2020 News

Like many of you, we have been gripped by the national response and awakening to racial injustices following the senseless deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery. These are heartfelt signs of frustration and courageous statements of “enough is enough” and “we will not stand for this treatment anymore.”

We have been encouraged, but not yet convinced, by the number of individuals who have shown a new or renewed interest in racial justice and allyship. However, we, but also empathize and stand with those who have long understood that the deaths of Floyd, Taylor, and Arbery are but a tragic, graphic representation of systemic inequality in this country and the everyday injustices experienced by the Black community.

For ten years, Wisconsin’s Equity and Inclusion Laboratory has been engaging the most difficult and important equity and inclusion topics confronting the educational system and experiences in the global workforce. We have donedid so by modeling desirable hiring practices, with staff that spanned across ethic/racial, gender, sexual orientation, age, ability, and nationality to produce transformative work that could have not occurred absent the diversity at the table.

Our goal at the LAB since its inception has been to translate research and the knowledge produced by the academy into resources tohat be utilized by those who stand to benefit from it the most. In many ways, we did not want to simply sit on the perch of the ivory towers of academe, but we desired to walk hand-in-hand with the communities for which our work could make a true difference in their lives. The moment that we are in is a clarion call to action for us and our colleagues to pour the compassion that drives our research into these beautiful Black communities.

Our resolve and commitment to that mission is stronger than ever. Our staff has been thinking strategically about how we can amplify our efforts toand provide insight and support. In the coming weeks, you will see new programming, partnerships, and initiatives from us that will further amplify our extraordinary network of scholars and thought leaders on topics of equity and inclusion.

If you are new to our Wei LAB community, welcome. Please reach out if we can be of assistance.

To our community of supporters and advocates – we grieve with you, we support you, and we will continue to fight alongside you. BLACK. LIVES. MATTER.

The Wei LAB held its ninth annual International Colloquium on Black Males in Education (ICBME), which took place virtually for the first time in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. ICBME 2020 was originally planned to be hosted in Rio de Janeiro, but adjusted due to the unforeseen global circumstances and was held virtually every Tuesday in October 2020. The theme of ICBME 2020 was “A Virtual Experience: When Racial Uprising and COVID-19 Collide.”

In a year in which racial uprising and COVID-19 have both disproportionately affected the Black community, a global convening is more important than ever. Despite the meetings of ICBME being virtual, its mission remained the same. It aims to provide a space for participants to discuss ideas and practices that serve to improve Black males’ educational outcomes and experiences.

Dr. Jackson was recently selected as a best paper for RESPECT 2020. The paper selected was titled: The iAAMCS Ecosystem: Retaining Blacks/African-Americans in CS PhD Programs. The paper was written by Dr. Jerlando F.L Jackson, Dr. Jeremy A. M. Waisome, and Dr. Juan E. Gilbert.

In addition to being awarded Best of RESPECT Paper, the authors are presenting in the RESPECT Sister Session for SIGCSE 2020. Their presentation will be on the information and research addressed in the paper. This conference is the largest computing education conference worldwide organized by ACM Special Interest Group of Computer Science Education (SIGCSE). The participants include nearly 2000 researchers, educators, and practitioners interested in improving computing education in K-12 and higher education.

Wei LAB Research Associate, Devon Wilson, had his manuscript titled “Do Racial Disparities Exist in the Labor Market For Educators” accepted for publication in the Journal of Economics, Race, and Policy. In addition to Devon Wilson, Donald Dantzler, Damian Evans, and Richard McGregory, Jr. contributed to the contents of this manuscript. The manuscript involves a study to analyze K12 teachers and post secondary teachers to test hypotheses about racial disparities in educator labor markets. The Journal of Economics, Race, and Policy is a journal that examines the intersection, both globally and locally, of economics, race, ethnicity, gender and policy.

Wei Lab Research Scientist, Dr. Brian Burt, was nominated for induction into the Martin Luther King Jr. International College of Ministers and Laity at Morehouse College. The Martin Luther King Jr. College of Ministers and Laity is the signature program sponsored by the Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapelat Morehouse College. The induction of honorees is in recognition of Dr. King’s role as an exemplar of adaptive faithful servant scholar moral cosmopolitan leadership. The nominees are selected due to the individuals’ efforts to evolve toward great achievement in their fields and a commitment to the community and society. Nominees are selected by former inductees, the office of the dean, faculty, staff, and alumni of Morehouse College, and distinguished citizens.

Wei LAB Director, Dr. Jerlando F. L. Jackson presented at the residency hosted by the Center for the Advancement of STEM Leadership (CASL) in Atlanta, GA. The overall theme was Sustaining Leadership That Advances Broadening Participation in STEM among Faculty and Students on HBCU Campus. Dr. Jackson’s presentation was titled Research Strategies for Documenting Leadership in STEM at HBCUs. The presentation varied in topics including leadership, historical evolution of leadership studies, critical race theory, and recommended strategies.

