Category: Spotlight News

From AI in the classroom to student mental health, UW–Madison education experts can share back-to-school insights

As students, educators, and families prepare for the start of a new school year, experts from the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Education are available to share insights on some of the most pressing issues facing schools today. Their expertise spans topics including artificial intelligence in education, student mental health, teacher shortages, civic learning, college …

UW–Madison’s Bell named chair of ICPSR Governing Council

UW–Madison’s Courtney Bell, a professor of learning sciences in the School of Education’s top-ranked Department of Educational Psychology, has been appointed chair of the Governing Council of the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR). Bell ICPSR is an international consortium of more than 800 academic and research organizations and is home to the world’s …

UW–Madison offers fellowship on AI in education for Universities of Wisconsin instructors

A UW–Madison program aimed at helping educators ethically and effectively use artificial intelligence (AI) to support their work will continue for a second year. In its second year, the program will be offered to educators within the Universities of Wisconsin System. The Disillusioning AI for Teachers Fellowship, which launched in fall 2025, offers in-depth sessions aimed at increasing …

UW–Madison’s Nathan explores the role of the body in learning on podcast

UW–Madison’s Mitchell Nathan was recently featured on “The Science of Creativity” podcast, hosted by Keith Sawyer, to discuss embodied cognition — the idea that learning is grounded in the body, in movement, and in the physical world. The episode highlights how, from solving algebra problems to understanding complex ideas, our bodies help us learn in …

Icy Zhang received 2026 NAEd/Spencer Postdoctoral Fellowship

Learning Sciences Assistant Professor Icy Zhang received a 2026 NAEd/Spencer Postdoctoral Fellowship. Zhang will utilize her funding on her project, “Bridging the Research-Practice Gap in Statistics and Data Science Education: Co-design ‘Embodied’ Programming Notebooks with Instructors Across Institutions.” Zhang’s research investigates the cognitive and developmental processes that underlie learning in complex domains, such as STEM domains, with …

Andy Garbacz Receives 2026 APA Division 16 Tom Oakland Mid-Career Scholarship Award

School Psychology Professor Andy Garbacz received a 2026 APA Division 16 Award. The Tom Oakland Mid-Career Scholarship Award recognizes a mid-career school psychologist (7–20 years post-graduation) who has demonstrated exceptional scholarly contributions throughout their career that merit special recognition.

UW–Madison School of Education, Educational Psychology ranked No. 1 by U.S. News for third straight year

For the third consecutive year, UW–Madison is home to the top-ranked school of education in the nation according to U.S. News & World Report’s Best Education Graduate Schools rankings published on Tuesday. In addition to the overall ranking, 12 graduate programs housed within the UW–Madison School of Education were also highly rated by U.S. News in its …

Educational Psychology’s David Shaffer elected to the National Academy of Education

Three faculty from the School of Education have been elected to the National Academy of Education in recognition of their significant contributions to education research and policy. Richard Halverson, Stacey Lee, and David Shaffer were among just 19 scholars nationwide to be selected for the honor this year. The National Academy of Education advances high-quality research to …

UW–Madison’s Karumbaiah shares insights on AI use in schools in Appleton Post-Crescent

UW–Madison’s Shamya Karumbaiah, an assistant professor in the School of Education’s Department of Educational Psychology, recently spoke with the Appleton Post-Crescent about how artificial intelligence (AI) is being integrated into classrooms and what it means for teachers and students. Karumbaiah In a Nov. 11 article, headlined “As AI use grows, here’s how area schools are …

UW–Madison school psychology faculty partner with state to launch online training

A team of faculty in the School of Education’s Department of Educational Psychology recently partnered with the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) to develop free online training modules for school psychologists, school counselors, and school social workers. Faculty from the school psychology program — Clinical Professor Kristy Kelly, Assistant Clinical Professor Elizabeth Hagermoser-Bayley, and …