Our Alumni

Staying in Storrs: Adult Learning Alumnus, Kevin Thompson, Ph.D.

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The University of Connecticut’s Department of Educational Leadership is fortunate to have well-connected alumni who continue to work with the university post-graduation or who have returned after years of work in diverse professional settings. The “Staying in Storrs” series highlights our talented EDLR program alumni and the work they are currently doing with UConn. This feature focuses on the Adult Learning Ph.D. Program.

Dr. Kevin Thompson, Assistant Professor in Residence in the UConn School of Business’ Management Department, is no newcomer to the UConn community: he is also an alumnus. He earned his Ph.D. in Adult Learning from the Neag School of Education and decided to bring his expertise back to UConn to work with the next generation of business professionals.

Dr. Kevin ThompsonAfter 30 years in the corporate world and earning a Ph.D., Thompson decided to leave his senior management position and return to Storrs to share his skills and knowledge with business students. He says he hopes to provide students with the same experiences and opportunities he received during his time as a student. Thompson’s mission to help students achieve success is clear in his research.

“My research focuses on how to enhance learning for the millennial generation and how service-learning impacts career success,” says Thompson.

Using his research as a foundation, Thompson has introduced experiential, project-based learning to the Business School curriculum. In December of 2018, Thompson was awarded the UConn Provost Award for Engaged Scholarship for Non-Tenure Track Faculty, which recognized his dedication to pairing community engagement and student success.

During his time as a Ph.D. student in the Adult Learning Program, Thompson said he wrote a paper that compared and contrasted adult learning scholarship and practice. Ever since that paper, he has been fascinated by the role scholarly research plays in improving lives and increasing student success. Thompson says his experience as a UConn student played a big role in his professional success. “I find that relationships can be even more important for career success than your level of technical expertise,” says Thompson. “In my Ph.D. program, I was able to develop relationships with both other students and faculty that are an essential part of my support network to this day.”

Thompson says that the most fulfilling part of his faculty position is the regular experience of engaging with students and helping them achieve their learning and career goals. “Not a day goes by that this effort does not bring me satisfaction,” says Thompson. “It drives me to try to create an even more valuable experience for the students I teach.”

Overall, Thompson describes his UConn experience as “inspired” and says that it’s important to take opportunities to pause and reflect on one’s life and career.

“It is heartwarming and inspiring to know that I’ve come to a place in my career where I can leverage all that’s been given to me for the benefit of UConn students.”

Staying in Storrs: Ed.D. Alumna Joins PK-3 Leadership Program

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The University of Connecticut’s Department of Educational Leadership is fortunate to have well-connected alumni who continue to work with the university post-graduation or who have returned after years of work in diverse professional settings. The “Staying in Storrs” series highlights our talented EDLR program alumni and the work they are currently doing with UConn. This feature focuses on the PK-3 Leadership Program and Ed.D. Program.

Ed.D. student Tayarisha Stone is writing down strategies on a large yellow post-it, during her time in the Ed.D. Program
Tayarisha Stone-Batchelor engages in classroom activities while obtaining her Ed.D. degree. Photo credit: Shawn Kornegay/Neag School of Education

This March, Dr. Tayarisha Stone-Batchelor, Principal of Rawson STEAM School in Hartford, CT, will return to her alma mater at the University of Connecticut to co-facilitate the latest module for the PK-3 Leadership Program.  Stone-Batchelor will be teaching alongside her Ed.D. classmate and returning PK-3 instructor, Dr. Roszena Haskins.

The Leading for Equity, Excellence, and Early Success module focuses on the critical components of leadership inside schools, the community, and across government and private agencies. Stone-Batchelor’s experience in the education field is extensive and includes a doctorate in education from The Department of Educational’s Ed.D. program. She graduated in 2017, and during her time as a student was actively involved with her cohort, which enabled her to strengthen her leadership skills by working with different students both inside and outside of her classroom experiences. She shares the most important part of being a leader is being able to be collaborative.

“To be successful in partnerships, it is imperative to have people working together, listening to other voices, and most importantly, being open to hearing other views.” – Tayarisha Stone-Batchelor

Stone-Batchelor used the strong leaderships skills she developed while in the Neag program to build and sustain positive relationships like the one with EDLR’s Husky Sport Program, an in-school and after-school program geared towards engaging Hartford youth through healthy nutrition, positive life skills and physical literacy.

In addition to her work and experience at UConn, Stone-Batchelor has been the principal of Rawson Elementary School in Hartford for the last 8 years. She was interested in working in an urban district to apply her expertise in developing a new model that would ensure all students have equal access and can compete for future jobs.  As the principal, Stone-Batchelor strives to give her students STEM opportunities that fully immerse and engage them. Stone-Batchelor’s efforts towards improving urban schools goes hand in hand with the passion she has for using her platform to become a voice for minorities. In February of 2019, she was recognized by the Voices of Women of Color earning the Trailblazer award for providing Women of Color with leadership skills that lead to employment opportunities and success in their communities.   

