Adams State University Curtis Garcia, Ph.D., associate professor and School of Education director was recently appointed to serve on the governing board for Regional Educational Lab Central, a subsidiary of the Institute for Education Sciences division of the U.S. Department of Education.
As one of 10 Regional Educational Labs established across the United States, REL Central partners with key stakeholders such as state and local education agencies, school boards, institutes of higher education, and student, family, and community organizations. RELs partner with these organizations on applied research and development; training, coaching and technical supports; and dissemination. The REL Central region covers the states of Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming.
“I am thrilled to serve in this capacity and look forward to contributing to the great work taking place in our region while being a voice for rural schools, colleges, and universities across the nation,” Garcia said.
As a member of the governing board, Garcia will help REL Central prioritize the education needs of the region, provide strategic guidance on REL work to maximize local effectiveness, and leverage regional networks to amplify and disseminate REL products.
Garcia is a San Luis Valley native who earned his bachelor’s degree from Yale University, a Master of Arts degree in educational leadership from Adams State, and a Ph.D. in educational leadership research and policy from the University of Colorado Colorado Springs. Prior to joining the faculty of Adams State in 2015, Dr. Garcia served as a high school social studies teacher, director of special programs, and Pk-12 principal.
At Adams State, Garcia teaches undergraduate courses in classroom management and assessment, and graduate level courses in multicultural education and mentoring/coaching of teachers. His research focuses on issues related to teacher quality and evaluation in K-12 schools, rural education, and how to embed multicultural education and equity in curriculum.
