Approximately 100 school, mental health, and community leaders from across the state gathered at the University of Connecticut campus in Storrs on Wednesday, May 24, to discuss childhood trauma and the impact it can have on a child’s education, as well as possible strategies for responding to children who have experienced trauma or have behavioral health issues.

Kristi Kappael, now a doctoral student in the Neag School’s Learning, Leadership, and Educational Policy program with a concentration in adult learning, shares the story of her journey — from high school dropout to aspiring educator.

Stemming from the Thomas J. Dodd Center’s human rights education initiative, a new partnership was established between University of Connecticut’s Neag School of Education, the Upstander Project, and the Mashantucket Pequot Museum. The partnership is called the Upstander Academy, which formally came together last year as a way to practice outreach and human rights education with the community.

“Hopefully it creates some excitement about journalism, and shows that the reports of its demise are greatly exaggerated," says Michael Stanton, associate professor of journalism, about the podcast "Crimetown," set in Providence, R.I.

Professor Sandra M. Chafouleas in the Neag School’s Department of Educational Psychology has been named a University of Connecticut Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor — the highest honor that the university bestows on faculty who have demonstrated excellence in scholarship, teaching, and service.