KINGSTON, R.I. – Aug. 26, 2025 – With changes in the education landscape an ever-present topic in the news, the University of Rhode Island Honors Program presents its 62nd annual Honors Colloquium, “Education, Behind the Curtains,” to examine the evolving landscape of public education.

The 2025 URI Honors Colloquium will examine the impact of policy, business, and societal forces on the learning landscape beginning Tuesday, Sept. 16, at 5:30 p.m., with former U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. Cardona, who served from March 2021 through January 2025 under President Joe Biden, will focus on “Reimagining Education for a Changing World.” Prior to becoming Secretary of Education, Cardona served as the Commissioner of Education in Connecticut, following a career path in the state from classroom teacher to national award-winning school principal, district leader and university instructor.

Through lectures and discussions, this year’s Honors Colloquium speakers will provide insight into how history, policy, and innovation shape learning from early childhood through college, as well as some of the challenges. From the role of AI to a discussion of equity in the classroom, this series will dive into the most urgent challenges in PK-20 education.

Throughout his 27-year career in education, Cardona has focused on improving educational access and equity, from his classroom of students as a fourth-grade teacher in Meriden, Connecticut, to the nation’s 65 million students as the 12th United States Secretary of Education. Pillars of his educational agenda included academic recovery and excellence, improving conditions for educators and mental health, global competitiveness, and college affordability and accessibility.

Cardona led the successful reopening of America’s schools after the COVID-19 pandemic and oversaw federal efforts to transform the country’s student loan system. Under Cardona’s leadership, the U.S. increased pay for student teachers and saw its greatest one-year growth in reading achievement for lower-performing students since 2009. He also is a first-generation college student demonstrating firsthand the power of public education, with degrees from Central Connecticut State University and the University of Connecticut.

Honors Colloquium lectures will be held most Tuesdays at 5:30 p.m. in Edwards Hall on URI’s Kingston Campus through Dec. 2. While all lectures are free and open to the public, registration is required for the opening lecture on Sept. 16. The event will also be livestreamed. Registration is required in order to receive a link.

This year’s program is led by associate teaching professor Daniel Kelley in URI’s Feinstein College of Education who has served in a number of positions in education, including as principal of Smithfield High School and as president of the National Association of Secondary School Principals. He is also a past recipient of the Rhode Island Secondary Principal of the Year award, and is now coordinating a program at URI to build the state’s educational leadership pool. He is joined by fellow coordinator assistant professor Lazaro Camacho Jr. ’02 ’06, who leads URI’s College Student Personnel program, a highly selective program which draws 60 to 100 applications for 12 to 15 spots annually.

They hope to foster dialogue at this year’s colloquium, to bring the larger community into conversation on how schools, colleges, and universities can best serve students and society in today’s world.

“We are excited about the lineup of speakers for the 2025 URI Honors Colloquium,” Kelley says. “This year’s series will bring together thought leaders from across the country to share insights on pressing challenges and transformative opportunities in education today.”

After the colloquium kick-off on Sept. 16, the series moves on to additional topics in education, welcoming:

• Sept. 30, Jennifer Berkshire and Jack Schneider, co-hosts of the education podcast Have You Heard and co-authors of The Education Wars.
• Oct. 7, Heather Shotton, president of Fort Lewis College in Colorado, a citizen of the Wichita and Affiliated Tribes, leader in Indigenous education and equity in higher education.
• Oct. 14, Dominique Baker, University of Delaware, who studies how education policy shapes access, equity, and success for minoritized students in higher education.
• Oct. 21, Richard Culatta, CEO, International Society for Technology in Education; former director, Office of Educational Technology, U.S. Department of Education.
• Oct. 28, Eric Felix, San Diego State University, who studies higher education reform and racial equity, with a focus on community colleges and critical policy implementation.
• Nov. 18, Terrell Strayhorn, Illinois State University, a scholar on student success and equity in higher education.
• Dec. 2, “State of Education in Rhode Island;” a panel of education stakeholders will unpack shifting priorities, policy debates, and systemic challenges, offering insights to guide schools, communities, and lawmakers forward.

URI’s Department of Art and Art History will also present an education-focused art exhibit, opening Sept. 15; reception Sept. 17. This exhibit will include the artwork and voices of area educators, reflecting creatively on the classroom. Among the more than 20 artists are several URI alumni, including Ruth Clegg, Raff Diaz, Raphael Diaz, Sam Peck, and Lisa Marie Ricci-Russo.

This 2025 Honors Colloquium invites the URI community into critical conversations with experts and practitioners about the future of education and how we can transform systems to better serve students and society.

Karen de Bruin, director of URI’s Honors Program, says, “The Honors Colloquium has a history of addressing topics of timely community relevance. We look forward to welcoming the broader community into these discussions.”

COVERAGE NOTE: Media are welcome to attend and should contact Kristen Curry at kristen.curry@uri.edu or 401-874-5602 in order to register or to arrange interviews.

Video links to the lectures will be available on the Honors Colloquium website the day of each event. For the full roster of colloquium speakers and sponsors, visit the 2025 Honors Colloquium site. The annual university-wide educational forum is free and open to the public. Sign up here for more information and reminders for colloquium events or by emailing urihonors@etal.uri.edu.