Alumni

Two �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder education scholars earn prestigious National Academy of Education/Spencer early career honors

Hannah Fletcher — Wed, 24 Jun 2026 17:43:30 +0000

Two �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder education scholars earn prestigious National Academy of Education/Spencer early career honors Hannah Fletcher Wed, 06/24/2026 - 11:43

The National Academy of Education (NAEd) announced recently two �鶹��Ѱ�� education scholars, doctoral candidate Danielle Aguilar and alumnus Christopher Saldaña, have been selected for two of the nation’s most competitive honors for emerging education scholars.

The NAEd/Spencer fellowships recognize exceptional research and provide funding and professional development to early-career scholars whose projects address critical issues in the history, theory and practice of education nationally and globally.

Aguilar was selected as one of just 35 dissertation fellows nationwide chosen from nearly 500 applicants.

Her dissertation, “From Systemic Rupture to Sacred Space: A Multi-Methods Study of Educational Pushout and Healing,” explores how youth of color who have experienced criminalization and heightened surveillance understand what culture, resistance and healing means to them, including how they understand and reimagine resistance through Indigenous cultural practices.

Working alongside Denver-area youth, Aguilar uses community-based participatory research while also offering “love and dignity to all persons involved in the research process” to examine how community cultural wealth and healing justice frameworks illuminate the wisdom, creativity and knowledge that young people carry. Her work challenges deficit-based narratives about justice-system-impacted youth and seeks to transform the systems that shape many lives.

As a first-generation scholar from a working-class Chicanx family, Aguilar brings strong personal and community commitments to her research and hopes to become a professor at a minority-serving institution, where she can continue to focus on transformative research that uplifts young scholars. She said it’s a deep honor to be a PhD candidate, and she feels an immense privilege that’s rooted in responsibility to her community.

“As a first-generation college student and former Pell Grant recipient, I see the NAEd/Spencer Dissertation Fellowship as a collective endurance and manifestation of ancestral dreams,” Aguilar said. “This fellowship invites me to bring methodological innovation and experiential knowledge to the intersections of youth, carcerality and education. By anchoring my work in QuantCrit, Indigenous ways of knowing and community-based participatory research, I am not just analyzing data but rather working alongside community to untangle the punitive practices that restrict far too many lives.

“This recognition honors the brilliance of my community partner, the deep love and sacrifice of my family and loved ones and the strength and wisdom of ancestors. Here’s to imagining and working towards liberatory futures.”

Additionally, Saldaña, a �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder alumnus (PhDEdu’22) and current assistant professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, received a 2026 NAEd/Spencer Postdoctoral Fellowship.

Saldaña, who is also a fellow in �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder’s National Education Policy Center (NEPC) and host of the NEPC Talks Education podcast, was selected as one of just 25 postdoctoral fellows nationwide from a pool of nearly 500 applicants. His project, “Platform Promises, District Realities: Examining How Organizational Capacity Shapes the Adoption of K–12 Educational Technology,” investigates how school districts navigate the adoption of educational platforms such as Google Classroom, Canvas and ClassDojo.

Saldaña’s work examines whether disparities in school district organizational capacity are creating a new digital divide, one defined not by access to technology but by the ability to manage complex, ongoing relationships with platform providers. His multi-method study aims to deepen understanding of platform-driven inequality and support more equitable technology adoption across districts.

“It’s hard to put into words how grateful I am for the opportunity offered to me by the National Academy of Education and the Spencer Foundation,” he said. “The NAEd/Spencer Postdoctoral Fellowship will give me the time and space to dig into the complex world of education platforms, organizational capacity and district adoption processes.

“I owe an enormous thank you to everyone who has supported me along the way, including my partner, family, friends, mentors and advisors and colleagues. A special shoutout goes out to the �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder School of Education, the National Education Policy Center and the Miramontes Fellowship program, all of which offered crucial support during my time as a graduate student.”

