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.

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.

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.