Projects

At UB, our research is designed to make a measurable impact on the communities we serve, whether we’re helping to improve math skills for girls right here in Buffalo, or addressing achievement gaps nationwide. We invite you to learn more about the current research projects within the Graduate School of Education.

Active Projects

  • Learning Sciences Initiative
    12/8/23
    Focused on integrative learning sciences scholarship, the initiative will assemble a group of prominent faculty in the disciplines of learning sciences, human-computer partnerships, cognitive science and psychology, design, and learning environments.
  • Teacher Residency Program
    11/20/24
    The UB Teacher Residency is a 16-month, paid residency program that has been designed to prepare effective, learner-ready teachers for public schools in Buffalo and Western New York. During the residency, students will co-teach alongside a mentor teacher for an entire school year. With asynchronous coursework starting in the summer, students can now be considered for our grant-funded programs that are in partnership with four local school districts: Buffalo Public School District, Sweet Home Central School District, Amherst Central School District and Kenmore-Tonawanda School District.
  • Youth Alliance for Education
    2/6/24
    It is easy to feel powerless as a young person today. We are in the middle of a global pandemic which we can’t control. There was a presidential election, but you couldn’t vote. Nationwide protests about racism and inequality are held and you can’t attend. Inequality exists in your classrooms and in your schools and you are frustrated. While you may be young, your voice matters and you deserve to be heard. You are not powerless.
  • Mandarin Language & Chinese Culture Immersion Project
    4/2/24
    The purpose of this project is to contribute to the development and improvement of the study of modern foreign languages and area studies in the U.S. by providing opportunities for teachers, students and faculty to study in a foreign country to increase the Mandarin language capacity and culture knowledge of the participants. The project will implement a research-based integrated culture content and language immersion model. A research study will be integrated in the evaluation plan to determine the participants’ Mandarin language gains, increases in pre- and post-knowledge of Chinese culture and their perceptions of it, as well as professional transformative changes.
  • Faculty in Residence
    3/12/24
    This initiative places GSE faculty members inside a Western New York school, where they spend their time working directly with administrators, teachers and students. Schools benefit by gaining direct access to an experienced professional who can help address some pressing needs. Our faculty receive hands-on, practical experience that further enhances their ability to teach, conduct groundbreaking research, and publish their work in journals and textbooks.

Past Projects

  • Anatomy of Achievement Gaps
    1/22/24
    This project started with the premise that public education is central to solving many national and global challenges and that scientific research should inform educational policy decisions. Rapid social changes induced by a knowledge-based economy, globalization, immigration and technological advances make many of the current school reform efforts outdated and ineffective to meet tomorrow’s societal needs.
  • Mixed Methods Working Group
    1/4/23
    Over the past decade, research universities and funding agencies have vigorously encouraged research that works towards solving pressing and large-scale problems related to education in an increasingly diverse and unequal society. It is widely accepted that such research often demands broad-based research teams that are multi-disciplinary and employ a range of research methods from the social sciences. Constructing and actualizing such broad-based teams both within and across universities increasingly demands that scholars leverage institutional support to pursue external federal, state and/or private foundation funding and work across disciplinary and methodological boundaries to accomplish their goals.

