Greetings from the ever-bustling School of Education and Human Development. This spring has been an especially dynamic and meaningful one for our school, marked by continued growth, innovation, scholarly excellence, and a deepening commitment to our Jesuit mission of forming compassionate leaders, ethical professionals, and “men and women for and with others.”
At a time when our society continues to grapple with rising rates of anxiety, loneliness, educator burnout, and the rapid technological transformation ushered in by generative artificial intelligence, the work of education and human development has never been more urgent, or more meaningful. Across SEHD, our faculty, students, and programs continue to respond to these evolving challenges with intellectual rigor, discernment, innovation, and humanity.
Here are just a few highlights from an extraordinary semester at SEHD:
- Our new(er) Bachelor of Arts in Curriculum & Instruction completed an exceptional inaugural year. Designed to prepare and certify highly qualified educators within four years at the undergraduate level, the program directly addresses the critical teacher shortage impacting schools nationwide. We are proud to now welcome more than 70 declared majors alongside 37 incoming first-year students already committed to the program. Together with our reimagined secondary education certification pathway, these initiatives represent SEHD’s commitment to innovative, responsive, and future-focused teacher preparation.
- SEHD proudly celebrates the graduation of 14 doctoral candidates from our EdD program this year across both the K–12 and Higher Education leadership tracks. Through rigorous dissertation research and applied leadership inquiry, these scholar-practitioners have examined some of the most pressing challenges facing schools, colleges, and communities today. Their work reflects SEHD’s deep commitment to developing ethical, mission-driven leaders equipped to advance innovation, equity, and systemic transformation across the educational landscape.
- Our clinical mental health programs continue to flourish. The Clinical Mental Health Counseling and Master of Social Work programs are recognized among the strongest in the region and they continue to attract outstanding students committed to addressing the growing mental health needs of individuals, families, schools, and communities.
- SEHD continues to expand interdisciplinary innovation in behavioral health. This past year, we successfully launched a new online interprofessional concentration and certificate program focused on Eating Disorders, bringing together expertise across counseling, social work, and related fields to strengthen collaborative approaches to care. We held our inaugural Eating Disorders Grand Rounds which gathered clinicians and scholars in the area to discuss the nuances and complexities of eating disorder treatment.
- Faculty and graduate student research assistants from the Marriage and Family Therapy, Counselor Education, Social Work, and Educational Studies programs presented their scholarship at regional, national, and international conferences this semester, contributing important research and thought leadership across the helping professions.
- Our Connecticut Writing Project remains a lighthouse in CT and on our campus bringing together scholars, authors, and K-12 students continuously throughout the academic year to uplift, inspire and celebration writing literacy.
- Our school hosted, in collaboration with the support of the Fairfield University Quick Center for the Arts, an evening with Dr. Temple Grandin in which 737 guests from the campus and larger community filled the Quick Center to engage in a discussion of neurodiversity, science for the greater good, and encouraging youth to harness their strengths in a fashion that enables creativity and meaning.
- SEHD continues to maintain among the highest pass rates in Connecticut on teacher certification examinations, reflecting both the quality of our preparation programs and the exceptional dedication of our students and faculty.
- Most importantly, 100% of SEHD program completers in education and mental health who sought professional employment have secured positions in their respective fields — a powerful reflection of both workforce demand and the strength of SEHD preparation.
The above reminds us that Jesuit education remains profoundly relevant in the modern world. In an age increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence, information overload, and social disconnection, our mission is not merely to prepare technically competent professionals. It is to form reflective practitioners, ethical leaders, discerning thinkers, and compassionate human beings capable of restoring connection, dignity, and hope within the communities they serve.
That formation remains at the heart of everything we do.
The foregoing offers only a glimpse into the extraordinary work unfolding across SEHD. There is unmistakable momentum at SEHD and we are grateful for your continued confidence in our school and its mission.
Wishes for a blissfully restorative summer.
With appreciation,
Evelyn Bilias Lolis, PhD
Dean