NAEd/Spencer fellowships play a vital role in cultivating the next generation of scholars across diverse fields and investing in education research is increasingly important amid declines in research funding.

“Danielle’s and Chris’ research approaches are innovative and deeply needed at a moment when rigorous, transformative education research is more important than ever,” said Amanda Haertling Thein, dean of the �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder School of Education.

“These fellowships are more than recognitions—they reflect our school’s national impact in cultivating emerging scholars whose work advances justice, equity and community-rooted approaches to education research. We are proud of Chris and Danielle, and excited about how their work will expand our understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing education today while pointing toward new and important directions for the field.

Off

Traditional

White

Meet Dean Amanda Haertling Thein and her full-circle journey to becoming dean of the �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder School of Education

Hannah Fletcher — Tue, 12 Aug 2025 20:27:01 +0000

Meet Dean Amanda Haertling Thein and her full-circle journey to becoming dean of the �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder School of Education Hannah Fletcher Tue, 08/12/2025 - 14:27

As the new Dean of the School of Education, Amanda Haertling Thein recently returned to the �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder campus—a homecoming for the alumna.

Thein grew up in Colorado and attended �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder as an undergraduate. In this Q&A, she reflects on her path from high school teacher to educational researcher and higher education leader. She is a nationally recognized scholar in English and literacy education with a passion for educational democracy, which aligns with the School of Education’s mission and public scholarship.

Learn more about Dean Thein’s deep ties to Colorado, her call to serve the state, and what excites her most about leading the school into its next chapter.

Q: How did you come to �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder, and eventually, into the field of education?

I am from Colorado, and I grew up in Centennial. I went to �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder as an undergrad and had an amazing experience. I really loved to read when I was in high school—really, my whole life—so that’s what drew me to being an English major. I love to write as well, so I also majored in journalism with a focus on public relations. I even had a part-time job in CU’s Office of Public Relations, where I interviewed faculty about their work. Later, I was a summer intern with the Foundation for Boulder Valley Schools, and that sparked my interest in education.

Near the end of my undergraduate experience, I realized I wanted to be an English teacher, which for some reason had not occurred to me! I went to the University of Denver for teacher licensure and a master’s degree and taught English and advised the newspaper at Heritage High School in Littleton for three wonderful years. While finishing my master’s, I realized how much I loved the intersection of research, theory, and classroom teaching. I realized I was going to miss reading theory and empirical research. My advisor encouraged me to pursue a PhD and to consider a career as a professor in education.

He also encouraged me to find an advisor who was studying what I was interested in, which was how we teach literature to students from a range of backgrounds. That led me to the University of Minnesota to study with Richard Beach. From the start, I was in St. Paul classrooms observing, interviewing, and learning about how students respond to literature. I became passionate about research during my doctoral program, and I also learned a lot about academia and mentorship. My advisor took me to conferences, wrote with me, and introduced me to other scholars. I found it absolutely invigorating to be studying what was happening in classrooms.

Q: Was there something about education research that drew you in, especially after teaching?

As a teacher, I was driven by daily challenges and my relationships with students. Teachers are invested in the lives of students holistically, not just in terms of how they’re doing in your classes. It’s incredibly rewarding, but it’s way more than a full-time job. It’s hard to slow down to engage in research and study what’s happening in a classroom.

I think education needs both: excellent teachers continually improving their practice and scholars studying what happens in classrooms and communities.

Q. Your journey as a faculty member has moved into higher education leadership. How did that come about?

After my doctorate, I became a tenure-track assistant professor specializing in literacy education and mentoring doctoral students at the University of Pittsburgh, which was a great experience. Then I moved to the University of Iowa, which brought us closer to family and gave me rich research opportunities in rural and suburban schools.

The dean invited me to serve as associate dean. I hadn’t planned on administration, but I found I enjoyed shaping college-wide policies, supporting faculty and grad students, and improving student experiences. I worked on program development, policy equity, and graduate education. It was fulfilling in ways I hadn’t anticipated.

