About Us
Our Team
Selyna Perez Beverly, Ph.D.Research Affiliate
Brian A. Burt, Ph.D.Director and Chief Research Scientist
Claire Brainard Draper (She/her/hers)REVIIS Project Manager
Curtis O’DwyerResearch Associate
Sofia Garcia GarbunoResearch Associate
Donald L. Gillian-Daniel, Ph.D. (He/him/his)Assistant Director and Research Affiliate
Devin HenryResearch Associate
Jerlando F. L. Jackson, Ph.D.Founding Director
Dajanae Palmer, Ph.D.Research Affiliate
Mark MoralezResearch Associate
Shawn A. Robinson, Ph.D.Research Affiliate
Blayne D. Stone, Jr.Research Associate
Josh WallaceResearch Associate
Damon A. Williams, Ph.D.Research Affiliate
DeVon L. WilsonResearch Affiliate
History of The Wei Lab
Wei LAB Office Space:
Take a look at the renovated Wei LAB office space, located in the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Educational Sciences building. 
The Wei LAB welcomes new Research Associates Mark Moralez and Curtis O’Dwyer to the team in the fall of 2023. Mark Moralez is a doctoral student in UW-Madison’s Educational Leadership & Policy Analysis Higher Education PhD program. He also works as the Diversity and Inclusion Project Assistant for UW-Madison’s Graduate School.
Curtis O’Dwyer is a doctoral candidate in the Curriculum & Instruction program at the School of Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison. He received a B.S. in Biology with a minor in Mathematics from Roosevelt University and his M.A.
A Farewell to Founder Dr. Jerlando F. L. Jackson
Effective July 2022, Dr. Jerlando F. L. Jackson became the Dean of Michigan State University’s College of Education and stepped down from his post as Director and Chief Research Scientist of the Wei LAB.
Dr. Jackson founded the Wei LAB in 2010 and has been influential in its trajectory over the past 12 years. In his role as Director of the Wei LAB, some of his responsibilities included managing the Innovation Incubator (I2), National Study of Intercollegiate Athletics (NSIA), and the International Colloquium on Black Males in Education (ICBME). Dr. Jackson advanced the Wei LAB’s Translational and Commercialization Division, which fosters new education products and ventures based on the LAB’s scientific and intellectual property assets stewardship™. These efforts have led to two new university start-up enterprises: Compete Brands LLC and Beyond the Game™ (BTG) Solutions LLC.
The Wei LAB thanks Dr. Jackson for his dedication to developing the LAB, and wish him the best in his new appointment at Michigan State University. To learn more, click here.
New Leadership
With the departure of Wei LAB Founder, the Wei LAB welcomes a new leadership team consisting of two team members:
Effective August 2022, Dr. Brian A. Burt has been named the new Director and Chief Research Scientist of the Wei LAB.
Additionally, Dr. Donald L. Gillian-Daniel is the new Assistant Director and will maintain his title of Research Scientist as well.
Staff Additions
The Wei LAB welcomed three new staff members starting in the summer and fall of 2022: two Research Associates and doctorate students in the Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis Program Sofia Garcia Garbuno and Devin Henry; and Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Dr. Selyna Perez Beverly, who received her Ph.D. from the University of Michigan.
Staff Additions
In 2021, the Wei LAB welcomed three new members: Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Dr. Dajanae Palmer, Research Scientist, Dr. Donald L. Gillian-Daniel, and an Undergraduate Office/Digital Media Assistant, Talia Bergerson.
New Role
Effective in 2021, Dr. Brian A. Burt serves the Wei LAB as the Assistant Director and Research Scientist. This change comes from his prior title as solely a Research Scientist within the LAB.
ICBME 2020
The 10th annual International Colloquium on Black Males in Education, originally planned to be held in Rio de Janeiro, took place virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic. ICBME 2020 had events and content every Tuesday in October, 2020. You can learn more about this event here.
Office Renovations
In March 2020, the renovation of the Wei LAB’s office space was completed. The location of the LAB is on the 5th floor of UW-Madison’s Educational Sciences building.
Wei LAB 10th Anniversary
2020 marked the 10th year since the Wei LAB’s founding by Dr. Jerlando F. L. Jackson in 2010.