Because of Neag’s integral role in her success as an administrator, Stone-Batchelor has decided to return to Storrs. She hopes to give others the same experience she had, share what she has learned, and encourage and inspire others who undecided on their career path. She says that she made the decision to come back and teach at Neag because she sees that education has an impact on students and she wants to be a part of it. Specifically, Stone-Batchelor is excited to work with adult leaders, serving PK-3 aged students. 

What sets this program apart from others, says Stone-Batchelor, is that Neag’s PK-3 program uses modules that bring together an expert panel as a means to incorporate all perspectives and create a bigger picture for educators.  She believes it is important to expose educators to strategies that she has picked up in her time working in an urban district and she plans to implement the whole-child perspective which focuses on considering the child’s family as well stating,

“We’ve danced around the achievement gap for over a decade now,” she says. “We need to look at programs that partner with families early on so that we can break down the barriers early.”

Throughout her career, Stone-Batchelor has always kept a certain question in mind: how do we sustain what we have built so far and make it better? As she takes on this new role as PK-3 instructor, Stone-Batchelor says she finally hopes to be able to answer that question.

Staying in Storrs: Loretta Rubin’s Return to UCAPP

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The University of Connecticut’s Department of Educational Leadership (EDLR) is fortunate to have well-connected alumni who continue to work with the university, post-graduation or some who have returned after years of work in diverse professional settings. The “Staying in Storrs” series will highlight our talented EDLR program alumni and the work they are currently doing with UConn.  This feature focuses on the UCAPP program.

Loretta Rubin
Loretta Rubin

UCAPP alumna, Loretta Rubin was a member of the first UCAPP cohort based out of Stamford, graduating from the program in 1996. Currently, she serves as a leadership coach to interns in the same program that she graduated from, 22 years prior; an opportunity that she feels fortunate to have which allows her to draw upon her previous experience, when she was enrolled in the program.

Having first-hand experience as a student, she has a deep understanding of the challenges students face with regards to attending classes at night and on the weekends, while simultaneously balancing their day-jobs as successful educators. For this reason, she’s excited to serve as a role model to these aspiring leaders and teach them how to balance the program’s requirements in order to achieve their career goals.

Rubin reflected on the many role models who helped her throughout the program and her professional journey, one in particular was her adviser, Ellen Sloane. Sloane helped her navigate the program and balance the demands of higher education with the demands of the classroom. Today, Rubin is dedicated to providing that same support to UCAPP students in her role as a leadership coach. She does not tell students what to do or what to think – she asks questions that get them to think critically and adopt different perspectives. This helps them broaden their learning to get the most out of their internship experience.

One element that has helped Rubin transition into a role on the professional side of the UCAPP program is the continued commitment to the same values that the program upheld when she was a student. The importance of instructional leadership, core knowledge competencies, commitment to equity and cultural awareness, and the continued dedication to students remain the program’s top priorities. Rubin also applauds the program for its ability to continuously grow to meet the needs of an ever changing educational landscape while navigating the complexities of a principalship.

When she joined the program, Rubin knew it was highly respected. However, she explains that what she gained – and continues to gain from the program – far exceeded her expectations. She describes that she sought admission to the program for the credentials, but the diverse perspectives and comprehensive curriculum re-instilled her purpose for pursuing a career in education, with a goal “to make the world a better place.”

After 11 years of mentoring principals across the state, Rubin is excited to shift her focus to the UCAPP students as they have a unique opportunity to assess current issues in their internships, apply learnings from their classes, and implement creative solutions. She believes that the ability to inspire growth and development not only with the UCAPP students themselves, but throughout the educational landscape of Connecticut is amazing. The Department of Educational Leadership is excited for the energy and perspective that Rubin brings with her as she returns back to UCAPP after years in the field.

Craig Cooke Earns 2019 Neag Alumni Award for Outstanding School Superintendent

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UConn’s Neag School of Education shared ELP Alumnus, Craig Cooke has earned the Alumni Award for Outstanding School Superintendent, stating “For the past five years, Craig Cooke has served as superintendent of Windsor (Conn.) Public Schools, where he is responsible for managing the school district, including overseeing a $69 million budget. Prior to that role, he served as the assistant superintendent of human resources for the district of more than 650 educators and support staff. Cooke also previously served as the human resources director for Enfield (Conn.) Public Schools.”

Cooke will receive his award on March 16, 2019.