Ten Marsal Education faculty members selected to join the Future of Learning Scholars cohort 

Ten Marsal Education faculty members are among the U-M education experts who will be deployed to deliver ED Talks to Michigan communities across the state, addressing real challenges faced in schools, workplaces, and communities, reports Michigan News.

The ED Talks initiative is a core component of the Look to Michigan theme year of Life-Changing Education. As a cohort, The Future of Learning Scholars will engage with audiences and apply their expertise in ways that make education research accessible and actionable. Each ED Talk will be an opportunity to create reciprocal exchange where scholars also learn from the communities connected to the issues they study.

ED Talk events will happen several times each semester in partner communities. Each 20- to 30-minute talk is followed by open discussion that invites audience insight and questions. Talks are free and open to the public, and recordings and summaries appear afterward for further community discussion.

Marsal Family School of Education Dean Elizabeth Birr Moje, who also serves as The Year of Life-Changing Education co-chair, underwent public engagement training for academic research 10 years ago. She wanted fellow faculty members to have the same opportunity. In May, the Future of Learning Scholars gathered at U-M’s Marygrove Learning Community in Detroit, where they received training on translating complex research into clear, engaging talks for public audiences.

“The trainings are designed to help education researchers become better at talking with rather than at people and to create a corps of researchers who can travel across the state, nation, and even the globe, engaging with multiple communities to connect and deepen findings from education research,” says Moje. “Ultimately, we hope these ED Talkers will craft the future of learning by engaging with communities in and outside the university.”
 

The Future of Learning Scholars cohort includes:

Michael Bastedo, associate dean for research and graduate affairs; Marvin W. Peterson Collegiate Professor of Education, Marsal School

Angela Calabrese Barton, chair, educational studies; Alvin Demar Loving Sr. Collegiate Professor of Education, Marsal School

Kara Finnigan, associate dean for faculty and student development; professor of education, Marsal School

Erin Flynn, associate professor of education, Marsal School

Vilma Mesa, professor of education, Marsal School; and professor of mathematics, LSA

Chauncey Monte-Sano, professor of education, Marsal School

Alaina Neal-Jackson, clinical assistant professor of education, Marsal School

Chris Torres, associate professor of education, Marsal School

Tanya Wright, professor of education, Marsal School

Jeremy Wright-Kim, assistant professor of education, Marsal School