Staff Additions
The Wei LAB welcomed two new Research Associates, Josh Wallace and Tiaira Porter. Josh and Tiaira are both doctoral students in the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis Department in the School of Education.
ICBME 2019
The 8th annual International Colloquium on Black Males in Education was held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The theme was “Disrupting Educational Disparities, Segregation, and Mass Incarceration: Hidden Battle Grounds for Black Males.” Learn more about the Colloquium here.
Hilliard-Sizemore 2019
The 12th annual Asa G. Hilliard III and Barbara A. Sizemore Research Course on African Americans and Education took place at the 2019 annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA) in Toronto, Canada.
Staff Additions
The Wei LAB welcomed two new staff members in 2019: Dr. Brian A. Burt joined the LAB as a Research Scientist, and Blayne Stone Jr. joined as a Research Associate.
ICBME 2018
The 7th Annual International Colloquium on Black Males in Education was held on October 24 – 26, 2018, in Dublin, Ireland at the Dunboyne Castle Hotel and Spa. Pre-Colloquium events were held on October 22 – 23, 2018. Learn more about the event here.
Hilliard-Sizemore 2018
The 11th annual Asa G. Hilliard III and Barbara A. Sizemore Research Course on African Americans and Education took place on April 13th, 2018. The photograph above shows the 11th class of Hilliard-Sizemore research fellows from the 2018 course.
Hilliard-Sizemore
The Wei LAB became a co-sponsor for the 10th annual Hilliard and Sizemore Research Course on African Americans and Education.
New Book Release
Dr. Jerlando F. L Jackson and Dr. LaVar J. Charleston, along with Northern Illinois University Assistant Professor of Adult and Higher Education and UW-Madison School of Education graduate Cornelius Gilbert, served as editors for the new book, Advancing Equity and Diversity in Student Affairs: A Festschrift in Honor of Melvin C. Terrell.
Black Student-Athlete Summit
The Wei LAB co-sponsored the 2017 Black Student-Athlete Summit, a conference that examined and discussed the complex issues surrounding the black student-athlete.
ICBME 2017
The sixth annual International Colloquium on Black Males in Education was held in Toronto, Canada. View event photos here.
NSF INCLUDES
The Wei LAB was awarded a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant for the NSF INCLUDES Program, an initiative to broaden and enhance STEM fields.
International Urban Education Conference
The Wei LAB co-sponsored the 2016 International Conference on Urban Education (ICUE) which occurred on November 3–5 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Black Student-Athlete Summit
The Wei LAB co-sponsored the 2016 Black Student-Athlete Summit, a conference that examined and discussed the complex issues surrounding the black student-athlete.
ICBME 2016
The fifth annual International Colloquium on Black Males in Education was held in St. Hamilton, Bermuda. View event photos here.
Innovation Incubator
The Wei LAB pilot-tested the Innovation Incubator (I2) concept–a collaborative program to develop educational technologies that drive deeper learning, improve knowledge and skill mastery, and engage more diverse populations of learners in higher education. The cornerstone of the project is to develop and advance a wearable Augmented Reality (AR) program, which will transform the classroom and learning process.
Social Innovation
The Wei LAB committed to a social innovation agenda to address community-based challenges by establishing partnerships with local, state, national, and global entities committed to eradicating educational and workforce inequities.
Staff Additions
The Wei LAB expanded to 19 staff, including researchers, administrative personnel, undergraduates, and graduate students.
Black Student-Athlete Summit
The Wei LAB co-sponsored the 2015 Black Student-Athlete Summit, a conference that examined and discussed the complex issues surrounding the black student-athlete.
ICBME 2015
The fourth annual International Colloquium on Black Males in Education was held in Kingston, Jamaica. View event photos here.
NSIA
The National Study of Intercollegiate Athletics (NSIA) was launched in partnership with the Minority Opportunities Athletic Association (MOAA).
Surgery-Education Research Initiative
The Wei LAB formed a partnership with UW-Madison’s Surgery Department to develop and study Augmented Reality Surgical Training Modules.
Urban Education Conference
The Wei LAB co-sponsored the 2014 International Conference on Urban Education (ICUE) which occurred on November 6-8 in Montego Bay, Jamaica.
