Archive Posts
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St. Thomas Alumna Supports Special Education Educators Through Her Start-Up
Health & EducationGrowing up, Elizabeth Orme ’15 EdS would describe herself as a child with a “busy brain.” “I was totally the third grader doing handstands against the wall,” the University of St. Thomas alumna recalled about her experience as a neurodivergent student. “My teacher figured out that I learned in different ways. So, naturally, I was…
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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… -
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… -
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… -
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… -
In the News: Debbie Monson on How Small Gestures From Teachers Leave Big Impressions on Students
In the NewsDebbie Monson, professor at the University of St. Thomas School of Education, recently spoke with the Star Tribune about a unique project to knit custom hats designed by her daughter’s middle school special education students, which left a lasting impression. From the story: Samantha Monson’s students didn’t know they’d be kicking off 2024 with their… -
St. Thomas Faculty Co-Authors Broaden Understanding for Inclusion and Belonging
Professional NotesSix faculty from the University of St. Thomas co-authored a book chapter titled “We're All in: Fostering Inclusion and Belonging Through Culturally Sustaining and Anti-racist Pedagogy." The faculty include Dougherty Family College Associate Dean of Academics Sarah McCann and Dr. Martha Alonzo-Johnsen, Anna Kurhajec and Amir Z. Mohamed also from the Dougherty Family College. They… -
Building Connection With Communities One Course at a Time
St. Thomas 2025 - Prepare Educators to Dismantle DisparitiesOn a brisk Wednesday afternoon last December, five University of St. Thomas students gathered at the Catholic Charities Family Service Center in Maplewood, Minnesota, to offer meals to families experiencing homelessness. This experience came about because the students enrolled in a Common Good Community-Engaged course called Diversity and Cultural Competence taught by Dr. Chelda Smith,…