— Alyssa Abrams, a doctoral student in the School Psychology program, received the 2020 Dianne S. Salter, PhD JD Memorial Education Award from the Pennsylvania Psychological Foundation. The award is given to exceptional doctoral students who have worked hard to overcome adversity and have made exceptional contributions to research and practice in School Psychology.

— Uju Anya, assistant professor of education (second language education), gave a keynote address at the American Organization of Teachers of Portuguese (AOTP) World Meeting on Teaching Portuguese on Aug. 7.

— David Baker, professor of education (educational theory and policy) and sociology, was the key speaker for a webinar on July 28 on the future of schooling globally to an audience of about 300 educators and national and international policy makers around the world.

— Julia Bryan, associate professor of education (counselor education) and Diandra Prescod, assistant professor of education (counselor education), along with Mary Edwin, assistant professor in the Department of Education Sciences and Professional Programs at University of Missouri-St. Louis (and a former doctoral advisee of Bryan's) were announced as the winners of the National Career Development Association (NCDA) Article of the Year for the Career Development Quarterly (CDQ) publication. The CDQ is the official journal of the NCDA. Their article, "Profile of High Schools Students’ STEM Career Aspirations," was published in Volume 67, Issue 3 of the CDQ, in September 2019.

— The Academy of Management’s (AoM) Entrepreneurship Division has cited the College of Education’s "Accelerator Rap!" as this year’s winner of the Innovation in Entrepreneurship Pedagogy Award. Betsy Campbell, assistant professor and research associate, said the AoM will be encouraging universities around the world to embrace the Accelerator Rap! way of teaching entrepreneurial practices while addressing matters of diversity, inclusion and belonging in the high-tech entrepreneurial ecosystem. Check out Accelerator Rap! videos from last year here and read about the EDUC 497 Accelerator Rap! class here.

— Royel Johnson, assistant professor of education (higher education), discusses his research on Black students in a STEM scholar program in this c&en article that discusses the importance of a sense of belonging in keeping students in science majors and careers. In addition, Johnson authored a brief for NASPA about justice-involved college students in which he outline five recommendations for student affairs professionals to consider in working to meet the needs of this group.

— Efráin Marimon, assistant professor of education, is a member of a Select Penn State Presidential Commission on Racism, Bias and Community Safety that has been convened in support of Penn State President Eric Barron’s commitment to address both the immediate issues and longstanding problems of racism, bias and intolerance. Learn more about the commission here.

— The research of Paul Morgan, professor of education in the Department of Education Policy Studies, and colleagues is referenced in a new APM Reports story and podcast. Multiple studies of the group are referenced including work finding that poor readers are more likely to self-report being angry, sad and unpopular. Their work on disability under-identification is also highlighted, and Morgan was briefly interviewed. Additionally, Morgan, along with Monnica Williams, associate professor in the School of Psychology at the University of Ottawa; Kevin Cokley, Oscar and Anne Mauzy Regents Professorship for Educational Research and Development at the University of Texas at Austin; Nicole L. Cammack, a licensed clinical psychologist; Tumaini Rucker Coker, associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington School of Medicine and director of research at Seattle Children's Center for Diversity & Health Equity; and Robert T.  Carter, Professor Emeritus of Psychology and Education at Teachers College, Columbia University, participated in a Reddit panel discussion on Black mental health.

— Logan Rutten, a doctoral student in the curriculum and supervision program, has been awarded the Stevenson Scholarship from the Association of Teacher Educators (ATE). The $1,200 award is given to a classroom teacher with excellent service in education who shows potential for leadership in the field of teacher education, and is currently enrolled in master's or doctoral graduate study. The focus of the advanced degree program should be to enhance teacher leadership skills.

— Peggy Schooling, professor of practice in educational leadership and executive director for the Pennsylvania School Study Council, has had a course for a continuing professional education program for school and system leaders approved by PA Inspired Leadership (PIL) ITQ Review Committee. The course, “A Systems Approach to Continuity of Education Planning in a Time of Disruption" was approved to provide 40 PIL hours for the three-year period of June 10, 2020, through June 10, 2023.

— Deborah Schussler, associate professor of education in the Department of Education Policy Studies, has a new paper, “‘Mindful teaching’: a construct for developing awareness and compassion,” in Taylor & Francis Online.

— Yusen Zhai, a licensed professional counselor and the lead clinic supervisor at the Dr. Edwin L. Herr Clinic, and a doctoral candidate in counselor education and supervision, talked to Psychology Today about how universities can foster connectedness and provide social and mental health support to students during the pandemic.

 "Around the College" highlights accomplishments by faculty, staff and students in the College of Education, including publications; research presentations at conferences and workshops; and awards, grants and fellowships. Please share your news with us and your colleagues by emailing edrelations@psu.edu.