News

The College of Education honors and remembers longtime faculty member Nolan Estes, professor emeritus in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy and director of the Cooperative Superintendency Program, whose distinguished career and immeasurable contributions to education have left an enduring legacy. 

Gilman, Impact and Rappaport Scholar Nickoll Santos Garcia arrived at UT Austin as a cautious, first-generation college student. Now a COE graduate and recipient of multiple honors, as well as the Michael Mizell Mankins Endowed Presidential Scholarship in Education, she leaves for Boston confidently with her Youth and Communities Studies degree, multiple minors and a public policy certificate in hand.

After facing many obstacles and the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic, Bethany Hamilton is graduating with a Ph.D. in educational psychology, specializing in quantitative methods. This milestone is only the beginning as she prepares to move to the Netherlands for postdoctoral research.

After transferring from community college, Johniken fell in love with sport management through his Kinesiology and Health Education classes – so much so that he decided to come back for more. Today, he holds both a bachelor’s and master’s degree from the College of Education, even finishing a semester early.

In her counseling practice, respected psychologist, scholar and commencement speaker Cynthia de las Fuentes (Ph.D. ’94) explores the intersections between feminist theory and multiculturalism while advocating for underserved populations.

What began as a job to be closer to home sparked a passion for education. Savneet Bains, recipient of the George and Irene Baker Scholarship in Community College Leadership and the Amado M. Pena, Sr. Endowed Scholarship in the Community College Leadership Program, took a leap from India to UT Austin to pursue a Ph.D. in Education Leadership and Policy and make an impact on higher education.

Four faculty members and one alumna of the College of Education received recognitions at this year’s AERA Awards for their world-class research.

To assist our community in staying up to date on the media landscape in the college, we have compiled a media summary of news clips and mentions.

Celebrating the achievements of the members of our community.

Emily Lucas always knew she was meant to be a special education teacher. Now, as she prepares to graduate in May 2025 with a bachelor’s in special education, she’s ready to lead her own classroom—and help bridge the inclusion gap for high school and young adult students.