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Spring 2026 UConn ECE History 1400 Workshop

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On Wednesday, February 25th, our ECE History 1400 instructors gathered for their annual professional development experience under the guidance of ECE Faculty Coordinator Thomas Maulucci, Ph.D. Discussions were lively, covering topics including Marxist critiques of political economy, the Protestant ethic and spirit of Capitalism, the British Industrial Revolution, and economic divergence between Europe and Asia.

Many thanks to Dr. Maulucci and all of the workshop attendees for making this a fulfilling day! We look forward to the next time our History 1400 instructors join us on campus.

UConn HIST courses offered through Early College Experience.

Spring 2026 UConn ECE Asian & Asian American Studies Workshop

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On Wednesday, February 11th, our ECE Asian and Asian American Studies instructors convened virtually for an enriching and topical discussion surrounding birthright citizenship in the United States. Please engage with the event overview below:

Teaching the 14th Amendment & Birthright Citizenship: Making Sense of the Political Moment Through Asian American Histories

Birthright citizenship—a cornerstone of the 14th Amendment—is once again under attack. In partnership with Asian Law Caucus, this workshop delved into the history and ongoing relevance of the 14th Amendment, exploring how Asian Americans have played a pivotal role in shaping its legacy. Together, we examined landmark moments including the Chinese Exclusion Act, United States v. Wong Kim Ark, and Executive Order 14160, and reflected on the broader question: Who gets to be an American citizen? Educators left with historical context, up-to-date legal insights, and ready-to-use resources to teach this critical topic in their classrooms.

Guest Contributor Bios

Sulynn Miao, Teach Asian American Stories

Sulynn Miao has a background in education and mental health, with a focus on youth, identity, and intergenerational healing. As Curriculum & Program Manager at AAPI New Jersey, she develops educational resources, community programs, and professional development centered on Asian and Pacific Islander histories. She is currently pursuing an M.A. in Asian American Studies at San Francisco State University.

Kimberly Leung, Asian Law Caucus

Kim Leung is a civil rights attorney with experience in both state and federal courts. She is part of the legal team challenging Executive Order 14160 in New Hampshire Indonesian Community Support v. Donald J. Trump, a case defending birthright citizenship. Kim is a staff attorney at the Asian Law Caucus, where she works with community partners on voting rights, civic engagement, and language access. Previously, she served as an Assistant Attorney General in Illinois. Based in Chicago, Kim also serves on the boards of the Asian American Bar Association of Greater Chicago and the Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community.

All of us at ECE extend our sincere thanks to the workshop’s attendees, guest contributors, and faculty coordinator Jason Chang, Ph.D. for their tireless commitment to providing enriching educational opportunities to ECE instructors and students alike.

We look forward to the next workshop already!

UConn AAAS courses offered through Early College Experience.

Spring 2026 UConn ECE Kinesiology Workshop

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On Wednesday, January 28th, we hosted our annual ECE Kinesiology professional development workshop, in collaboration with faculty coordinator Allison MacKenzie, MS. The event was focused on providing instructors an opportunity to give feedback on the course, and share strategies to make improvements for future semesters. Additionally, they discussed a variety of fitness and addiction resources, including ideas for research and activities to integrate into the learning module. This was a welcome opportunity for our instructors to be in community with one another, and share strategies for each others’ classroom concerns. We can’t wait for the next one!

UConn KINS courses offered through Early College Experience.

Spring 2026 UConn ECE Civil Engineering Workshop

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On Thursday, January 15th, our ECE Civil Engineering instructors met for a virtual professional development discussion, facilitated by faculty coordinator Sarira Motaref, P.E.. Attendees engaged in two discussion sessions, focusing on AI integration into Engineering courses and Neuroinclusive teaching practices, respectively. We are grateful to all who attended, and look forward to the next opportunity to connect with our CE instructors!

UConn Civil Engineering courses offered through Early College Experience.

Fall 2025 UConn ECE Math Workshop

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Our final professional development workshop for 2025 was our virtual ECE Math event, held on December 15th. As has become a tradition of sorts for our math team, instructors convened for a morning meeting which allowed them the chance to break into groups (organized by the primary math course that they teach) and discuss the current state of affairs for their classrooms and the course as a whole. We extend our thanks to faculty coordinator Anthony Rizzie, Ph.D. and assistant Andrew Jaramillo, Ph.D. for their continued support for our ECE Math instructors and students.

