Vernal native Ashlyn Birchell is working hard and making the most of her time as a student at USU and the leadership in her department has noticed. Ashlyn was notified just before Christmas that she has been selected as the Undergraduate Researcher of the Year for the USU Teacher Education And Leadership Department. The letter that broke the news to her emphasized that Ashlyn’s hard work and dedication was clearly evident to the awards committee. Ashlyn is researching social and emotional learning in the elementary classroom specifically with teachers current knowledge and practice as well as pre-service teachers and how it benefits both teachers and students. She also works with children with autism as a lead instructor for the ASSERT preschool. ASSERT stands for Autism Support Services: Education, Research, and Training. Congratulations Ashley Birchell, the USU TEAL Undergraduate Researcher of the Year.
