Meet the 2026-2027 Action Research Scholars
Congratulations to the New Cohort!
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There’s all these things that I’m doing in my classes, and I haven’t really measured how effective they are or how they could be improved to improve the experience of students…It makes me more intentional about the decisions that I’m making.
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Congratulations to the new cohort of UIC instructors who have been accepted into CATE’s Action Research Scholars program. This year’s cohort brings together six incredible instructors and we couldn’t be more proud to support their work. They will be assessing the impact of their teaching on students’ outcomes, self-efficacy, professional communication, personal values, and well-being: Adam Koehler (Computer Science), Aubrey Little (Physical Therapy), Chastity Owens (Social Work), Eve Rips (Law), Caitlin Smith (Occupational Therapy), and Justin Vlasits (Philosophy)
The Action Research Scholars program is a year-long program where faculty are connected to campus experts and supported step-by-step as they develop, implement, and disseminate a teaching and learning research project. Scholars also stay connected with each other and CATE through a scholarly teaching learning community that meets every semester and guest-speaking and mentoring opportunities. This program is made possible thanks to a generous gift from Janet Riddle, a passionate UIC educator who established the Innovation in Teaching Grant Program.
Not only do scholars become experts in conducting education research, but their students benefit from the impacts of their teaching innovation. Read about what the alumni of the program have accomplished in their projects! Over 11,000 students have been impacted by the scholars’ teaching innovations and projects since the program’s inception in 2022. Beyond the program, you can also learn more about how scholars have worked with undergraduate students as research partners, become involved in projects and grants in their departments, and have disseminated their research in publications and at local, national, and international conferences.