CASL is a collaborative, NSF-supported research, education and knowledge transfer/outreach entity involving North Carolina A&T State University, University of the Virgin Islands, Fielding Graduate University and the Association of American Colleges & Universities. CASL aims to document leadership styles and strategies that have been associated with the record of HBCUs in graduating African Americans in STEM at the undergraduate level and in advancing many to successful attainment of doctoral degrees in STEM.

The 13th Asa G. Hilliard III and Barbara A. Sizemore Research Course on African Americans and Education took place on Friday, April 17, 2020 from during the 2020 Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association in San Francisco, CA. Early career scholars and advanced graduate students worked directly with established researchers on questions and methods that inform studies on African Americans in education. Participants were exposed to the fundamentals of developing a research agenda and career focused on conducting research on African American populations in education.

Dr. Shawn Anthony Robinson presented at Northwestern’s colloquium, whose topic is “Literacy, Dyslexia, and the Intersection of Race”. The colloquium is put together by Northwestern’s School of Education and Social Policy. Dr. Robinson shared his presentation titled ”My Journey from Illiteracy to Researcher and Practitioner: The Role of Access and Advocacy.” In his presentation, Dr. Robinson shared his lived experiences, alongside related research, and how they propelled him to become a teacher, advocate, and practitioner in the field of Special Education and Literacy.

Wei Lab Director, Dr. Jerlando F. L. Jackson, was named one of the 200 most influential scholars in U.S. education in the 2020 RHSU Edu-Scholar Public Influence Rankings. The scholars who make the list are selected based on criteria that looks at how they shaped educational practice and policy in the year prior. Individuals are secondarily scored by their newspaper mentions, education press, congressional record, book points, google scholar, and more. Over 20,000 scholars qualify, but only the 200 top scholars are included on the list, and the final list of scholars are chosen by a 29-member selection committee.

Dr. Shawn Anthony Robinson co-edited a book with Corey Thompson, titled Promoting Academic Readiness for African American Males with Dyslexia. Promoting Academic Readiness for African American Males with Dyslexia addresses the underlying issues pertaining to the literacy achievement levels of African-American Males. The book was originally a publication in a special edition of Reading & Writing Quarterly: Overcoming Learning Difficulties. By looking at past studies, the books authors demonstrate how classroom practices in preschool and elementary levels are failing students who are at risk of reading and writing difficulties. The book advocated for the implementation of enriching practices, arguing that they are vital to the social, moral, and intellectual development of these students, and subsequently, society as a whole.

Dr. Brian A. Burt has been named Research Scientist in the Wei LAB. Dr. Burt’s research focuses on providing new understandings of the complexity of science participation, with the aim of gaining a better comprehension of the experiences that promote or inhibit students from engaging in science pathways. He has published in leading educational journals such as the American Educational Research Journal, School Science and Mathematics, and Journal of Negro Education, to name a select few. He has won several academic honors including the National Science Foundation’s Early CAREER Award, and the National Academy of Education/Spencer Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship.

Dr. Burt began his work with the Wei LAB at the start of the 2019 academic year. For Burt, the LAB was a natural fit for his research interests and values: “I was excited to join the Wei LAB because for nearly 10 years I have been awe-inspired watching the innovation of the Wei LAB as an outsider…the portfolio of research grants received, programmatic efforts to broaden participation to educational and workforce pathways, and the development of scholars – many of whom hold underrepresented social identities – make the Wei LAB second-to-none in terms of research centers. Because the work and the practices of the LAB also align with my interests and values in equity and inclusion, make working at the LAB a natural fit.”

Wei LAB Director, Dr. Jerlando F. L. Jackson was named to the LEAD1 Working Group to examine issues related to diversity, equity, and inclusion in college athletics. This appointment is organized by the LEAD1 Association, which represents the athletic directors of the 130 schools of the Football Bowl Subdivision.

Wei LAB Special Projects Manager and Research Assistant, Kayla Gross, was a co-presenter with Jennifer Schmeiser, a board member of Wisconsin’s Women’s Network, at UW-Madison’s 31 Days of Women & Leadership Conference.

Wei LAB Director and Chief Research Scientist, Dr. Jerlando F. L. Jackson, was selected for the 2020 Slesinger Award for Excellence in Mentoring. This award is UW-Madison based, and recognizes individuals who help women faculty members at UW-Madison achieve their goals.

Dr. Shawn Robinson, a Senior Research Associate at the Wei LAB, was quoted in a Boston Globe Article on the additional challenges the COVID-19 pandemic has created for children developing their reading skills.

Wei LAB Director and Chief Research Scientist, Dr. Jerlando F. L. Jackson, served as a moderator for a town hall on systemic racism and social injustice held during the 2020 UW-Madison Diversity Forum. The town hall was held on October 27, 2020.