UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Penn State Forum Speaker Series continues this fall with a talk by Na’ilah Nasir, president of the American Educational Research Foundation, National Academy of Education member, and CEO of the Spencer Foundation, on Dec. 1. Nasir will present a lecture titled "Education for a Multicultural Democracy: Building a future where we all thrive."
Nasir's talk is supported by AAUW State College. Visit the registration page to purchase tickets/tables here.
About the lecture: Higher education is at an inflection point. It is clear that our higher education systems are falling short of being the equitable and transformative institutions that we aspire to. With the increasing diversity (and expanding aspects of diversity) of our students, we have a responsibility to create equitable institutions that truly prepare our students to lead us nationally and globally into a new iteration of democracy — a democracy that develops the potential and builds on the strengths of all communities, including those that have been historically marginalized. To do so, we need more honest appraisals of where we are and how we got here, and more ambitious visions for our collective future. In this talk, I will consider what equity looks like in higher education, and describe three aspects of equitable higher education systems: 1. Reconceptualizing the nature and purpose of learning, 2. Building new kinds of institutions and systems, and 3. Rethinking our research goals and methods.
About Na’ilah Suad Nasir
Nasir is the sixth president of the Spencer Foundation, which funds education research nationally. Prior to joining Spencer, she held a faculty appointment in Education and African American Studies at the University of California, Berkeley, where she also served as the chair of African American Studies, then later as the vice chancellor for Equity and Inclusion. She also served on the faculty of the Stanford Graduate School of Education.
Nasir’s research examines the racialized and cultural nature of learning and schooling, with a particular focus on the experiences of African American students in schools and communities. She recently co-edited "The Handbook of the Cultural Foundations of Learning" (Routledge) and "We Dare Say Love: Supporting Achievement in the Educational Life of Black Boys." She is also the author of "Racialized Identities: Race and achievement for African-American youth," published by the Stanford University Press in 2012. Nasir is a member of the National Academy of Education and a Fellow of the American Educational Research Association. She is president (2021-22) of the American Educational Research Association.
About the Forum Speaker Series
The forum series is modeled after the National Press Club Speaker Series, which includes a presentation by an invited speaker, followed by audience questions.
The buffet-style luncheons are held from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Presidents Hall of the Penn Stater Conference Center and Hotel, on the University Park campus.
All events are open to faculty, staff, students and the general public. Tickets for the Penn State Forum are $25 each, or $250 for a table of 10, and include a buffet lunch. Tickets may be purchased by visiting the Forum Speakers website.
Upcoming speakers for the 2022-23 series include:
- Feb. 23, 2023 — Velvet Brown, David P. Stone Chair and associate director for equity, diversity and inclusion in the School of Music, and the Penn State Laureate for 2022-23, will present a lecture (title TBA).
- March 23, 2023 — Sabaah Folayan, award-winning film director of the documentary “Whose Streets?", will present a lecture (title TBA).
- April 20, 2023 — Derek Lee and Monica Bond, wildlife biologists, activists and Penn State Eberly College of Science professors will present “True Tall Tales from Tanzania."
Forthcoming lecture topics will be added as they are available. More information about the series is available on the Penn State Forum Speakers website.