Our Research in the News

  • Measuring writing quality in elementary-aged students
    2/12/19
    Bridget Hier, assistant professor from the Department of Counseling, School and Educational Psychology, is partnering with elementary schools in two Western New York districts to develop effective writing instruction and intervention practices for elementary-aged students. The collaboration is part of the UB Graduate School of Education Faculty in Residence Program.
  • Studying the relationship between video games and violence
    2/5/19
    Richard Lamb, associate professor from the Department of Learning and Instruction, wants to measure the potential causal relationships between violent/aggressive behavior and video game play because these relationships are still under debate and not clearly understood. Lamb and his research team in the UB Neurocognition Science Laboratory are developing computational models to identify the underlying social health factors related to playing video games.
  • Understanding compulsive gambling through education
    1/29/19
    Kathleen Conroy, clinical assistant professor from the Department of Counseling, School and Educational Psychology, along with others from five professional organizations, have created a training program on the latest gambling addiction research and resources. For nearly 20 years, Conroy has been working in the gambling recovery field and educating others on gambling.
  • Understanding education inequality in North America and Africa
    1/22/19
    Dorothy Siaw-Asamoah, clinical assistant professor in the UB School of Management, formed a partnership with the University of Cape Coast (UCC) to allow students to study abroad in Ghana. The partnership focuses on three themes related to social innovation and entrepreneurial leadership: economic development, education and healthcare. Siaw-Asamoah brought aboard Stephen Jacobson, UB Distinguished Professor from the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy (ELP), to teach classes in Ghana and bring GSE students with him overseas.
  • Creating STEM awareness and careers for Native American students
    1/15/19
    In our society, indigenous groups such as Native Americans often struggle with the decision of how to address environmental issues in their everyday lives. Historically, indigenous groups have drawn upon traditional knowledge to address environmental concerns but modern society also offers scientific knowledge as a resource in this decision making process.
  • Improving the employability of data science librarians in the 21st century
    1/8/19
    The 21st century workplace is driven by data, creating a need for employees who can manage this influx of information. “The need to train data science librarians stems from the ever-increasing amounts of patient data being generated by electronic health records, as well by as the internet and social media,” said Diane G. Schwartz, research associate professor from the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.
  • Analyzing postsecondary experiences and social supports
    11/20/18
    Megan Holland, research assistant professor from the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy, is partnering with a nonprofit that provides a college preparatory pipeline program for traditionally underrepresented students to analyze alumni data to better understand the experiences of their alumni, including the impact of the supports they receive in college. The collaboration is part of the UB Graduate School of Education Faculty in Residence Program.
  • Teaching preschoolers coding and computational thinking skills
    11/13/18
    How can caterpillars help preschoolers develop coding skills and computational thinking? Fisher-Price and the Fisher-Price Endowed Early Childhood Research Center (ECRC) in the Graduate School of Education are working together to answer this question in preschool classrooms and children’s homes.
  • Learning in public library ‘makerspace’
    11/6/18
    Sam Abramovich, assistant professor from the Department of Learning and Instruction and the Department of Library and Information Studies, in collaboration with the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library, has been awarded a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services to develop reliable and valid ways to measure the learning and associated benefits of Makerspaces in libraries.
  • Reducing bully abuse against individuals with disabilities
    10/30/18
    Amanda Nickerson, director of the Alberti Center for Bullying Abuse Prevention, and professor from the Department of Counseling, School and Educational Psychology, and Dan Albertson, associate professor from the Department of Library and Information Studies, have been awarded $175,000 from the New York State (NYS) Developmental Disabilities Planning Council (DDPC) for their collaborative research project, “Multimedia and Peer-to-Peer Prevention Support.”
Our Faculty's Research Interests

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Which faculty members are doing the type of research that interests you?

> View our faculty directory

Research Centers, Institutes and Labs

At UB, you’ll find dedicated facilities and programs for a variety of interests. 

Student Research Symposium

The annual research symposium gives students an opportunity to explore their passion for research while strengthening their presentation skills.

Ongoing Projects and Programs

  • Anatomy of Achievement Gaps
    1/22/24
    This project started with the premise that public education is central to solving many national and global challenges and that scientific research should inform educational policy decisions. Rapid social changes induced by a knowledge-based economy, globalization, immigration and technological advances make many of the current school reform efforts outdated and ineffective to meet tomorrow’s societal needs.
  • Mandarin Language & Chinese Culture Immersion Project
    4/2/24
    The purpose of this project is to contribute to the development and improvement of the study of modern foreign languages and area studies in the U.S. by providing opportunities for teachers, students and faculty to study in a foreign country to increase the Mandarin language capacity and culture knowledge of the participants. The project will implement a research-based integrated culture content and language immersion model. A research study will be integrated in the evaluation plan to determine the participants’ Mandarin language gains, increases in pre- and post-knowledge of Chinese culture and their perceptions of it, as well as professional transformative changes.
  • Mixed Methods Working Group
    1/4/23
    Over the past decade, research universities and funding agencies have vigorously encouraged research that works towards solving pressing and large-scale problems related to education in an increasingly diverse and unequal society. It is widely accepted that such research often demands broad-based research teams that are multi-disciplinary and employ a range of research methods from the social sciences. Constructing and actualizing such broad-based teams both within and across universities increasingly demands that scholars leverage institutional support to pursue external federal, state and/or private foundation funding and work across disciplinary and methodological boundaries to accomplish their goals.