UConn Makes History With Choice of Irizarry To Lead Ed School

STORRS, CT — Provost Carl Lejuez announced Tuesday that Jason Irizarry has been officially named dean of the University of Connecticut's Neag School of Education. The term is for five years and Irizarry will be the first Latino dean to lead the Neag School.

Irizarry has served as interim dean of the Neag School since March 1. Previously, he served as associate dean for academic affairs and is also a professor in the Department of Curriculum.

"Dean Irizarry is a highly regarded scholar and strong administrator who is committed to steering the Neag School toward continued growth and strengths in research, education and training, and supporting the needs of the State of Connecticut. When considering the clarity in all of the information at my disposal, it was an easy decision to appoint Dean Irizarry to lead the school," said Lejuez, who is also executive vice president for academic affairs at UConn.

"I am honored to be able to serve as dean and work with an amazing group of faculty, staff, and students to extend the reach and impact of UConn's Neag School of Education," Irizarry said. "I take on this role with a deep sense of gratitude for every individual who has made this School the incredible place it is. After a particularly difficult year for us all, so much promise and opportunity lie ahead. With our dedicated community of colleagues, school partners, alumni, and friends, I could not be more thrilled to reconnect and collaborate in positioning our school as a national leader in education."

Irizarry’s research had focused on urban teacher recruitment, preparation, and retention with an emphasis on increasing the number of teachers of color, culturally responsive pedagogy, youth participatory action research, and Latinx students in U.S. schools.

A central focus of his work involves promoting the academic achievement of youth in urban schools by addressing issues associated with educator preparation.

He has taught undergraduate and graduate courses in multicultural education, culturally responsive curriculum development, urban education, and participatory action research.

Irizarry first began his career at UConn in 2005 as a post-doctoral fellow with the Teachers for a New Era project, and was a faculty member from 2006 to 2013.

He served as the director of urban education at the University of Massachusetts from 2013 to 2016, where he was responsible for building a stronger partnership between the university and schools in Springfield and Holyoke.

He returned to UConn in 2016 to the Neag School faculty and also serves as a faculty associate in El Instituto: Institute for Latina/a, Caribbean and Latin American Studies.

He earned an Ed.D. from the University of Massachusetts, holds a master’s degree from SUNY Albany, and a bachelor’s degree from Siena College.