Happy New Year, ECE family! We are excited to continue to collaborate with you throughout 2026.

UConn MATH courses offered through Early College Experience.

Spring 2026 UConn ECE Plant Science and Landscape Architecture Workshop

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Welcome to 2026, ECE Family! We kicked off the new year with our annual Plant Science and Landscape Architecture professional development experience. This year, PSLA instructors were graciously invited to attend the 2026 UConn Extension Vegetable and Small Fruit Grower’s Conference, where they were able to attend a variety of learning sessions, observe research poster presentations, and network with other educators and individuals from the agricultural services industry. We extend our thanks to the UConn College of Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources, and ECE Faculty Coordinator Julia Kuzovkina, Ph.D., for their efforts to share this experience with our certified instructors!

UConn PSLA (formerly SPSS) courses offered through Early College Experience.

Fall 2025 UConn ECE Human Development & Family Sciences Workshop

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Tuesday, December 9th marked our final in-person professional development workshop for 2025! 25 certified Human Development & Family Sciences instructors convened on the UConn Storrs campus to hear guest addresses and engage in roundtable discussions surrounding issues of Artifical Intelligence usage in the classroom. We were joined in the morning by Erica Charis-Molling, an Instructional Design and Student Success Librarian at UConn, who presented a virtual AI literacy course that she designed for UConn students, which provides a detailed and fascinating overview of AI ethics and citation, and the impacts of various types of AI usage on learning outcomes. Later on, Tina Huey, Ph.D. and Xiaochen Liu, Ph.D. from the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning’s department of Faculty Development facilitated a conversation surrounding AI usage in the college classroom. We are grateful to all our guest contributors, as well as our attendees and faculty coordinators, Drs. Shannon Weaver and Brian Chapman, for their engagement and continued support of our ECE community!

On behalf of all of us at ECE, we wish you a happy and restful holiday season, and we will see you back on campus in 2026!

UConn HDFS courses offered through Early College Experience.

Fall 2025 UConn ECE English Conference

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Our largest event this semester was our Fall English Conference on November 21st, which boasted over 100 attendees from high schools across the state. The theme of this year’s conference was Speaking Together: Discourse as Literacy, and throughout the day instructors were encouraged to “explore activities and strategies that put students in conversation with each other, hone their critical thinking skills, and build their confidence as consumers and producers of knowledge”. There were several panel sessions throughout the day, which focused on themes including reading and revision, authentic discussion, and multi-modality. 

We extend our sincere thanks to faculty coordinator Scott Campbell, Ph.D., and Jackie Donaldson, Ph.D. student in the English Department, for their collaboration and efforts in making this a memorable experience for our instructors!

UConn English Courses available through Early College Experience.

Fall 2025 UConn ECE Music Workshop

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On Thursday, November 13th, 30 of our ECE Music instructors gathered for a virtual professional development workshop. Attendees were joined by Justin McManus, the Director of Athletic Bands at the University of California, Los Angeles, for a guest lecture and Q & A session. Many thanks to faculty coordinator Shannon McAllister for her continued support for our ECE instructors and community! We look forward to the next workshop.

UConn Music Courses available through Early College Experience.

Fall 2025 UConn ECE Library Media Specialist Training

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On Thursday of last week, ECE hosted our Library Media Specialists for their semiannual training, thanks to the organization and efforts of Anna Twiddy, Student Success & Engagement Librarian. As always, we were joined by a number of librarians from the UConn Library who shared their expertise in four unique sessions. Details are below!

Session Contributor
Student Search Success Tips: Demystifying the Library Website Ery Caswell, Student Success & Engagement Librarian
Helping Students Transition to College Writing Expectations John Rendeiro, Student Success & Engagement Librarian
Finding Primary Sources Laura Smith, Archivist
Leveraging the Library’s AI Literacy Basics Modules in HuskyCT Erica Charis-Molling, Instructional Design & Learning Librarian

Thank you to all of our contributors, and for those of you who were able to attend!

To access information from the training, as well as a number of other helpful resources, please visit the ECE LibGuide (linked here: https://guides.lib.uconn.edu/ECE)

We will see you in March 2026 for another virtual training event!