Announcements

PREDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM IN SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL LEARNING

APPLICATION DEADLINE: March 18, 2013

The University of Illinois at Chicago, in partnership with the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) and NoVo Foundation, offers a one-year fellowship to prepare the next generation of scholars to advance the field of social and emotional learning (SEL). The fellowship program is designed to support the training of exceptional doctoral students for research careers to enhance the social, emotional, and academic development for students in preschool through high school. In particular, UIC and CASEL plan to prepare action researchers and practitioners who are committed to working in the following areas:

Developing, implementing, and evaluating innovative school-based programs that promote social and emotional development of all students

Conducting interdisciplinary research on social and emotional factors that enhance preschool through high school students’ positive development and school performance

Creating SEL student learning standards, assessment tools, and systems

Establishing school-family partnerships to promote children’s social, emotional, and academic learning

Collaborating with educational leaders and practitioners to support policies and practices that improve urban education in Chicago and nationwide

During AY2013-2014, this unique opportunity will allow two advanced doctoral students to develop deeper understanding of the research base for social and emotional learning while exploring connections among research, practice, and policy. The Director of the SEL Fellowship Program is Roger Weissberg, NoVo Foundation Endowed Chair in Social and Emotional Learning.

Eligibility and Benefits

Applicants must be enrolled and in good standing in a doctoral degree program at the University of Illinois at Chicago. The fellowships are designed to support students during the final two years of their doctoral studies when they are working on their dissertation. Therefore, the strongest candidates will have completed all research methods and statistics courses required by their academic program and successfully defended a master’s thesis prior to the application deadline. Our expectation is that fellows can propose and begin working on their dissertations during the first fellowship year. Fellowships will be awarded initially for one year. Fellows who successfully complete the first year of training will be eligible to apply for a second year of fellowship support.

Fellows will receive a $30,000 stipend and a travel allowance to attend academic conferences in their field of study. Fellowship recipients will also be awarded a tuition and fee waiver, administered by the Graduate College. The waiver covers all tuition (including differential, if any), service fee, health service fee, academic facilities maintenance fund assessment, library and information technology assessment, and $125 each fall and spring semester toward Campus Care, (the University’s health service), for each academic term through completion of the fellowship. All other fees are the responsibility of the student.

All recipients must be registered for 12 credits each semester, and for 6 credits in the summer (if they choose to take summer courses).

Requirements

Fellows will participate in a variety of scholarly activities designed to supplement their required programs of study and enhance their preparedness to contribute to the research and practice in the area of social and emotional learning. To allow for optimal engagement in these activities and in dissertation research, fellows are not allowed to accept departmental assistantships or other forms of employment during the award period. Fellowship requirements include:

Participation in weekly seminars. These sessions will include opportunities for students to discuss emerging research, share their own work, and hear presentations from faculty and practitioners whose work connects to social and emotional learning.

Enrollment in Psychology 424: Social and Emotional Learning.

A year-round, 20 hour/week research-practice apprenticeship at CASEL, supervised by senior CASEL staff. With the approval of a student’s dissertation advisor and CASEL’s President and CEO, research carried out in the apprenticeship is eligible to be used in the fellow’s dissertation.

Commitment to pursue a dissertation project on a question of relevance to CASEL’s mission and goals.

Guidelines for Applicants

The deadline for applications is March 18, 2013 for awards beginning August 16th, 2013. For the 2013-2014 academic year, two fellows will be selected from among the eligible applicants. Complete applications require:

1) Letter of intent - This document of no more than 3 single-spaced pages should address:

reasons for the applicant’s interest in the SEL fellowship and what the applicant aspires to accomplish during the fellowship year

previous graduate course work experiences that contribute to the applicant’s preparedness to pursue a career in social and emotional learning

an overview of the applicant’s planned dissertation research and its relevance to CASEL’s mission

future professional goals

2) Academic transcripts from all graduate coursework

3) Curriculum vitae

4) Two letters of support, one of which must be from the student’s primary academic advisor

Completed applications should be submitted on or before March 18, 2013 in a single, consolidated package to Cynthia R. Coleman at colemanc@uic.edu or via mail to:

Pre-Doctoral Fellowship Selection Committee
c/o Cynthia R. Coleman
University of Illinois at Chicago
Department of Psychology, MC 285
1007 West Harrison Street
Chicago, Illinois 60607-7137

Visit this link for more information on Guidelines

---

Social and Emotional Learning Scholar Elected to
National Academy of Education

Brian Flood
February 12, 2013

Roger Weissberg

Roger Weissberg, professor of psychology and education at the University of Illinois at Chicago, is one of 12 new members elected to the National Academy of Education for their contributions to educational research and policy development.

Weissberg, who is NoVo Foundation Endowed Chair in Social and Emotional Learning at UIC, has been a leader for more than 30 years in the campaign to establish social and emotional learning as an essential part of education from preschool through high school. He trains education scholars and practitioners in innovative family, school and community interventions developed from evidence-based social and emotional learning practices.

At UIC, he heads the SEL Research Group, which directs projects in social and emotional learning research and assessment, practice, educator preparation and policy development. He and his collaborators are currently working with eight large, urban school districts — including Chicago Public Schools — on the implementation and evaluation of social and emotional learning from preschool to high school.

He is also president and CEO of the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning, or CASEL, an organization leading efforts to ensure that children’s social and emotional needs are addressed in schools worldwide. In 2004, Illinois became the first state to adopt K-12 student learning standards in social and emotional learning.

Among many awards he has received for his work, Weissberg was chosen in 2008 by the George Lucas Educational Foundation for its “Daring Dozen” of those who are reshaping the future of education. Weissberg has more than 200 publications focusing on preventive interventions with children and adolescents. He was named UIC College of Liberal Arts and Sciences distinguished professor in 2009.

Weissberg is the third member of the UIC faculty to earn membership in the academy. Susan Goldman and James Pellegrino, co-directors of the UIC Learning Sciences Research Institute and distinguished professors of liberal arts and sciences, psychology and education, were elected to the academy in 2011 and 2007, respectively.

Since its establishment in 1965, the National Academy of Education has undertaken research to address pressing issues in education and which typically include its members and other experts. In addition, members are deeply engaged in the organization’s professional development programs focused on the rigorous preparation of the next generation of scholars.

UIC ranks among the nation’s leading research universities and is Chicago’s largest university with 27,500 students, 12,000 faculty and staff, 15 colleges and the state’s major public medical center. A hallmark of the campus is the Great Cities Commitment, through which UIC faculty, students and staff engage with community, corporate, foundation and government partners in hundreds of programs to improve the quality of life in metropolitan areas around the world. For more information about UIC, please visit www.uic.edu.

©2013 SEL Research Group at the University of Illinois at Chicago