By Caroline Lynch, UConn ECE Graduate Assistant, Master’s Student, UConn, Higher Education and Student Affairs
It’s been a busy semester for our certified ECE instructors; as of today (November 8, 2024) we have already had the pleasure of hosting 15 professional development events, both on- and off-campus, 
in-person and virtual. Instructors from Philosophy, American Studies, Maritime Studies, U. S. History, Medieval Studies, Civil Engineering, Environmental Sciences, Biology, Chinese, Marine Sciences, Music, Economics, Physics, Sustainable Plant and Soil Systems, Sociology, and English, along with our ECE Library Media Specialists, have had the opportunity to connect with their colleagues, faculty coordinators, and the ECE program staff so far this school year! We would like to take the time to highlight some of these incredible events and thank all attendees and organizers for their efforts this semester.
September 27, 2024: AMST/MAST/U.S. History at Mystic Seaport
Late September marked the beginning of a new initiative for Early College Experience: interdisciplinary professional development experiences. Approximately 75 instructors from Maritime Studies, American Studies, and U.S. History convened at Mystic Seaport Museum, where they had the opportunity to explore the Seaport’s current featured exhibit, Entwined: Freedom, Sovereignty, and the Sea, following a discussion by the exhibit’s curator, Dr. Akeia de Barros Gomes. Additionally, instructors engaged in several hands-on sessions around the museum property. These included a rope-making activity, a tour of the oldest commercial ship still afloat in the U.S., as well as a visit to the museum’s library, where instructors engaged with primary sources which highlighted Connecticut’s rich whaling and maritime history.
October 4, 2024: Medieval Studies (HIST 1300) Workshop
To kick off our October events, instructors from Medieval Studies convened on the UConn Storrs campus, to engage in conversation surrounding the Mali Empire in Western Africa with guest speaker Professor Christine Cooper-Rompato, of Utah State University. Attendees were asked to grapple with their personal connections to the continent, and interacted with a variety of resources (maps, articles, historical documents, videos, etc.) to enhance understanding.
October 15, 2024: Environmental Sciences at CAES
Our Environmental Sciences instructors traveled to New Haven, CT for their professional development experience this year. Under the guidance of Associate Professor Morty Ortega, the group explored the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, and received several informative lectures from resident scientists, including Dr. Scott Williams and Dr. Megan Linske, who both received their Ph.D.’s from the University of Connecticut! Lecture topics included integrated tick management research from Dr. Williams, “Diversity and Disease: Assessing Backyards for Tick Bite Prevention and Awareness” from Dr. Linske, and Monarch butterfly biology and conservation courtesy of Dr. Kelsey Fisher.
October 18, 2024: Chinese via Webex
Our first virtual PD of the year. Chinese instructors met on Friday, 10/18, and thanks to the virtual modality, they were given the opportunity to hear from Professor Zhiying Qian out of Florida State University. Professor Qian delivered a fascinating lecture on the emerging relationship between Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Chinese language instruction.
October 23, 2024: Economics Workshop
The UConn Storrs campus hosted our Economics instructors on Wednesday, 10/23, in collaboration with faculty coordinator Natalia Smirnova, Associate Professor in Residence. The event began 
with some exciting stories of ECE student successes (congratulations to Cheshire High School for placing 3rd in their Future Business Leaders of America competition!), and brainstorming classroom activities. Several guest speakers joined us in the afternoon, including Ariel Slonim, curriculum designer for Marginal RevolutionUniversity, a nonprofit dedicated to providing everyone with a “world-class economic education”, and Mary Claire Peate, a Senior Economic Education Specialist from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
October 29, 2024: SPSS Workshop with CIPWG
SPSS instructors were given the opportunity to attend the 12th biennial Symposium for the Connecticut Invasive Plant Working Group (CIPWG), thanks to faculty coordinator Professor Julia Kuzovkina. CIPWG is an organization committed to mitigating the negative environmental impact of invasive plant species, through educating themselves and others on identification and management of invasive plants, as well as replacement of invasive with native species. The theme of the Symposium was “Real Talk: Making an Impact in Invasive Plant Management”, and attendees were treated to a variety of discussions emphasizing the critical role of education in conservation and rooting the discussion of eradicating invasive plant species in local case studies. The day even finished up with a raffle for a collection of potted plants native to the area!
October 30, 2024: Physics Workshop and Planetarium Visit
Our annual physics workshop offered a variety of enrichment opportunities for our attendees. First, instructors engaged in valuable discussion on exam format and grading techniques, followed by our main event: a demonstration in the newly renovated Cynthia Wyeth Peterson planetarium. Our workshop marked one of the first uses of the new facility, and we extend thanks to Dr. Matt Guthrie and PhD student Kelcey Davis for allowing us into the facility, and for providing a fantastic show! Beginning in 2025, regular public shows are set to begin, and several of our attendees left the event excited by the opportunity to bring their students back to campus for a show sometime soon.