BTG Solutions
The Wei LAB established a Translational and Commercialization Division, and in turn, started its first university startup company: Beyond the Game Solutions LLC.
ICBME 2014
The third annual International Colloquium on Black Males in Education was held in Atlanta, GA. View event photos here.
iAAMCS
The Wei LAB, along with partner institutions, was awarded a NSF grant for the Institute for African American Mentoring in Computing Sciences (iAAMCS).
Renovated Suite
The Wei LAB moved into the newly renovated WCER suite. The Wei LAB expanded to 10 staff members, including researchers, administrative personnel, undergraduates, and graduate students.
ICBME 2013
The second annual International Colloquium on Black Males in Education was held in St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands. View event photos here.
Structural Development of Wei LAB
In Summer 2012, the University of Wisconsin-Madison provided institutional resources to build the infrastructure of the Wei LAB, through the Division of Diversity, Equity, and Educational Achievement.
Staff Additions
In September 2012, the Wei LAB expanded its staff to include: Dr. LaVar J. Charleston (Assistant Director and Senior Research Associate); Ryan Adserias (Research Associate); Jonathan Berhanu (Research Associate); Barbara Escobar (Research Associate); Jihye Kam (Survey Research Associate); Sean Frazier (NSIA Coordinator); Benjamin Toff (Editorial Associate); Leora Goldblatt (Communications Coordinator); Leah Foecke (Office Manager); and Jeremie Merriweather (Special Projects Manager).
ICBME 2012
In November 2012, the Wei LAB co-sponsored the inaugural International Colloquium on Black Males in Education, which was held at the University of Leeds in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. View event photos here.
Campus Climate Survey
The Wei LAB partnered with the UW LGBT Campus Center to conduct research studying the campus climate for LGBT+ students at UW-Madison.
State of Black Arizona Project
The Wei LAB was commissioned by the State of Black Arizona Project to study Occupational Demands and Arizona’s Scientific Workforce.
NSF Grants
The Wei LAB was awarded a NSF grant – RAPID: Understanding the Impact of the Alliance for the Advancement of African-American Researchers in Computing (A4RC).
Established 2010
Wisconsin’s Equity and Inclusion Laboratory (Wei LAB) was established at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in May of 2010 as an externally funded research unit within Wisconsin’s Center for Educational Research (WCER). The Wei LAB is headed by Professor Jerlando F. L. Jackson of the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis (ELPA) and Wisconsin’s Center for the Advancement of Postsecondary Education (WISCAPE) as Director and Chief Research Scientist.
Committed to Black Male Success
The Wei LAB was selected to be a part of the Institutional Change for Black Males Student Success Project funded by the Lumina Foundation for Education. As part of this project, the Beyond the Game™ (BTG) Program was developed.
Inaugural Staff
In June 2010, the Wei LAB welcomed its inaugural staff members: Dr. LaVar Charleston (Senior Research Associate); Elizabeth O’Callaghan (Research Associate); Ryan Adserias (Research Assistant); Michelle Boone (Office Manager); Zina Knox (Data Manager); and Jasmine Bounds (Social Media/Marketing Specialist).
A4RC
Wei LAB, along with partner institutions, was awarded a NSF grant for Alliance between Historical Black Universities and Research Universities for Collaborative Education and Research in Computing Disciplines (A4RC).
The Beginning
Professor Jerlando F. L. Jackson and Vice Provost Damon A. Williams had a series of conversations focused on the need for a research unit on the campus of the University of Wisconsin-Madison to assist with the mission of the Office of Diversity and Climate.
Support Our Mission
Making a gift to Wisconsin’s Equity and Inclusion Laboratory (Wei LAB) is a simple and excellent way to support the efforts of the LAB. You can make a gift online or by mail.
Donate by Mail
To donate by mail, please write out a check payable to the University of Wisconsin Foundation. In the memo line, write “Wisconsin Center for Education Research Fund – WEI LAB (12300684).”
Mail your check to:
University of Wisconsin Foundation
U.S. Bank Lockbox
P.O. Box 78236
Milwaukee, WI 53278-0236
Donate Online
To donate online, click the link below to be taken directly to the UW-Foundation website.
Our Partners
