EdPrepLab at University Council for Education Administration 2026

November 18-21, 2026 | 8 AM-6 PM AST

The University Council for Educational Administration Annual Convention will be held November 18-21, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We are excited that members from several EdPrepLab institutions will be presenting over the course of the convention. See below for a list of session titles, presenters, dates, and times.

Learn more about the annual meeting here.

EdPrepLab-affiliated institutions are indicated with:

If You Give a Charter Autonomy: A Literature Review on Charter School Financial Oversight and Management

Wednesday, November 18; 3:00 pm | David L. Lawrence Convention Center: Floor 3 - 301

Participants:

• Laura Davalos, University of Wisconsin–Madison

Imagining Gender Futures: Creative Visions From Trans and Nonbinary Students and Their Parents

Wednesday, November 18; 4:20 pm | David L. Lawrence Convention Center: Floor 3 - Spirit of Pittsburgh Ballroom

Participants:

• SJ Hemmerich, University of Wisconsin–Madison

Institutional Isomorphism in Local Education Policy and Practices in Nepal

Wednesday, November 18; 4:20 pm | David L. Lawrence Convention Center: Floor 3 - Spirit of Pittsburgh Ballroom

Participants:

• Janak Pant, University of Connecticut

Mobilizing Memory: Exploring the Intersection of Memory, Place, and Participation in Education Policy

Thursday, November 19; 9:00 am | David L. Lawrence Convention Center: Floor 3 - 302

Participants:

• Tia R. Williams, Vanderbilt University

What Policy Makes of School Counselors: Transgender Students, Gender Governance, and the Architecture of Counselor Practice

Thursday, November 19; 10:00 am | David L. Lawrence Convention Center: Floor 3 - 305

Participants:

• William French, University of Wisconsin–Madison

Neutrality or Solidarity? A Leadership Dilemma in Responding to Racialized Student Harm

Thursday, November 19; 10:00 am | David L. Lawrence Convention Center: Floor 3 - 310

Participants:

• Mariah Barnett, University of Illinois at Chicago

A Conceptual Mapping of Power in K-12 U.S. Educational Research

Thursday, November 19; 5:15 pm | David L. Lawrence Convention Center: Floor 3 - 301

Participants:

• Kemi Oyewole, University of Pennsylvania

Power “With” at the Edges of Research–Practice Partnerships: Co-Designing for Racial Equity Through Boundary Work

Thursday, November 19; 5:15 pm | David L. Lawrence Convention Center: Floor 3 - 301

Participants:

• Heather Lechner, University of Washington–Tacoma

Who Keeps the Bridge Standing? The District Champion as Organizational Hinge in Research–Practice Partnerships

Thursday, November 19; 5:15 pm | David L. Lawrence Convention Center: Floor 3 - 303

Participants:

• Craig De Voto, University of Illinois at Chicago
• Deena Goldstein, University of Illinois at Chicago
• Benjamin Superfine, University of Illinois at Chicago
• Alison Castro Superfine, University of Illinois at Chicago
• Fateme Alipour, University of Illinois at Chicago
• Garrett Barnes, University of Illinois at Chicago

Affirming Leadership: Communities of Practice as Counterspaces for Women Educators

Thursday, November 19; 5:15 pm | David L. Lawrence Convention Center: Floor 3 - 304

Participants:

• Megan Macdonald, University of Pennsylvania

School Leaders’ Judgment With AI-Generated Information: A Qualitative Inquiry Into Process, Context, and Governance

Thursday, November 19; 5:15 pm | David L. Lawrence Convention Center: Floor 3 - 305

Participants:

• Kathy Rho, University of Pennsylvania
• Xiaohang Luo, University of Pennsylvania

Imagining Futures for Gender: Creative Visions From Trans and Nonbinary K-12 Students and Their Parents

Thursday, November 19; 5:15 pm | David L. Lawrence Convention Center: Floor 3 - Spirit of Pittsburgh Ballroom

Participants:

• SJ Hemmerich, University of Wisconsin–Madison

We Were Never Silent: Bridging Black Communal Wisdom for Radical Imagination in Educational Leadership

Friday, November 20; 8:00 am | David L. Lawrence Convention Center: Floor 3 - 303

Participants:

• Sharicca Boldon, University of Pennsylvania
• Lisa Brown, University of Pennsylvania
• Lee Means, University of Pennsylvania

Taking What Is Left: How District Leaders and Community Members Construct School Closures and Communities

Friday, November 20; 8:00 am | David L. Lawrence Convention Center: Floor 3 - 304

Participants:

• Tia R. Williams, Vanderbilt University
• Kathryn James McGraw, Vanderbilt University

Opportunities for Principal Professional Learning: the Relationship Between Form and Content

Friday, November 20; 8:00 am | David L. Lawrence Convention Center: Floor 3 - 308

Participants:

• Morgaen Donaldson, University of Connecticut
• Jessica Rigby, University of Washington
• Stephanie Forman, University of Washington
• Michelle Doughty, Jason Grissom, Vanderbilt University 

