EdLab

S2E9 - Back to the Lab with Micah Mazurek: Effective Mental Health Care for Individuals with Autism

EPISODE NOTES Today we are going "back to the lab," where we revisit one of our most popular episodes from season 1. As April gives way to May, we move from Autism Awareness Month into Mental Health Awareness Month. Today, we are revisiting a conversation with Professor Micah Mazurek, whose work sits at the intersection of those very two things: autism and mental health. Autism often exists alongside co-occurring conditions, such as difficulties with sleep or gastrointestinal issues, as well as depression and anxiety. For individuals with autism seeking mental health care, medicine-based treatments can bring disruptive side effects that are not compatible with other challenges they experience. Mazurek and her team are working to better understand what specific mental health treatments best support individuals with autism. In this episode of EdLab, Mazurek explains the increase in autism diagnoses and discusses her research on mental health treatments for individuals with autism. Learn more at the Supporting Transformative Autism Research initiative website [https://education.virginia.edu/research-initiatives/research-centers-labs/supporting-transformative-autism-research]. EdLab is a production of WTJU 91.1FM and the UVA School of Education and Human Development. EdLab is produced by Audrey Breen. Our music is Palms Down by Blue Dot Sessions.

S2E8 - What is AI Literacy and How Can We Improve It with Natasha Heny

EPISODE NOTES With artificial intelligence evolving at such a rapid pace, it can feel intimidating to try and keep up. But whether you're a teacher, a parent, a student, or an employee in nearly any field, understanding what AI is and how it is present in our lives is critical.  According to Associate Professor Natasha Heny, the rise of AI brings with it a need for each of us to think critically about how, when and where generative AI might be used responsibly—what she calls practicing AI literacy. In addition to teaching future middle and high school English teachers in our department of curriculum, instruction, and special education, Natasha serves as a University of Virginia AI guide. In that role, she works with faculty and students to explore the ethical and instructional implications of AI in education.  “We want to design learning environments that can keep human curiosity, voice and connection at the center. And I don't think that AI is excluded from that.” In this episode, Heny helps answer some basic questions about what artificial intelligence literacy means. She offers insights into some of the fears and misconceptions about AI and shares practical ways we can begin developing our own AI literacy. EdLab is a production of the University of Virginia School of Education and Human Development and WTJU 91.1 FM. EdLab is produced and hosted by Audrey Breen. Our music is Palms Down by Blue Dot Sessions. You can subscribe to EdLab wherever you get your favorite podcasts.

S2E7 - Back to the Lab with Jillian McGraw: Pathways to Become a Teacher

EPISODE NOTES Today we are going "Back to the lab," where we revisit one of our most popular episodes from season 1. We are working on some great new episodes to share with you later this spring. In the meantime, we hope you enjoy this conversation with our director of teacher education, Jillian McGraw. No matter where you are in your professional journey, if becoming a teacher is your goal, the UVA School of Education and Human Development has a pathway to help you make that happen. In this episode of EdLab, Teacher Education Director Jillian McGraw walks us through all the ways pre-service teachers find their way to the teacher education program to pursue their dream of one day leading a classroom of their own. Visit the Become a Teacher [https://education.virginia.edu/academics/become-teacher] page for more information. EdLab is a production of WTJU 91.1FM and the UVA School of Education and Human Development. EdLab is produced by Audrey Breen. Our music is Palms Down by Blue Dot Sessions.

S2E6 - Expanding Evidence-based Mental Health Care with Peter Tuerk

EPISODE NOTES Did you know that some mental health problems are treatable with specific, relatively short-term evidence-based therapies? And if so, how do you know which providers practice these treatments? Today we're talking with Professor Peter Tuerk, a clinical psychologist who specializes in evidence-based treatments for anxiety spectrum disorders and who serves as director of the University of Virginia School of Education and Human Development’s Sheila C. Johnson Center for Clinical Services, a community-facing outpatient and training clinic. In our conversation, Peter helps us differentiate between general mental health care and evidence-based treatments for specific mental health problems, like the anxiety spectrum disorders he specializes in, that include obsessive-compulsive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. But according to Tuerk, not enough practitioners are trained in these treatments. As a practicing clinician who directs the clinic where our graduate students are training to become practitioners, Peter shares how the School of Education and Human Development programs are designed to launch new practitioners into the field well trained in these areas and discuss his efforts to support the learning of professionals already practicing. Peter Tuerk: https://education.virginia.edu/about/directory/peter-tuerk [https://education.virginia.edu/about/directory/peter-tuerk] Shiela C. Johnson Center for Clinical Services: [https://education.virginia.edu/research-initiatives/sheila-c-johnson-center-clinical-services [https://education.virginia.edu/research-initiatives/sheila-c-johnson-center-clinical-services] ](

S2E5 - The Power of Evidence: Why Education Research Matters with Vivian Wong

EPISODE NOTES Schools are regularly making important decisions that impact the quality of their students' education. Add technology like artificial intelligence that is advancing lightning fast into the mix and schools are at risk of implementing products that have little evidence of actually working. So how do they get their hands on the evidence they need to make informed decisions? That question is at the heart of the work conducted by education researchers like Vivian Wong. In this episode, Vivian shares why education research is so important and why now—with the rapid deployment of all kinds of technology, including AI—is a critical time for it to continue. November 14, 2025 Note: At the time of recording, the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) contract had been canceled along with many other Institute of Education Sciences (IES) research contracts. Since then, the U.S. Department of Education has begun reinstating a subset of those terminated contracts. Public disclosures indicate that the WWC contract has been approved for reinstatement in a limited form, including website operations but not yet the full research-review activities previously conducted. The status and scope of the reinstated WWC contract remain unclear. Vivian Wong: