College of Education Dean's Lecture Series on Education and Society

Description

In “The Power of Belonging Philanthropy and Transformative Research in Education,” Na’ilah Suad Nasir explores the concept of Belonging Philanthropy, a way of funding transformative research in education so that research not only describes the current challenges facing education, but also works to create better and more equitable learning environments. She asserts that how we fund education research is just as important as what we fund to make a consequential difference in advancing equitable education that helps young people thrive. This requires a rethinking of what we view as a high-quality education, and new ways to partner with families, communities, young people, scholars, policymakers, educators, education system leaders and philanthropists.

Register by September 3

About the Speaker

Na’ilah Suad Nasir is the sixth president of the Spencer Foundation. 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 department, then later as the Vice Chancellor for Equity and Inclusion. She was also a faculty member at Stanford Graduate School of Education.

Her research examines the cultural nature of learning and schooling, with a particular focus on the experiences of African American students in schools and communities. She co-edited The Handbook of the Cultural Foundations of Learning (Routledge, 2020). Nasir is a member of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences and the National Academy of Education, and is a past president of the American Educational Research Association.