Beyond Collaborative Structures: Leadership Conditions That Produce Authentic Teacher Learning

Friday, November 20; 8:00 am | David L. Lawrence Convention Center: Floor 3 - 309

Participants:

• Craig De Voto, University of Illinois at Chicago
• Nia Abdullah, University of Georgia
• Shelby Cosner, University of Georgia
• Marsha Fields, University of Georgia

Graduate Student Council Breakfast PD Session: Demystification & Breakthroughs: Navigating the Job Market Beyond the Dissertation

Friday, November 20; 8:00 am | David L. Lawrence Convention Center: Floor 4 - 401, 402

Participants:

• Ishmael Miller, Arizona State University
• Lok-Sze Wong, University of North Texas

School Time Structures—An Analysis of the Schema That Influence a Team’s Response to Policy Change

Friday, November 20; 10:40 am | David L. Lawrence Convention Center: Floor 3 - 303

Participants:

• Taylor Strickland, University of Connecticut

Teacher Leadership Endorsement Program: A Source for Partnered Simultaneous Renewal

Friday, November 20; 10:40 am | David L. Lawrence Convention Center: Floor 3 - 304

Participants:

• Kathleen Cunningham, University of South Carolina
• Suzy Hardie, University of South Carolina
• Quantina Haggwood, University of South Carolina
• Peter Moyi, University of South Carolina

Leading With Policy: A Guiding Framework for School Leaders

Friday, November 20; 1:20 pm | David L. Lawrence Convention Center: Floor 3 - 303

Participants:

• Casey Cobb, University of Connecticut

Using Case Law to Inform Educational Practice: Gender-Affirming Name and Pronoun Policies

Friday, November 20; 1:20 pm | David L. Lawrence Convention Center: Floor 3 - 304

Participants:

• Maggie Paino, University of Wisconsin–Madison

The Mental Load of Leadership: Cognitive and Emotional Labor Among Mothers in the Superintendent Pipeline

Friday, November 20; 1:20 pm | David L. Lawrence Convention Center: Floor 3 - Spirit of Pittsburgh Ballroom

Participants:

• Tracy Avicolli, University of Connecticut
• Jennie Weiner, University of Connecticut

In the Belly of the Beast: Act 266 and the Policy Advocacy of Hmong and Asian American K-12 Studies in Wisconsin

Friday, November 20; 2:40 pm | David L. Lawrence Convention Center: Floor 3 - 301

Participants:

• Tony Delarosa, University of Wisconsin–Madison

Using Pedagogical Cases to Prepare Leaders for Navigating the Complex and Charged Public Square

Friday, November 20; 2:40 pm | David L. Lawrence Convention Center: Floor 3 - 302

Participants:

• Andrea Kane, University of Pennsylvania
• Cheryl Logan, University of Pennsylvania
• Kemi Oyewole, University of Pennsylvania
• Rand Quinn, University of Pennsylvania
• Keri Sherman, University of Pennsylvania
• Ain Grooms, University of Wisconsin–Madison
• Benjamin Lebovitz, University of Wisconsin–Madison
• Mollie McQuillan, University of Wisconsin–Madison
• Veronica Baasen, Minnesota State University Mankato
• Lena Batt, University of Kansas
• Caitlin Brecklin, University of North Dakota
• Joshua Childs, University of Texas at Austin
• Amie Cieminski, University of Northern Colorado
• John Cope, Poudre School District
• Jennifer Leffler, University of Northern Colorado
• Leslie Locke, Minnesota State University, Mankato
• Eligio Martinez Jr., California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
• Kent Paredes Scribner, JG Consulting
• April Peters-Hawkins, University of Pittsburgh
• Courtney Powell Thomas, Virginia Tech University
• Jay Scribner, Old Dominion University
• Clint Whitten, Virginia Tech University

Advocacy Without Transformation: A Critical Trans Review of School Counselors’ Practices

Friday, November 20; 4:00 pm | David L. Lawrence Convention Center: Floor 3 - 305

Participants:

• William French, University of Wisconsin–Madison

Understanding Alignment: Principals’ Perceptions of Attendance Barriers and School-Level Attendance Practices

Saturday, November 21; 8:00 am | David L. Lawrence Convention Center: Floor 3 - 302

Participants:

• Richard Welsh, Vanderbilt University
• Su Yon Choi, Florida Atlantic University
• Jerome Graham, Michigan State University
• Jeremy Singer, Wayne State University
• Sarah Lenhoff, Wayne State University

UCEA Executive Committee Fireside Chat

Saturday, November 21; 8:00 am | David L. Lawrence Convention Center: Floor 4 - 401-402

Participants:

• Lisa Bass, North Carolina State University
• Jennie Weiner, University of Connecticut
• Karen Beard, Ohio State University
• Vanessa De Leon, Texas Tech University
• Miriam Ezzani, Texas Christian University
• Michael O’Malley, Fordham University
• Christopher Redding, University of Florida
• Pedro Reyes, University of Texas at Austin
• Jennie Weiner, University of Connecticut

