The University of Michigan is going on the road — by deploying its educational experts across Michigan communities to address real challenges faced in schools, workplaces and communities.
As a major component of the Look to Michigan theme year of Life-Changing Education, U-M is launching an ED Talks initiative, featuring a newly named cohort of faculty presenters. They will engage with audiences and apply their expertise in ways that make educational research accessible and actionable.
The goals are twofold:
- Make U-M education research more accessible for the public.
- Create a more reciprocal exchange where scholars also learn from the communities connected to the issues they study.
Elizabeth Birr Moje, dean of the Marsal Family School of Education and Year of Life-Changing Education co-chair, underwent public engagement training for academic research 10 years ago and wanted to apply the concept with U-M to develop stronger connections with audiences.
"Education research has the potential to transform not only education systems, but also society. Unfortunately, researchers don't always know how to engage people beyond our academic communities to make societal change," Moje said.
ED Talks will strengthen U-M's faculty as public intellectuals, fostering dialogue between researchers and practitioners. Topics range from how children learn to read to what makes mentorship effective to designing inclusive classrooms.
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.
The first faculty group — The Future of Learning Scholars cohort — comes from across disciplines, showing that learning innovation is everywhere. The 16 education researchers in May 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," Moje said. "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
- 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
- Paul Fleming, associate professor of health behavior and health equity, School of Public Health
- Erin Flynn, associate professor of education, Marsal School
- Rebecca Hasson, Victor L. Katch Collegiate Professor of Kinesiology and associate professor of kinesiology, School of Kinesiology
- Mika LaVaque-Manty, Arthur F. Thurnau Professor; associate professor of political science and associate professor of philosophy, LSA
- Earl Lewis, Thomas C. Holt Distinguished University Professor of History, Afroamerican and African Studies and Public Policy; director, Center for Social Solutions; professor of history, professor of Afroamerican and African studies, LSA; and professor of public policy, Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy
- William Lopez, associate chair and clinical associate professor of health behavior and health equity, School of Public Health; faculty associate, Latina/o Studies Program
- 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
- Katie Richards-Schuster, associate dean for undergraduate programs and strategic initiatives and associate professor of social work, School of Social Work
- Joe Ryan, professor of social work, School of Social Work; faculty associate, Population Studies Center, Institute for Social Research
- Chris Torres, associate professor of education, Marsal School
- Tanya Wright, professor of education, Marsal School
- Jeremy Wright-Kim, assistant professor of education, Marsal School
