Message from Dean Anderson

Great minds are those that distinguish challenges as opportunities for growth. Our faculty, staff, students, and alumni are answering the call, driving progress in all aspects of education.

It doesn’t take a scholar or historian to recognize how profoundly the field of education has been affected by the defining events of 2020. As the COVID-19 pandemic and unrest over racial injustices have spread throughout the world, education professionals, practitioners, and students have pivoted in extraordinary ways to find solutions, amid unpredictable circumstances.

The College of Education community quickly transitioned its curriculum to remote teaching and learning formats, with the undeterred goal of an excellent academic experience for our students. No doubt because of this commitment to excellence, in Fall 2020 a record number of talented first-year students have chosen to pursue their degree in education at Illinois.

To effectively lead our programs and research activities, the College has added to our faculty ranks again in 2020. More faculty means increased capacity for groundbreaking research and service, meeting the needs of Illinois students and educators alike. In the coming year, the College is poised to support educational success through additional efforts like LearnAway—our website repository of expertly-curated resources, tips, ideas, and tools for remote learning—free to all educators, everywhere.

The College’s determination to secure research funding during this demanding year is also remarkable. We saw an increase in grant submissions which speaks to our faculty and staff’s dedication to truly making a difference. We hosted another successful Illinois Statewide K-12 Computer Science Education Summit, and the We CU Community Engaged Scholars Program, funded through numerous campuslevel awards, is a shining example of how Education’s people lead the way in research and service for the public good.

Yours in Orange & Blue

James D. Anderson
Dean, College of Education
and Edward William and Jane Marr Gutsgell Professor of Education