Flattening Knowledge Hierarchies in a Research–Practice Partnership Through Adopting Shared Methodological Decision-Making Routines

Saturday, November 21; 10:40 am | David L. Lawrence Convention Center: Floor 3 - 302

Participants:

• Decoteau Irby, University of Illinois at Chicago
• Jason Salisbury, University of Illinois at Chicago
• Samuel Whalen, University of Illinois at Chicago
• Devin Swartley, Chicago Public Schools

Reconstructing the Assistant Principalship: How Organizational Structure Shapes Access to Instructional Leadership

Saturday, November 21; 10:40 am | David L. Lawrence Convention Center: Floor 3 - 303

Participants:

• J. Cameron Anglum, University of Pennsylvania
• Radhahari Ericson, Lehigh University
• Craig Hochbein, Lehigh University

Assistant Principals’ Leadership Tasks and Their Movement to the Principalship

Saturday, November 21; 10:40 am | David L. Lawrence Convention Center: Floor 3 - 303

Participants:

• Anna Moyer, Vanderbilt University
• Ellen Goldring, Vanderbilt University

At What Organizational Cost? Generative Versus Costly Resilience in K-12 Districts During and After COVID-19

Saturday, November 21; 10:40 am | David L. Lawrence Convention Center: Floor 3 - 309

Participants:

• Craig De Voto, University of Illinois at Chicago
• Kate Steilen, University at Buffalo, SUNY
• Shelby Cosner, University of Georgia
• Kourtney Clark, University of Georgia

Panel on Ethics in Publishing

Saturday, November 21; 10:40 am | David L. Lawrence Convention Center: Floor 4 - 401-402

Participants:

• Casey Cobb, University of Connecticut
• Curtis Brewer, University of Texas at San Antonio
• Valerie Hill-Jackson, Texas A&M University

Bridging Democratic Practices & Policymaking Through District-Level Race Conscious Deliberative Dialogues

Saturday, November 21; 1:20 pm | David L. Lawrence Convention Center: Floor 3 - 301

Participants:

• Alexandra Freidus, University of Connecticut
• Erica Turner, University of Wisconsin–Madison
• Adriana Villavicencio, New York University
• Richard Blissett, University of Maryland
• Toby Wu, New York University

Building Bridges Across Educational Spaces: Urban, Suburban, and Rural Perspectives on Equity and Leadership

Saturday, November 21; 1:20 pm | David L. Lawrence Convention Center: Floor 3 - 306-307

Participants:

• Christopher Breznau, University of Wisconsin–Madison
• Diana McFarland, University of Wisconsin–Madison

Know Your Rights? The Accessibility of Legal Advocacy Resources for LGBTQ+ and Immigrant Youth

Saturday, November 21; 3:00 pm | David L. Lawrence Convention Center: Floor 3 - 305

Participants:

• Maggie Paino, University of Wisconsin–Madison
• Benjamin Lebovitz, University of Wisconsin–Madison

Building Bridges Across Policy Gaps: Parent Engagement With Schools and Communities to Support Transgender Youth

Saturday, November 21; 4:20 pm | David L. Lawrence Convention Center: Floor 3 - 303

Participants:

• William French, University of Wisconsin–Madison
• Benjamin Lebovitz, University of Wisconsin–Madison
• Mollie McQuillan, University of Wisconsin–Madison

The Price of Safety: Trends in School Security Expenditures Across K-12 Public School Districts in Texas

Saturday, November 21; 4:20 pm | David L. Lawrence Convention Center: Floor 3 - 304

Participants:

• Christopher Saldana, University of Wisconsin–Madison
• Brooke Fousek, University of Texas at Austin
• Joshua Childs, University of Texas at Austin

Toward a Relational Theory of Educational Leadership: The Collaborative Wellness Framework as a Bridge Across Systems

Saturday, November 21; 4:20 pm | David L. Lawrence Convention Center: Floor 3 - 309

Participants:

• Susan Davis, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 

Reflecting Together So We Can Change Together: Antiracist Organizational Learning and Inquiry

Saturday, November 21; 4:20 pm | David L. Lawrence Convention Center: Floor 3 - 317

Participants:

• Anjalé Welton, University of Wisconsin–Madison
• Tony DelaRosa, University of Wisconsin–Madison
• Sarah Diem, University of Missouri
• Sarah Walters, University of Missouri
• Deonte Iverson, Madison Metropolitan School District

Is Your Love Radical Enough? Exploring Radical Love as a Leadership Strategy and Organizational Outcome

Saturday, November 21; 4:20 pm | David L. Lawrence Convention Center: Floor 4 - 408

Participants:

• Shavon Jordan, University of Pennsylvania
• Evelyn Alvarez, no affiliation listed
• Jason Cowan, Yucca Palm
• Jasmine Hoskins, Urban Dove
• Derek Jones, no affiliation listed