at last year’s AERA conference.

At the upcoming AERA Annual Meeting, scheduled for April 8 to April 12, 51 CU Denver faculty, lecturers, staff, and doctoral students are slated to share research across sessions, poster presentations, roundtables, and leadership convenings. Their scholarship represents areas including universal design for learning, bilingual education, early childhood learning, mixed-methods innovation, and educational leadership.

Dean Marvin Lynn, PhD, will participate in a signature AERA Presidential Session, “Conversations with Senior Scholars on Advancing Research and Professional Development Related to Black Education,” joining deans from across the country to discuss equity-focused leadership pathways and the evolving responsibilities of education deans.

Throughout the conference, SEHD scholars are set to contribute to sessions about identity, belonging, leadership, and instructional innovation. Ester de Jong, EdD, will present research on sustaining heritage and dual-language education in less commonly taught languages. In addition, the symposium “Innovative Mixed Methods Research Practices in Mathematics Education Contexts,” features Heather Lynn Johnson, PhD, Courtney Donovan, PhD, and Evan McClintock, PhD, showcasing crossover mixed analyses in mathematics education research. Margarita Bianco, EdD, will present her paper “Reclaiming Urban Education: From Miseducation to Liberation Through Critical Race Curriculum.”

Additional CU Denver scholars will lead or contribute to sessions on equity-driven assessment, youth participatory action research, early childhood education, teacher preparation, and data-driven school improvement. Their collective presence underscores SEHD’s growing national profile and commitment to advancing research that strengthens communities and supports meaningful learning environments.

National Recognition at AACTE: NACCTEP Exemplary Partnership Award

In February, CU Denver and its partners St. Vrain Valley School District, Red Rocks Community College, and Northeastern Junior College received the NACCTEP Exemplary Partnership Award (2025–26) during the NACCTEP Pre-Conference at the AACTE Annual Meeting in New Orleans. The award recognizes collaborative efforts to expand and strengthen teacher preparation pathways. Dean Lynn accepted the award on behalf of the university and partners Jenning Prevatte from Red Rocks Community College; Celeste Delgado-Pelton from Northeastern Junior College; and David Baker, EdD, and Dana Curton from St. Vrain Valley School District.

More Recent Presentations: Coast to Coast and Around the Globe

SEHD scholars presenting in Santiago, Chile

At the Reconceptualization of Early Childhood Education (RECE) Conference in Santiago, Chile, CU Denver doctoral students and faculty contributed scholarship across several sessions, including presentations by doctoral students Philadelphia Morgan and Jezzie Manríquez on testimonials and identity, Stacy Cook-LaPointe on centering educator rights and well-being, and Elena Bacmeister on the perspectives of Latine home-based educators. Cristina Gillanders, PhD, doctoral student Megan Fisher, and Patricia Matus-Amat who teaches at the Community College of Denver also presented work elevating Venezuelan children’s civic voices.

In January, the Courage to Risk Conference in Colorado Springs featured a session by Andrea Laser, EdD, with Julia Pfitzer, on structured approaches to strengthen family participation and collaborative problem-solving in individualized education program meetings.

Presenters at NABE

In February, CU Denver faculty and students shared research at the National Association for Bilingual Education (NABE) Conference in Chicago. Lucinda Soltero-González, PhD, and Jenny Rincón Aguirre presented innovative models for grow-your-own bilingual teacher preparation. Sofía Chaparro, PhD, and Lucinda Soltero-González, PhD alongside school district partners, examined how bilingual education leaders navigate English-centric reading reforms. Christopher Carson and María de Jesús Ortiz also highlighted bilingual practicum performance assessment tools developed for teacher candidates. Adding to the depth of CU Denver’s presence. Cristina Gillanders, PhD, and Jorge Chavez, PhD, shared research presentations centered on supporting young Spanish–English bilingual children, drawing on collaborations with additional research partners to illuminate best practices in classroom and home early learning.

Photo credit: American International School of Guangzhou. Scott McLeod presenting at ACAMIS

In March, Scott McLeod, JD, PhD, represented CU Denver at the Association of Chinese and Mongolian International Schools (ACAMIS) Spring Leadership Conference in Guangzhou, where he delivered a keynote on meaning-making in schools and led workshops on student agency and shifting adult roles in learning environments. Doctoral student Ben Raznick presented at the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) Conference in Chicago, sharing strategies for incorporating works by Black composers into piano instruction to deepen students’ interpretive skills. And, during the American Association for Applied Linguistics (AAAL) Conference in Chicago, Ester de Jong, PhD, shared[LM1] [CJ2] [CJ3]  new research on shifting language ideologies and inclusive approaches to multilingualism in the colloquium “Naming, Measuring, Acting: Language Ideologies and Systems of In/exclusion.” Later in the conference, she served as the discussant for “Decolonizing Western Concepts of Language and Knowledge Through Dimensions of Emotionality,” offering synthesis and perspective across an innovative set of papers.

Looking ahead in April, Lori Ryan, PhD, with Alison Maher (MA ’01), will lead a session at the Rocky Mountain Early Childhood Conference, inviting early childhood educators to explore inclusive, relationship-centered pedagogies rooted in reflection, collaboration, and courage. This will be an opportunity to share from the newly released book edited by Ryan, Learning with the Pedagogy of Reggio Emilia: Innovative Approaches to Early Childhood and Teacher Education. 

Together, these select presentations, recognitions, and upcoming events reflect SEHD’s mission in action, advancing research that is rigorous, community-connected, and centered on cultivating inclusive educational opportunities for learners of all.