Intersections on Inclusion

August 29, 2021

Intersections on Inclusion: Critical Conversations About the Academy

Intersections on Inclusion: Critical Conversations About the Academy

Cosponsored by the Center for Intersectional Gender Studies & Research and the USU Libraries, this series explores questions about knowledge, research, teaching, and the academy through an intersectional lens.

Designed to encourage reflection, community-building, and dialogue across campus, these timely conversations will examine how we can challenge inequity in scholarly practice. Discussion topics in this series are intentionally interdisciplinary and intersectional in scope.

Join us for panel discussions moderated by Dr. Christy Glass, Professor of Sociology and Interim Director of USU’s Center for Intersectional Gender Studies & Research. This series is geared toward graduate students and early career faculty, though all interested are welcome.

Questions? Contact Rachel Wishkoski, USU Libraries: rachel.wishkoski@usu.edu or (435) 797-5371.

Upcoming Events

 

Previous Events

Working at the Intersections: Critical Race Scholarship and Pedagogy Today

Wednesday, April 13, 2022, 12:00 - 1:15 pm | Zoom

Recent conversations in Utah and nationwide highlight the debate and division surrounding Critical Race Theory (CRT) in education. The purpose of this event is to celebrate the ways CRT informs and deepens our teaching, research, and community engagement in higher education. Panelists will explore how they use CRT in the classroom and in their research, and discuss how doing so advances USU’s mission of cultivating diversity of thought and culture" and “serving the public through learning, discovery, and engagement.” Join us for an engaging—and celebratory—discussion that will reenergize our shared purpose in this work and build connections across our university.

Panelists:
  • Avery Edenfield, Assistant Professor, Department of English
  • Emma Mecham, Professional Practice Assistant Professor, School of Teacher Education and Leadership
  • Isaiah Jones, Program Coordinator, Student Transition Services and Parent Programs

Pride in the Field

Tuesday, February 15, 2022, 12:00 - 1:15 pm | Zoom

Many USU students, staff, and faculty are engaged in projects and research focused on the LGBTQIA+ community, as explored in the Utah State Today series, “Celebrating Pride.” Join us for a panel discussing approaches to research about, with, and by the LGBTQIA+ community. What key considerations should researchers center when studying gender and sexuality? From research design, to language use, to avoiding bias, to supporting researchers, what do inclusion, equity, and justice look like in practice? Panelists and attendees will reflect together on positionality, privilege, and marginalization, while taking away actionable practices for future research.

Moderator: Hay Pradell, PhD Student, Psychology

Panelists:
  • Steph Crowell, Reference and Instruction Librarian, USU Libraries
  • River Johnson, Undergraduate Student, Environment and Society
  • Dr. Oluwadamilola Opayemi, Postdoctoral Teaching Fellow, Communication Studies and Philosophy
  • Elizabeth Grace Wong, PhD Student, Psychology

Graduate Student Voices

October 19, 2021

Building on previous events in this series, especially our conversation on inclusive mentoring, this panel will feature perspectives from USU graduate student leaders from across the university. Discussion will explore pressing issues in the graduate student experience through an intersectional lens and explore graduate students’ work as scholars, teachers, researchers, learners, activists, and more. Fellow graduate students, faculty, and staff will benefit from hearing this conversation, and will leave motivated to create a more inclusive and supported graduate student community at USU. Readings, resources, and campus connections to groups like the Graduate Students of Color Association, Black Student Union, Inclusion Center, and more will be shared with attendees.

Panelists:
  • Rana Abulbasal, PhD Student, Department of Sociology and Anthropology
  • Jamal-Jared Alexander, PhD Student, Department of English
  • Elizabeth Grace Wong, PhD Student, Department of Psychology
  • Amand Hardiman, PhD Student, Department of Human Development and Family Studies
  • Niyonta Chowdhury-Magaña, PhD Student, Departments of Psychology and Sociology
  • Lili Yan, PhD Candidate, Department of Instructional Technology & Learning Sciences

Culturally Responsive and Inclusive Teaching

March 23, 2021

Building on previous events in this series, this panel will explore how to bring diversity, equity, and inclusion theories and practices into our classroom teaching, both in face-to-face and online instructional settings. Drawing on their expertise in a range of teaching and learning contexts, panelists will share principles for culturally responsive and inclusive instruction. Together, we will reflect on why this work has always mattered – and why it especially matters now.

Panelists:
  • Sam Clem, Doctoral Student, Department of English, USU
  • Marilyn Cuch, Lecturer, School of Teacher Education and Leadership, Uintah Basin Campus, USU
  • Dr. Daniel Piper, MESAS Program Faculty Advocate and Professional Practice Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, USU
  • Dr. Andrea M. Hawkman, Assistant Professor, School of Teacher Education & Leadership, USU
  • Dr. Melissa Tehee, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, USU; Director of the American Indian Support Project (AISP)

Best Practices for Inclusive Mentoring

February 23, 2021

This panel discussion will highlight perspectives from faculty mentors and student mentees about how to create and sustain a diverse and inclusive graduate student community at USU. Join us as we talk about structures and practices that meaningfully support graduate student scholars, including strategies for recruitment, retention, and the transition into post-graduate life.

Panelists:
  • Jamal-Jared Alexander, Doctoral Student, Department of English, USU
  • Dr. Marisela Martinez-Cola, Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology, Social Work, & Anthropology, USU
  • Dr. Melanie M. Domenech Rodríguez, Professor, Department of Psychology, USU
  • Dr. Jennifer Sinor, Professor, Department of English, USU

Research and Publishing during Covid-19

November 6, 2020

This discussion will explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on scholarly research and publishing. Travel restrictions, retracted funding, delayed or halted projects, and an increase in caretaker and other personal responsibilities at home compound to create unprecedented challenges for producing and publishing research. Early indicators show women, those with significant unpaid care responsibilities, and members of minoritized groups have been disproportionately impacted. For graduate students and early career faculty who depend on research and publication for promotion and tenure, the stakes are especially high. Join our panelists for a conversation about the how the COVID-19 pandemic is impacting the research landscape.

Panelists:
  • Avery Edenfield, Assistant Professor, English, USU
  • Annie Isabel Fukushima, Assistant Professor, Ethnic Studies, University of Utah
  • Becky Thoms, Head of Digital Initiatives, Merrill-Cazier Library, USU
  • Elizabeth Vargis, Associate Professor, Biological Engineering, USU

Citation as a Critical Practice

October 20, 2020

This discussion will explore the politics and ethics of citation. As academics, how, why, when, and whom do we cite, and what is at stake in these practices? Areas for discussion will include representation in disciplinary canons and the undercitation of scholars who are Black, Indigenous, People of Color, LGBTQ+, women, and members of multiply marginalized groups. By considering citation in the context of power and privilege, this panel will unpack what it means to adopt a critical approach to citation in our research, teaching, and scholarship.

Panelists:
  • Cana Uluak Itchuaqiyaq, Doctoral Candidate, Department of English, USU
  • Breanne Litts, Assistant Professor, Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences, USU
  • Mario I. Suárez, Assistant Professor, Cultural Studies, School of Teacher Education & Leadership, USU
  • Cree Taylor, Lecturer, Department of English, USU