The 2026 Research & Inquiry (R&I) Conference brought together 22 doctoral students to share their work and celebrate an important milestone in their Ph.D. journeys. Through thoughtful and compelling presentations, students explored topics ranging from data-informed policy to critically sustaining teacher identity in hegemonic spaces, as well as themes of agency, resistance and collective action.

As dual enrollment grows rapidly nationwide, including a sharp rise in participation across Washington state, Dr. Julia Duncheon is studying what accelerated college pathways mean for students’ learning and development. While these programs promise affordability and access, her research highlights important tradeoffs that often go unnoticed. Drawing on student stories and classroom insights, she explores how institutions can balance efficiency with the deeper purposes of higher education.

In partnership with Washington’s Department of Children, Youth, and Families, UW’s Cultivate Learning is co-creating a free, multilingual, customizable curriculum for children from birth to five. Designed with educators statewide, it will be adaptable, culturally responsive, and easy to use—ensuring every child and teacher has access to high-quality learning tools. Launching in 2026, it’s a bold step toward closing early education gaps across Washington.

Dr. Sarah Jaewon Lee, assistant professor of Learning Sciences and Human Development, is reimagining how schools and communities support immigrant and multilingual students. Drawing from her experiences growing up in a Korean immigrant household, she designs innovative technology-enhanced learning that centers student identities and voices. Her work blends research, technology and community partnership to create inclusive, joyful spaces where every child can learn, play and thrive.

Dr. Emily Holm Tobin (Ph.D., '24, Learning Sciences and Human Development) is uncovering the surprising ways families learn and grow together in museums, zoos, and other informal spaces. With a unique background in history, archaeology and museum studies, she’s bringing fresh insights to early learning, showing how everyday family outings can nurture connection, curiosity and compassion.

The new research and development center will provide national leadership on the use of Gen AI in math and science, advancing responsible and inclusive practices that support teacher planning and student learning outcomes.

This new training program will prepare education researchers to use advanced supervised and unsupervised machine learning and natural language processing methods, along with human coding, to extract meaningful insights from education data.

An innovative new project that leverages machine learning to assess mathematics lesson plan quality in the middle grades has been selected by the National Science Foundation (NSF) to receive a $1.5 million grant.

As the U.S. is facing another literacy crisis, particularly with the Science of Reading, Lakeya Afolalu has a solution. It’s to challenge schools and society to redefine literacy.

When it comes to university programs offering degrees and credentials for improving mental health in schools, the UW’s School Psychology program provides something unique.