Archive Posts
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University of St. Thomas Dean Named to National Fellowship for Educator-Preparation Leaders
Professional NotesDr. Amy Smith, dean of the School of Education at University of St. Thomas, was recently named an Impact Academy fellow through national nonprofit organization Deans for Impact (DFI). Smith joins a cohort of leaders chosen for their commitment to improving educator preparation. Educator-preparation programs today face complex challenges as they recruit and prepare teachers…
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St. Thomas Receives $1.1M in Funding to Support Educating Diverse K-12 STEM Teachers
St. Thomas 2025 - Lead in STEAM EducationU.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith of Minnesota, as well as Congresswoman Betty McCollum from the state’s Fourth District, announced in June that they helped secure more than $1.1 million in federal funding for the School of Education and Dougherty Family College at the University of St. Thomas and the South St. Paul School… -
Professor Emerita Edited Book Written by St. Thomas Faculty and Alumni
Professional NotesDr. Sarah Noonan, professor emerita from the University of St. Thomas School of Education, edited the book Pedagogies for Diverse Learners: Tools for Discovery and Development, published by Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. The book, written entirely by University of St. Thomas faculty and alumni, provides profiles of diverse learners and the specific learning and teaching… -
Innovation Fellows Study Feasibility of Leadership Minor
ResearchIt is an important part of the educational process for university students to be able to leverage their leadership skills in a variety of “real-world” professional contexts, but students don’t always see themselves as capable leaders in their fields. At the University of St. Thomas, our team is developing an interdisciplinary leadership minor program that… -
Education Professor Gives Talks; Signs Books at AERA Conference
People & CultureDr. Chelda Smith Kondo chaired and facilitated five talks at the American Educational Research Association annual conference in Philadelphia in April. There, the associate professor of education at the University of St. Thomas also held the first book signing for her book Pedagogy of Humanization: Preparing Teachers for Culturally Sustaining Classrooms. The book was released… -
Tommie High 5: Helping Students Feel Seen, Known and Valued
People & CultureAs director of retention and student success, Tonia Jones Peterson often works with students when academic challenges arise. Wanting to give recognition to students excelling in their classes, she created the Tommie High 5. A new part of the student alert process, the Tommie High 5 is a way for faculty to encourage students by… -
St. Thomas Names Dr. Amy Smith New School of Education Dean
University NewsThe University of St. Thomas has selected Dr. Amy Smith – a veteran educator who has helped the university drive several initiatives designed to grow Minnesota’s teacher pipeline and remove barriers to student success in the classrooms – as the next leader of its School of Education. Smith’s appointment as dean is effective immediately. She… -
Creating Change in Education: How a Collaborative School Nurtures Success
St. Thomas 2025 - Prepare Educators to Dismantle DisparitiesIyanna Rodgers-Neely has two classrooms at Maxfield Elementary in St. Paul. In one, she learns about vowel sounds. In the room right next door, she teaches those same literacy lessons to an energetic class of second graders. An elementary education major from the University of St. Thomas, Rodgers-Neely ’24 is leading a sort of double… -
Children’s Book Authors to Share Journey at Hubbs Children’s Literature Conference at St. Thomas
St. Thomas 2025 - Prepare Educators to Dismantle DisparitiesShayla Michelle Reaves took a chance 20 years ago and entered a written expression competition. Then a college student in the Chicago area, the now WCCO news anchor performed her original piece Echo in the Distance. Now her spoken words are written in an illustrated children’s book that she’ll discuss at the School of Education’s… -
Basketball Standout Jade Hill Seeks Off-Court Impact
AthleticsOn a cold Saturday afternoon in St. Paul, things were heating up in the Schoenecker Arena. The St. Thomas women’s basketball team was leading Oral Roberts. A late-game rally had left the Tommies within striking distance of a win – they were just two points down with seconds left. With an impressive assist from Amber…