University of Oregon College of Education

06/05/2026

For Gilberto Orozco, '22, a graduate of the University of Oregon College of Education’s Family and Human Services program, the path to his career has always been rooted in connection. Today, as a Services Coordinator for Lane County Developmental Disabilities Services, he spends his days helping others build independence. https://education.uoregon.edu/alumni-gilberto-orozco

06/04/2026

Meet one of your 2026 College of Education Commencement speakers! 🎓🦆

Carli Feist is graduating with her master's degree in Communication Disorders and Sciences. She is passionate about many clinical areas within the field, including augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), pediatric feeding, social communication, language development, instrumental swallowing assessments (MBSS and FEES), and cognitive communication.

Carli is grateful for the clinical opportunities the College of Education provided, specifically group therapy sessions in the HEDCO Clinic or feeding premature infants at Doernbecher Children's Hospital.

After graduation Carli plans to pursue a clinical fellowship year to support communication and swallowing across the lifespan, with hopes to someday return to the schools and serve specialized classrooms in special education.

"All of your experiences, knowledge, and individuality are what brought you here today, and you should celebrate that. Whether you feel confident in who you are or are still discovering yourself, you are an important part of the UO community." 💛💚

06/03/2026

Meet Skylar 👋

Skylar Steffes is graduating from our School Psychology Portland program with an Education Specialist Degree. As an Indigenous woman, Skylar emphasizes that inclusion must be actively built, not just discussed. She is driven to advocate for students while helping create systems that support inclusive, empowering environments.

Skylar describes her time in the program as both professionally enriching and personally transformative. Opportunities to attend conferences and present her work helped her grow and build meaningful connections. During a particularly difficult period when she lost her father, the compassion and support from her cohort and faculty had a profound impact. "It reminded me of what truly matters: while a job can sometimes become 'just a job,' and graduate school can feel like 'just graduate school,' but the connections we build, the relationships we nurture, and the ways we integrate our passions into our work are what give those experiences meaning."

Following graduation, Skylar has accepted a position as a School Psychologist with the Parkrose School District in Oregon. She also plans to continue to serve as a co-lead for the Indigenous American Subcommittee of National Association of School Psychologists (NASP).

She encourages current and future students to find their “why," and continue to seek opportunities that align with their passions and values. "Graduate school can be exhausting and, at times, all-consuming, so it has been important for me to continually reconnect with what all of this work is for and move forward with intention." 💚🎓🦆

06/02/2026

Our undergraduate students are excelling in research! 👏💚

Evergreen Associate Professor Nichole Kelly’s research team made a strong showing at the Undergraduate Research Symposium. Family and human services (FHS) students felt celebrated by Nichole and her graduate students, and applaud Kelly for creating a supportive and collaborative environment in her lab.

06/01/2026

How we feel about commencement being two weeks away. 🎉🦆🎓

We are so excited to celebrate our 2026 graduates!

05/29/2026

Our HEDCO Clinic has expanded!

The Clinic provides support for speech and language challenges, neurodevelopmental needs and screenings, and counseling services, all while training the next generation of education and health professionals.

In January, the HEDCO Clinic expanded into a newly remodeled suite in the adjacent Clinical Services Building (CSB). The new space allows the Clinic to serve more individuals and families each year while enhancing training opportunities for students pursuing professional degrees. https://education.uoregon.edu/college-educations-hedco-clinic-expansion

05/28/2026

After struggling to help her own son learn to read, Oregon educator Ronda Fritz turned personal frustration into purpose. Ronda returned to school, earning her doctorate in special education from the College of Education. Today, her mission is to ensure every child learns to read by transforming how teachers are trained. https://lookouteugene-springfield.com/story/education/2026/05/18/one-teachers-struggle-to-help-her-son-led-her-to-take-on-oregons-reading-crisis/

05/26/2026

Does heavy drinking in college take a toll of students' cognition?

A study co-led by Associate Professor Ashley Linden-Carmichael dived into the effects blacking out had on adults aged 18-25, the age range reporting the highest rate of heavy alcohol use.

“We’re seeing in this study that heavy drinking can affect functioning the next day,” Linden-Carmichael said. “Students could have a harder time with their schoolwork, going to a job or navigating friendships, and that could have big implications for their mental health.” https://news.uoregon.edu/heavy-drinking-takes-toll-college-students-cognition-uo-study-finds?utm_source=oregonnews-05-25-26

05/22/2026

We are thrilled to celebrate our 2026 Outstanding Employee award winners. Our College of Education faculty and staff go above and beyond for our students every day. 💚👏 https://hr.uoregon.edu/outstanding-employee-awards

Recipients:
Kaitlyn Adams, Academic Program Coordinator
Melissa Green, Academic Program Coordinator
Anna Ingram, Administrative Program Assistant
Annette Tognazzini, Business Manager

Outstanding Employee Award 2026The 2026 winners have been announced!Thank you to everyone who submitted nominations. Please join us at the celebration reception on Wednesday, May 20th!The Outstanding Employee Awards recognize classified staff and officers of administration who exemplify excellence i...

05/21/2026

Help turn policy into practice.

Explore Education Policy and Leadership (EPoL), our 12-month, place-based master's program focused on education policy, leadership, and evidence-based decision-making.

Now accepting applications for this summer.

Our Education Policy and Leadership (EPoL) program is a 12-month pl...