Madison Reporter

Experts from the University of Wisconsin–Madison are prepared to discuss various topics related to the upcoming school year. The faculty members, spanning multiple departments within the School of Education, offer insights on issues ranging from artificial intelligence in education to mental health support for students.

Shamya Karumbaiah, an assistant professor in the Department of Educational Psychology, is collaborating with Sadhana Puntambekar to enhance the utility of artificial intelligence for students and teachers. Their work focuses on evaluating PyrEval's feedback compared to language models like ChatGPT and developing tools to help teachers understand AI's benefits and drawbacks.

Jeremy Stoddard, a professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, investigates how political polarization affects young learners and civic education. He emphasizes the importance of understanding how polarization is transforming classrooms as another election cycle approaches.

Mariana Castro, qualitative research director at the Multilingual Learning Research Center, supports bilingual and multilingual students' learning. She recently spoke at the Every Day Counts Summit at the White House about engaging English learners through comprehensive approaches.

Andy Garbacz leads a three-year project funded by UW–Madison’s Wisconsin Rural Partnership initiative aimed at improving mental health support for children in rural communities. His work also extends to promoting mental health in suburban and urban schools across Wisconsin.

Mollie McQuillan’s new study highlights strategies for preventing bullying of transgender students by focusing on school administrators' roles. Her research explores educational policy's intersection with social relationships and LGBTQ+ students' health.

The Wisconsin Teacher Pledge program aims to address teacher shortages by covering tuition costs for teacher education students who commit to teaching in Wisconsin schools for three or four years. This initiative was extended through 2029-30 thanks to $8 million in donor support.

Brian Burt addresses the underrepresentation of Black males in STEM fields through research-based resources such as instructional videos and handouts. He co-leads initiatives aimed at improving equity in STEM doctoral programs nationwide.

Dr. Megan Yanny advises that planning and communication can help reduce back-to-school anxiety for children. Checking in with teachers, visiting schools beforehand, and establishing routines are recommended strategies.

For more information or interviews with these experts, contact details have been provided.

More experts on news and current events can be found on the UW–Madison Experts Database.

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