Professor of Education Alicia Moore, Assistant Professor of Education Marilyn Nicol, and Professor of Education Michael Kamen presented “Healing Through Play, Stories, and Literature: Supporting Children’s Grief, Loss, and Resilience in Early Childhood Classrooms” at the 2026 Live and On-Demand Conference of the International Play Association (IPA-USA).

From March 3-5, Assistant Professor of Education Alicia Moore engaged in National Service by fulfilling her federal appointment as a member of the Board of Visitors for the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College (CGSC). The century-long history of this institution has played a vital role in strengthening American alliances and national security. During the meetings, she engaged with international military officers from Morocco, Singapore, Germany, Sweden, and Canada, two of whom shared that their nations send only their top officers in hopes of qualifying for the prestigious postgraduate program at the U.S. Army School of Advanced Military Studies (SAMS). Dr. Moore provided curricular guidance and support, contributing to the ongoing development of CGSC’s academic programs.

Associate Professor of Education Alicia Moore, Visiting Professor of Education Deborah Shepherd, and Rebecca M. Giles (University of South Alabama) published the article, “Preparing Early Childhood Teachers to Create Inclusive Literacy,’” in English in Texas: A Journal of the Texas Council of Teachers of English Language Arts. The essay highlights the importance of “mirror” texts for young children, which allow students to see their identities highlighted through books and analysis.

Associate Professor of Education Alicia Moore has been invited to serve on the College of Education Advisory Council based on her expertise and commitment to positively impact their education program. Dr. Moore has humbly accepted.

Associate Professor and Chair of the Education Department Alicia Moore and Professor of Education Michael Kamen presented “New Kids in the Blocks: Pedagogical Models of Play for Social Justice” at The Association for the Study of Play annual conference. In addition, Kamen was an invited panelist for the roundtable session “Playful Pedagogies in Early Childhood Teacher Education: Building a Playful ECE Workforce” and presented a research session, “Successful Play-Based Programs,” reporting on his current research.