It is hard to believe that URI’s Feinstein College of Education is already six months old! The time has been filled with new initiatives, rapid change and significant movement.

The anchor in a transformative time is always people. I am grateful to the many individuals whose expertise, skills and energy are making it possible for us to build a thriving college and I’m excited to share with you some highlights.

First, the College’s Year of Education – a series of monthly events highlighting the important work of leaders across the educational spectrum – kicked off in September with the Rhody Rams football game against Stony Brook. That game also celebrated Education Day, where we honored Jay Midwood with the inaugural Spirit of Partnership Award. Jay is Chief of Human Capital at Central Falls School District and is an ardent supporter of our educator preparation programs.

In October, our event featured distinguished lecturer Dr. Dorian McCoy, the Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the University of Tennessee’s Knoxville College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences. An interview with Dr. McCoy is included in this edition of Educators and Innovators. Keep an eye out for announcements about future Year of Education events taking place throughout the year.

On October 6, we launched the College’s inaugural Dean’s Advisory Board with members David Bergeron (’78), Kelley Joseph, and Michael Welch (’88). The Board spent the day learning about our innovative programs and faculty research agendas. Additionally, Dr. Welch is our 2023 Distinguished Achievement Award recipient, presented with this honor at a banquet in Newport on October 21.

This special edition of Educators and Innovators spotlights many accomplishments of the new Feinstein College of Education, including a grant from the National Science Foundation for URI education professor Sara Sweetman to team up with PBS Kids’ programming, several federal grants to support the development of a new special education program and to increase global opportunities for students, state grants focused on expanding our TESOL/BDL programs to better meet the needs of multilingual learners and their teachers, as well as a grant from the Rhode Island Foundation to address the need for more diverse teachers across the state.

We also celebrate Distinguished Alumna, Paige Leddy ’07, ’21, who was recently named as a 2023 Milken Educator Award winner.

As I reflect on the last six months, I am reminded that this is only the beginning, and our potential is limitless! I am energized by the work we have accomplished thus far, and I am committed to programs and developments that complement the ambitious ethos of the Feinstein College of Education.

Go Rhody!