Neag School of Education Dean Receives Equity Champion Award

Jason G. Irizarry, dean of UConn’s Neag School of Education, has been selected as the recipient of the 2024 Equity Champion Award by the Connecticut Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents (CALAS). The award recognizes an individual who has been a champion for equity and has committed their life’s work to create conditions that are conducive to Latino advancement and supports.

“I am honored that CALAS has chosen to recognize me with this year’s Equity Champion Award,” Irizarry says. “Supporting Latino students and other underserved children in schools is near and dear to my heart, so I humbly thank CALAS for elevating this work every year through this award. Our mission at the Neag School is to improve educational and social systems to be more effective, equitable, and just for all, and I – like all our faculty – strive to advance that mission through my research and scholarship.”

Irizarry is also a professor in the Neag School’s Department of Curriculum and Instruction and faculty associate in UConn’s El Instituto. Prior to his appointment as dean, he served as the Neag School’s interim dean and, before that, as associate dean for academic affairs. A central focus of his work involves promoting the academic achievement of youth in urban schools by addressing issues associated with educator preparation. His first book, “The Latinization of U.S. Schools: Successful Teaching and Learning in Shifting Cultural Contexts,” was awarded the Phillip C. Chin Book Award from the National Association for Multicultural Education. He is also the co-editor of “Diaspora Studies in Education: Toward a Framework for Understanding the Experiences of Transnational Communities.”

I am honored that CALAS has chosen to recognize me with this year’s Equity Champion Award. Supporting Latino students and other underserved children in schools is near and dear to my heart, so I humbly thank CALAS for elevating this work every year through this award. &#8212 Dean Jason G. Irizarry

CALAS was founded by a group of educational leaders from New Haven dedicated to expanding resources and opportunities for Latino educators. The group is the state chapter for the national Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents, which is “committed to fostering educational equity for all students, especially those from historically marginalized backgrounds.”

“As a researcher, author, and first Latino dean of the Neag School, Dean Jason Irizarry exemplifies the epitome of excellence in the field of education,” says CALAS’ executive team. “We believe he is most worthy of this honor due to his relentless commitment to promoting academic achievement in urban schools by recruiting, preparing, and retaining teachers of color as well as promoting culturally responsive pedagogy.”

The Equity Champion Award is held in high prestige within the CALAS organization. The award aims to recognize an individual who, through their efforts, dedication, and leadership, addresses the unique challenges and barriers faced by Latino students by building supports to help overcome those barriers. Some past award recipients include leaders at the Connecticut Association of Schools, the Connecticut State Department of Education, Connecticut’s state universities, the State Education Resource Center of Connecticut, and chairs of the Education Committee at the Connecticut legislature.

Irizarry, along with six other award winners, will be honored at CALAS’ seventh annual gala on May 3 in Plantsville, Connecticut.

To learn more about the UConn Neag School of Education, visit education.uconn.edu and follow the Neag School on Instagram, Facebook, X, and LinkedIn.