November 1, 2024: Annual English Conference
Marking our largest event so far this year, we welcomed just over 100 ECE English instructors to the UConn Storrs campus on Friday, November 1, for a conference entitled “Collaborative Circulation: A Recursive Roadmap”. Attendees attended four breakout sessions in small groups, followed by a panel discussion hosted by UConn English Department faculty and guests. Session 
descriptions were as follows:
- Circulation for Brainstorming and Ideation
- Circulation of Feedback
- Circulation as a Rhetorical Device/Context
- Interconnected Circulation: an Activity
What an exciting few months we’ve had! Not to mention, we still have events for Communication, Chemistry, Human Rights, Anthropology, and Math to look forward to before the Fall Semester comes to a close. To find more information and photographs from these and the rest of our professional development events, please feel free to visit the “ECE PD Blog” on our website. Planning for Spring 2025 workshops is well underway, and we plan to post details and dates on the ECE website’s “Dates to Remember” page as soon as possible. Thank you again to all who have attended an ECE event so far this year; it is always a pleasure to connect with our instructors across Connecticut. And to those we haven’t seen yet this year, keep an eye on your email inbox! We look forward to connecting with you and your colleagues very soon. n
connected with similarly enthusiastic educators from across the country. The event was a fantastic opportunity to exchange ideas and build relationships with colleagues dedicated to advancing language education. I attended engaging sessions focused on equitable practices in language teaching, gaining valuable insights into creating more inclusive and accessible learning environments for students of diverse backgrounds. A standout moment for me was a thought-provoking presentation on integrating AI in the classroom. It highlighted how we as teachers can integrate AI into our curricular planning to create evergreen lessons that reduce the cognitive load and the workload of teachers. The experience reinforced the importance of collaboration and staying current with evolving methodologies in language education and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Academy and present his capstone project, “Navigating the Tide: Dual and Concurrent Enrollment Instructor Certification in an Era of Teacher Uncertainty”. Chris’s project will result in a forthcoming NACEP Policy Brief and NACEP Webinar on strategies for State, District and Educator Preparation Program leaders to mitigate the impacts of teacher shortages on dual credit access. Regarding the conference, he states, “NACEP is an incredible opportunity for practitioners from across the nation to come together and explore best practices in the Dual and Concurrent Enrollment space. While UConn’s Office of Early College Programs is recognized as a national leader, the team and I always walk away feeling inspired and re-imagining ways to better support our partner schools, students and instructors.”
several promising practices to celebrate the work and dedication of their students, starting with a first ever college credit ceremony held last May. The ceremony celebrated the efforts of more than a hundred students who participated in dual credit coursework through one of New Britain’s various higher education partnerships, including UConn ECE.
instructors from 12 different UConn ECE high school partners from across the state. We were also joined by UConn Avery Point and Storrs Administrators, faculty, and staff, and a very special Guest of Honor, Jonathan XV! 
These sessions helped students dive deep into the academic topics related to maritime studies, engineering, and more setting them up for the afternoon’s hands-on competition. 
and The Morgan School placed in two of the four heats, Daniel Hand High School broke their streak and brought home the Cardboard Trophy as the winners of the Championship Race! Daniel Hand High School’s Usain Boat set the record for the fastest completion time during the initial heats, and then took first in the Championship race as well. They will display the Cardboard Trophy until next year, when a plaque with their school and boat name will be affixed to the trophy, and then be passed along to the 2025 Champions!
kicked off with a plenary session focusing on Promising Practices at Partner Schools. Representatives from Glastonbury Public Schools, East Lyme High School, Rockville High School and University High School of Science and Engineering discussed ways they are expanding their concurrent and dual enrollment opportunities at their schools. They shared an approach that focused on creating diverse course offerings to meet the unique needs of their high school populations. Site Representatives attended breakout sessions which focused on high school specific program data, expanding access to course offerings, registration 101, a Q&A with a panel of former UConn ECE students, and information from UConn’s Center for Students with Disabilities. The conference ended with a barbecue lunch on the Student Union Terrace for attendees to enjoy a beautiful, sunny day on the Storrs campus. We look forward to having everyone back on the Storrs campus next year.
ear we had the great honor to recognize thirteen Professional Recognition Award winners along with six award winners of the Silver Jubilee Award (25-year partners). The night was filled with heartfelt speeches, tears of joy, laughter, and celebration as winners, accompanied by their family and friends were able to pause and acknowledge the great impact they have on the lives of their students, their community, and those who work alongside them.
