GGSE News Archive

The UCSB Gevirtz Graduate School of Education and the Kindred Collective for Healing and Liberatory Traditions (which encompasses The Healing Space) will present “Flourish & Flow: A Black Joy Beach Party”–a free, intergenerational celebration of Black wellness, cultural connection, and collective care. The event will take place Sunday, October 26, from 1 p.m. to sunset (approximately 6 p.m.) at Goleta Beach Area A, and is open to all who come in respect and solidarity.

Jill Sharkey has agreed to serve as Interim Dean of the Gevirtz Graduate School of Education, effective July 1, 2025. Sharkey, a nationally certified school psychologist, joined UCSB in 2003 and is currently Associate Dean for Research and Outreach for the Gevirtz School and is a faculty member of the Department of Counseling, Clinical, and School Psychology.  

The Gevirtz Graduate School of Education held its commencement on June 12, 2025, to recognize the achievements of students earning doctoral and master’s degrees, as well as teaching credentials. 

Kaylin Russell is a doctoral candidate with an emphasis in Clinical Psychology in the Department of Counseling, Clinical, and School Psychology at UCSB. 

Honeiah Karimi is a Ph.D. candidate in Education with an emphasis in Quantitative Methods in the Social Sciences. 

After nine years of outstanding leadership as the Jules Zimmer Dean of our Gevirtz Graduate School of Education, Professor Jeffrey Milem has decided to retire, effective June 30, 2025. 

After committing their lives and careers to improving the lives of countless early learners through reading and language arts, a trio of Gevirtz Graduate School of Education experts have established philanthropic legacies that reflect their shared passion for education and pave the way for the future of literacy instruction and research. Their combined gifts total over $2 million. 

Marking a milestone anniversary in their joint effort to support the needs of local students, teachers and families, UC Santa Barbara’s Gevirtz Graduate School of Education and the Harding University Partnership School (HUPS) are celebrating their successful 15-year collaboration.

Professor Tania Israel at the UC Santa Barbara Gevirtz Graduate School of Education, has received the 2025 Award for Distinguished Senior Career Contributions to Psychology in the Public Interest  from the American Psychological Association (APA). Israel is in the Counseling, Clinical, & School Psychology Department at the Gevirtz School and is also the Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. 

The Gevirtz School held its 2025 Fellowship Breakfast on January 24. Fellowships are made possible through generous private foundations and individual donors who have contributed to 26 funds that provide annual support to Gevirtz School students. Fellowships were awarded to 52 students, with funds totaling over $255,000.

The Healing Space training program at the UC Santa Barbara Gevirtz Graduate School of Education has developed the “Raising Liberated Black Youth” project. Featuring a series of workshops and events for parents and educators involved in raising and educating Black children, the project aims to provide practical guidance to adults who want to support Black youth in combating the negative effects of racism-related stress.

New certificate program addresses the need for bilingual, multilingual and culturally responsive school psychologists. 

The Department of Counseling, Clinical, and School Psychology (CCSP) at the UC Santa Barbara Gevirtz School will be holding a Research Festival on Monday, November 18, from 9:15 am to 12:20 pm at the Student Resource Building MPR Room. Nine CCSP students will be presenting their cutting-edge research during the symposium event. In order to receive their master’s degree, all second year CCSP students submit a research festival proposal in the spring. As third year students, they present their findings to the department.

UC Santa Barbara Gevirtz Graduate School of Education celebrates the start of fall quarter with the debut of “What’s Brewing in Education & Applied Psychology” - an evening in a local brewery to tap into the latest research, presented in 8-minute talks, from Gevirtz School faculty. 

Carolyn Sattin-Bajaj, Associate Professor in the Department of Education at UC Santa Barbara’s Gevirtz School, and Adam Strom, from Re-imagining Migration, co-authored the brief “Promoting School Success for Immigrant-Origin Students,” released by Results for America and the Annenberg Institute at Brown University.

Lucy Arellano, Associate Professor in the Department of Education at the Gevirtz School, has an article in the April Hispanic Outlook on Education Education Magazine, discussing the transformative impact of Latinx faculty and student relationships at community colleges. 

Royce Olarte, a Ph.D. candidate in Mathematics Education in the Gevirtz School Department of Education, earned the Runner-Up award and a $1,000 prize in the Final Round of the UC Santa Barbara 2024 Grad Slam research presentation competition held on April 5.

Teens and adults who have undiagnosed autism (autism spectrum disorder / ASD) can struggle with symptoms that may lead to depression, anxiety and self-harm, according to the UCSB Koegel Autism Center at the Gevirtz Graduate School of Education. 

One year after the end of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions in California, adolescents reported an increase in feeling disconnected from their communities and negative thoughts about society in general, according to a UCSB study on adolescent “social well-being.” The research found pervasive decreases in social well-being, and a significant portion of the students surveyed did not recover to their pre-COVID level by 2022.

The Graduate Student Association in Education at the Gevirtz Graduate School of Education (GGSE) will hold its 2024 Research Symposium on Friday, May 17 and Saturday, May 18, featuring the theme “Strengthening Communities Through Equity-Centered Perspectives on Education.”