Mary Frances Early College of Education

EduDawgs, it’s been a month since you graduated! We hope you enjoy these photos from commencement. You can view more photos like these in our gallery; the link can be found below. We hope you are having a great summer, EduDawgs!

https://photos.app.goo.gl/PN5rEiC9GTQjFj6B7

You are invited to join the Latino Alumni Council for a Carne Asada Picnic! Enjoy delicious food, show your Bulldog spirit, and connect with fellow alumni. Bring your family and come celebrate the UGA community with us!

Date: June 13
Time: 2-5 p.m.
Location: Jones Bridges Park, Peachtree Corners

We hope to see you there!

To register, use the link below:
https://gail.uga.edu/events/aa/carne-asada-picnic-2026

To help students grow, sometimes we have to get creative.

That's exactly what Gretchen Thomas, senior lecturer in the Department of Workforce Education and Instructional Technology, set out to do when creating a service-learning course called the Makerspace Class and helping students embrace the "maker mindset".

“The maker mindset is a disposition we all want our children to have,” Thomas said. “To be creative and persistent, to be critical thinkers and collaborators, and to be patient and share. This class is an opportunity to have a low-stakes environment and put this all into practice without knowing that they’re practicing. It’s an opportunity to exercise a skillset that is important regardless of subject area.”

To read more about Thomas' class and how they help students embrace the "maker mindset", please click the link below.
https://mfecoe.com/MakerMindset-OfficeOfServiceLearning

MFECOE and the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute invite you to join us at the Southern Regional Conference for Learning in Retirement. This conference will be held July 27 – 29 at the Georgia Center for Continuing Education.

We will be hosting six out-of-conference sessions. Four of these sessions will take place before the conference for those interested in exploring Athens, including visits to the Georgia Music Hall of Fame and the Botanical Gardens. During the conference, attendees will have the opportunity to attend the OLLI@UGA Summer Film Series on Tuesday, July 28, at 1:30 p.m., as well as a streaming of the Osher at Dartmouth Summer Lecture Series on Wednesday, July 29, at 9 a.m.

To register, please use the link below.
https://mfecoe.com/SouthernConference

Calling all alumni who are trailblazers in entrepreneurship:
Nominations for the 2027 Bulldog 100 are open now through July 31. Submit your nominations at https://my.reviewr.com/s2/site/bulldog_nom_27?redir=micrositedesign.

Congratulations to Javad Anjum, an assistant professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Special Education and the Speech and Hearing Clinic, for being named a 2026-27 Fulbright U.S. Scholar. As a Fulbright scholar, Anjum will travel to Mysuru District, India, to develop and implement a cognitive enhancement program for older adults.

“From rural Georgia to Mysuru, one of the most urgent challenges of global aging is creating accessible, community-based programs to prevent cognitive decline and dementia among older adults,” Anjum said. “I see this Fulbright award as an opportunity to help develop these programs into more sustainable initiatives through continued collaboration between the MFECOE and JSSAHER and our local communities in both countries.”

To read more about this accomplishment, please click the link below.
https://mfecoe.com/52926

Congratulations to Brittney Kilgore (Ph.D. '27) for recently receiving awards and recognition from the National Academy of Education and Spencer Foundation, the University of Georgia, and the MFECOE Three Minute Thesis Competition for her research.

To learn more about Brittney's research and each specific award, please click the link below.
https://mfecoe.com/52626

Through the GROUP GEMS Project, the is providing scholarships for 34 STEM teachers who will go on to teach in high-need schools. This project is funded by the National Science Foundation’s Robert Noyce Scholarship program, which focuses on recruiting, preparing, and supporting secondary teachers with backgrounds in biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, and more. “Noyce scholars have their early teaching experiences in schools with teachers who have embraced Georgia’s standards. This experience ensures the scholars are well-started as teachers in their early years," said Julie Luft, Athletic Association Professor of Science Education and Distinguished Research Professor, who is leading the project.

For master’s student Ava Kitchens, GROUP GEMS allows her to collaborate with STEM teachers on designing lessons that encourage critical thinking, data interpretation, and problem solving in students with diverse backgrounds. “I truly believe every student has the potential to succeed, but not all of them have access to the same opportunities or support,” she said. “I want to be someone who helps guide students, especially those who may need extra encouragement. That is what draws me to teach in Title I schools.”

To learn more about this project and how Luft plans to expand this project further, please click the link below.
https://mfecoe.com/52226

What if addictive behaviors in college students are less about “bad choices” and more about how the autonomic nervous system responds to trauma?

Research from Amanda Giordano, associate professor of counseling and human development services, is exploring how hyperarousal (fight-or-flight) and hypoarousal (emotional freeze) may predict behaviors ranging from substance use to social media addiction. These findings could help reshape how counselors and universities approach prevention and treatment.

Learn more about the research and its implications for counseling and student well-being: https://mfecoe.com/52126

What does meaningful mental health support for students look like to you?