I was fortunate to have a dean who saw my potential and he encouraged me to think about other roles on campus. Then, I became Dean of the Graduate College and Associate Provost for Graduate and Professional Education at Iowa. I wanted to know more about how the whole university functioned, and I also wanted to support the experiences of graduate students. I had an amazing experience as a graduate student, but I knew there were other students who didn't. I aimed to create a student-centered experience for grad students. That role really taught me how to be a campus citizen and how to advocate for students across the institution.

Q. What drew you back to �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder?

�鶹��Ѱ��Boulder shaped who I am. I had a challenging, meaningful undergraduate experience here, and it stretched me in all the right ways. I wasn’t actively seeking this role, but the idea of leading the School of Education at my alma mater was always in the back of my mind.

What makes �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder special to me isn’t just my personal connection. It’s the kind of work happening here. The faculty are deeply engaged in educational equity and democracy through meaningful community partnerships. That’s the kind of work I care about. I also believe deeply in the mission of public flagship research institutions to ensure that research meets the needs of people in the state and the region. I see people at �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder forwarding that mission in so many exciting ways, especially in the School of Education.

Q. What are your priorities in your first few months?

First and foremost, I want to learn and listen. I want to understand the school’s history, its programs, and its people—faculty, staff, students, alumni, and community partners. I want to hear what’s important to them. That will lay the groundwork for a collaborative visioning process. I have ideas, but visioning needs to be shared work. I also want us to think about how we align resources with our goals and continue leading in publicly engaged, community-connected scholarship.

Q. Let’s shift gears. What do you love doing outside of work?

I’m a lifelong reader. I especially love fiction and listen to audiobooks constantly—walking my dog, commuting, doing chores. I also love to hike, walk, do yoga, and cook. I read that everyone needs a creative hobby. Cooking has become my creative hobby. I’m always checking the New York Times cooking app for ideas.

And I’m thrilled to be near my family again after 24 years away. My siblings live in Denver, and my parents are in Parker. It's such a gift to live close to them and to be able to see family, and then come back to my own house that night. I love that my children are able to see their cousins on a regular basis. So I'm leaning into that, and I'm reconnecting with some of my lifelong friends.

Q. What’s it like walking across campus now as a dean having once walked those same sidewalks as a student?

It’s amazing. I couldn’t have imagined this as a student. I was recently in a meeting across campus and I took the long way back just to walk around. I remembered living in Hallett, Arnett, and Kitt West. I love thinking about the many memories I have of being here. I rode my bike to campus a couple weekends ago, and I remembered the places where you're supposed to dismount your bike—such a rule follower.

I'm just struck by how beautiful the campus is. I don't remember paying a lot of attention to how beautiful the Flatirons were when I was an undergrad, but it just takes my breath away now. I couldn't be more thrilled to be here.

Q. Anything else you want to add?

Just how grateful I am. The people in the School of Education have been so welcoming, and I feel lucky every day to be here. �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder is as inspiring as I remember, maybe more.

I'm amazed to be surrounded by so many people who care about this university and school the way that I do and I hoped people would. I can't wait to lean into the future of the �鶹��Ѱ�� together.

Aren’t we fortunate too! Welcome, Dean Thein.

As the new Dean of the School of Education, Amanda Haertling Thein recently returned to the �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder campus—a homecoming for the alumna. Thein grew up in Colorado and attended �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder as an undergraduate. In this Q&A, she reflects on her path from high school teacher to educational researcher and higher education leader and what excites her most about leading the school into its next chapter.

Off

Traditional

White

Power of Community

Maddie Rudolph — Wed, 04 Dec 2024 19:07:32 +0000

Power of Community Maddie Rudolph Wed, 12/04/2024 - 12:07 Hannah Fletcher

Nothing worth doing is easy, so find joy in the inevitable struggle and push on."

