The College of Education and Human Development (COEHD) is a vital engine of research excellence, serving as a catalyst for meaningful change. What sets COEHD apart is the extraordinary breadth and depth of its faculty’s expertise, from early childhood development to adult learning, behavioral health to digital equity, and educational leadership to community-based programming. Through wide-ranging research that bridges disciplines and delivers real-world results, our faculty are shaping a future where education and human development are innovative, effective, and responsive to the world we live in.
- Emily Bonner, PhD and Leslie Neely, PhD
Research Spotlights
Project SELFIES: Empowering Educators to Support Multilingual Learners
Project SELFIES (Secondary English Learners and FamilIES) is a National Professional Development (NPD) Grant funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA). This initiative equips secondary educators with the skills and credentials needed to enhance instruction for multilingual learners. Through the project, educators earn Texas supplemental certification and a Master’s degree in Teaching ESL or Bilingual Education, while participating in instructional coaching and a professional learning community. By strengthening educator capacity, Project SELFIES helps schools improve academic outcomes and prepare students to be high-performing, globally competitive contributors to the 21st-century workforce.
U.S. National Science Foundation Robert Noyce Grant
The University of Texas at San Antonio has been awarded a $714,480 NSF Robert Noyce Grant to strengthen the pipeline of highly qualified STEM teachers in the San Antonio region. The five-year project will expand partnerships with high-need school districts and prepare future educators specializing in mathematics and science to teach in these schools. Led by Dr. Uchenna Emenaha Miles (PI), Dr. Tim Yuen (Co-PI), Priya Prasad (Co-PI) and Carey Walls, the grant will provide $20,000 scholarships to Noyce Fellows—pre-service teachers pursuing degrees in math and science education. This initiative will not only support UT San Antonio students in their teacher preparation but also help address the critical shortage of STEM educators in high-need communities.
Read more about the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program
Workforce Development for Neurodevelopmental Disability (WD-NDD): Aligning Employer Practices with Untapped Talent
Funded through a multi-year initiative from the US Department of Education Disability Innovation Fund, Workforce Development for Neurodevelopmental Disability (WD-NDD) is a research-driven project that addresses critical gaps in workforce inclusion by equipping employers with practical tools and strategies to successfully recruit, hire, and retain individuals with neurodevelopmental disabilities (NDD). This project focuses on employer-centered practices to improve workforce integration in high-growth sectors identified by Texas Workforce Services, including technology, production, manufacturing, and information services. WD-NDD aims to support long-term employment success by advancing evidence-based protocols for workplace outreach, hiring, onboarding, and accommodations—helping employers tap into an often-overlooked talent pipeline.
Affirming Multivocal Humanities: Advancing Scholarship in Mexican American Studies
This three-year Andrew Mellon Foundation-funded project (2023–2026) enhances the research, teaching, and public engagement activities of the Mexican American Studies (MAS) program. Drawing from a 30-year legacy of scholarship rooted in the city’s rich historical context, the project strengthens the University of Texas at San Antonio’s capacity to foster humanities-driven inquiry and cross-disciplinary research focused on the Mexican American experience. Located in a region shaped by a deep cultural and historical connection to the Tejas-Mexico borderlands, the MAS program offers four areas of emphasis—History, Music, Social Justice, and Cultural Studies—through which students develop analytical skills and conduct research that contributes to public understanding, historical scholarship, and applied humanities practice. The program has produced a high rate of double majors with fields such as History, English, Spanish, Anthropology, and Political Science, positioning graduates for further academic study and careers in education, research, and public service. Through these efforts, the MAS program deepens its impact as a center for rigorous humanities scholarship, fostering research that responds to contemporary challenges while broadening our understanding of American history, culture, and civic life.
Understanding Students' Pursuit and Attainment of STEM Degrees Across Race and Gender Intersections
Supported by the Spencer Foundation, this project (2025–2026) investigates the academic experiences that influence students’ decisions to major in and complete degrees in mathematically-intensive STEM fields—Physics, Engineering, and Computer Science (PECS). Using longitudinal data from the Texas Education Research Center, the study follows multiple cohorts of Texas high school graduates (2014–2020) into postsecondary education to analyze how specific courses, performance, and achievement scores impact students’ progression toward PECS degrees. The research applies model selection techniques and logistic regression analyses to identify factors that support or hinder
degree completion, particularly across intersections of race and gender. This study moves beyond general indicators to pinpoint course-level experiences and milestones that are most predictive of persistence in STEM. The goal is to generate actionable insights for high schools, colleges, and workforce development partners seeking to strengthen student pipelines into high-demand STEM sectors. Findings from this project will contribute to broader efforts to understand and address the structural factors shaping STEM degree outcomes and help inform more effective guidance, course sequencing, and support systems in both secondary and higher education.
Morgan’s Multi-Assistance Center
UTSA and Morgan’s Multi-Assistance Center (MAC) recently co-hosted the 2024 San Antonio Disability Research Forum. Among the attendees were UTSA President Taylor Eighmy and Gordon Hartman, founder of the Gordon Hartman Family Foundation and Morgan's MAC.
The forum was an opportunity to showcase impactful disability-focused research headed up by Leslie Neely, associate director of the UTSA Brain Health Consortium and associate professor in the UTSA Department of Educational Psychology, and Erica Sosa, associate dean for research success and professor in the UTSA Department of Public Health.
Latest News
Read All News Stories
September 1, 2025
Behind the Journal with Patricia SánchezPublished by UTSA COEHD
Go behind the journal to learn more about the faculty editors shaping scholarship and the people behind the pages.
August 21, 2025
UTSA research team gains unique insight at Texas Supreme CourtPublished by UTSA COEHD
A research team from the UTSA Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies visited the Texas Supreme Court for a rare, hands-on learning experience with Justice Rebecca Huddle.
August 19, 2025
Behind the Journal with Curtis BrewerPublished by UTSA COEHD
Go behind the journal to learn more about the faculty editors shaping scholarship and the people behind the pages.
Contact Us
Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Affairs
Professor
Curriculum & Instruction (Math Education)
MB 3.304
Professor
Assistant Dean for Transdisciplinary Research Development
Director of Child and Adolescent Policy Research Institute
Associate Director of Brain Health Consortium