- Jack Chambers

Teacher of the year reflects on how to uplift one another and push through challenges

They say it’s an honor just to be nominated. That’s how Jack Chambers (MEdu’12, EthnSt’02) felt seeing his name next to an initial list of 50 nominees for certified teacher of the year across his district, Adams 12 Five Star Schools in the Northeast Denver metro area. Coming out on top was “completely surreal,” he said.

“It’s some seriously powerful stuff when your entire community, not to mention an entire school district, recognizes your efforts and commitment to teaching,” he said.

Chambers’ classroom at McElwain Elementary in Thornton provides a safe and nurturing environment where all his students, including many from diverse linguistic backgrounds, can embrace both learning and the possibility of failure, instilling confidence and curiosity.

In addition to his amazing teaching, Chambers has gone out his way to support peers, including serving as a long-time mentor to �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder teacher candidates and hosting teacher education students who are paired with his third grade readers and writers through the Reading Buddies program—which he’s hosted since the program’s inception more than 10 years ago.

Here, the alumnus and seasoned mentor reflects on these experiences and shares his advice for current and future educators.

In his own words:

What did the teacher of the year honor mean to you and your community?

“Receiving the honor of certified teacher of the year provides me with a healthy dose of gratification for the effort I have put forth so far in my career. But it also puts a deserving spotlight on my school community, their families and my family. I push my students hard because they push me hard. I’m a reflective and motivated teacher because our staff at McElwain are reflective and motivated. Most importantly, I am able to care for and commit to my work because my family is caring and committed to me. I may have received the honor of being certified teacher of the year, but the award truly belongs to those that have been a part of helping me earn it.”

Why do you choose to mentor student teachers and participate in other projects partnering �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder and your school?

“I find it absolutely necessary to work with future teachers to help them take a real and honest look at the profession they are preparing to enter. Aspiring teachers carry with them a very strong sense of purpose and motivation. But that drive can only get a teacher so far. Co-teaching, co-planning and collaborating with a current teacher in the field helps a rising teacher to add structure to their drive. I like giving future teachers a safe place to explore their style, their flow and to experiment with the strategies they are learning about in their coursework.”

What’s an important lesson that could support new teachers entering the field?

“The most important thing I have learned during my adventures in education is that you are nothing without your community. Community starts in your classroom but is a hollow and empty thing if it does not extend beyond. The importance of maintaining collaborative relationships with grade-level team members, other grade levels, specialist teachers, administration, office staff, custodial staff and parents/ guardians cannot be overstated.

Knowing your craft is also extremely important but comes with time and requires you to pace yourself. Take advantage of trainings, required professional development and the variety of courses offered to help expand your teaching skills/strategies. But don’t forget to take advantage of your breaks either. Use them to renew your strength and balance out your home life.

You will be challenged EVERY year you teach, and your determination to stay in the profession will likely be tested more than once—year seven was pretty rough for me. Nothing worth doing is easy, so find joy in the inevitable struggle and push on.”

Teacher of the year reflects on how to uplift one another and push through challenges

Off

Traditional

White

Alumni

Two �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder education scholars earn prestigious National Academy of Education/Spencer early career honors

Off

Meet Dean Amanda Haertling Thein and her full-circle journey to becoming dean of the �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder School of Education

Off

Power of Community

In his own words:

Discover more stories from Voices vol. 7:

A New Era

The Movement Continues

Discovery, Action & Transformation

Off

Alumni

Two �鶹��Ѱ�����Boulder education scholars earn prestigious National Academy of Education/Spencer early career honors

Off

Meet Dean Amanda Haertling Thein and her full-circle journey to becoming dean of the �鶹��Ѱ�����Boulder School of Education

Off

Power of Community

In his own words:

Discover more stories from Voices vol. 7:

A New Era

The Movement Continues

Discovery, Action & Transformation

Off

Two �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder education scholars earn prestigious National Academy of Education/Spencer early career honors

Meet Dean Amanda Haertling Thein and her full-circle journey to becoming dean of the �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder School of Education