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RILE Fall Conference 2023

Pushing Back: Resisting the Attacks on Race & Diversity in Education

The annual conference on Race, Inequality, and Language in Education brings together local, national, and international scholars to share their research and to elevate the work of Stanford GSE faculty and students.

Our 2023 conference will take place from Thursday, October 12th to Sat, October 14th.

Conference Program

Thursday, October 12th: A Historical Amnesia: From Atonement to Colorblind (Affirmative Action)

Friday, October 13th:  Healing as Resistance: Helping Students Manage Racialized Stress

Saturday, October 14th: Teaching Teachers About Race, Multilingualism, and DeBunking Lies: How to Empower Schools for Liberation

Additional events

Wednesday, October 25th: RILE PhD Admissions Webinar

Thursday, October 12th, 12:00pm-1:00pm PT (Online Webinar)

A Historical Amnesia: From Atonement to Colorblind (Affirmative Action)

Dr. Uma Jayakumar

Dr. Uma Jayakumar is an Associate Professor in the Graduate School of Education at University of California, Riverside. Her scholarship and teaching address racial justice and policy issues in higher education, with a focus on how institutional environments such as campus climates and cultures shape college access and outcomes and how students' experience and resist barriers to inclusive engagement.

Dr. Zeus Leonardo

Dr. Zeus Leonardo is a Professor in the School of Education at University of California, Berkeley and has published numerous articles and book chapters on critical social thought in education. Among other books, he is the author of Race Frameworks and Edward Said and Education. His articles have appeared in Educational Researcher; Race, Ethnicity, and Education; and Educational Philosophy and Theory. Some of his essays include: "Critical Social Theory and Transformative Knowledge," "The Souls of White Folk," and "The Color of Supremacy."  His current research interests involve the study of ideologies and discourses in education with respect to change.

Friday, October 13th, 12:00pm-1:00pm PT (Online Webinar)

Healing as Resistance: Helping Students Manage Racialized Stress

Dr. Farzana Saleem is an Assistant Professor in the Graduate School of Education at Stanford University. She earned her PhD in Clinical-Community Psychology from the George Washington University and completed an APA accredited internship, with a specialization in trauma, at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. Dr. Saleem’s research examines the influence of racial stressors and culturally relevant practices on the psychological health, academic success, and well-being of Black adolescents and other youth of color.

Dr. Jessica Henry

Dr. Jessica Henry is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist in Washington, DC, Maryland, and Georgia, National Consultant, Curriculum Developer, and Author. She is the Co-founder and Vice President of Program Development and Evaluation for the Black Mental Wellness Corp., and Founder and CEO of Community Impact: Consultation & Psychological Services—a trauma-informed organization whose mission is to provide trauma-informed services to individuals and organizations affected by traumatic events. Dr. Henry is the current Senior Director of Behavioral Health for one of Washington, DC’s largest Federally Qualified Health Centers, and previous Clinical Director of a level-5 close security male prison and Georgia’s largest youth homeless shelter. She received her B.S. from Howard University, M.A. from Columbia University, and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from The George Washington University. After receiving her Ph.D. in 2014 she moved to Atlanta, GA, where she completed her Post-doctoral Fellowship at Emory University School of Medicine.

Nicole L. Cammack, PhD is a licensed clinical psychologist in Maryland and Washington, DC. She is founder, president, and CEO of Black Mental Wellness, Corp., and she also owns Healing Generations Psychological Services and Consultation Center, LLC., a private practice in Washington, DC. Cammack received her bachelor’s degree from Howard University, and her PhD in clinical psychology from The George Washington University. Throughout her career, she has continually focused on mental health issues specific to the Black community, and identifying ways to address the cultural and systemic issues that impact Black mental health and wellness. She currently lives in Washington, DC. For more about Cammack, please visit BlackMentalWellness.com or HealingGenerationsCenter.com.

Saturday, October 14th, 9:00am-2:00pm PT

Location: Tresidder Memorial Union (In-Person and Online)

Session 1 | 9:00am PT

Preparing Teachers to teach Multilingual Students. Teacher Learning & Teacher Diversity

Dr. Karla Lomeli is an assistant professor of Teacher Education in the School of Education and Counseling Psychology at Santa Clara University, where she also serves in the role of bilingual coordinator. Dr. Lomelí teaches TK-12 adolescent literacy, ELD TK-12 to secondary and primary teacher candidates, bilingual education courses in Spanish such as bilingual foundations and methods. Before joining Santa Clara University, she was a High School English Language Arts teacher to multilingual learners’ students for nearly a decade with teaching assignments in East Side San Jose and East Side Salinas. Using qualitative methods, her research examines the intersection of race, class, and language and its implications on the teaching and learning of multilingual students.   In her most recent research, she examines teacher practices and perspectives and the central role that Cariño plays in amplifying the voices of immigrant-origin students in reading and writing. Dr. Lomelí’s research has been published in several journals, including Literacy, Research: Theory, Methods and Practice, English Teaching Practice & Critique, Teaching and Teacher Education, and the Journal of Education and Cultural Studies. Her work has also been presented in international and national conferences such as the Association of Applied Linguistics, California Association for Bilingual Education, La Cosecha Dual Language Conference, the American Educational Research Association (AERA), Literacy Research Association, and the International Conference on Education & Justice. Karla earned her PhD in Race, Inequality, and Language in Education at Stanford University.

Dr. Luis Poza is an associate professor of teacher education in the Connie L. Lurie College of Education at San José State University, where he teaches classes about multicultural education, bilingual education, and the roles of language and education in human rights frameworks. His research, recognized with an Outstanding Dissertation Award from the Bilingual Education Research Special Interest Group of the American Educational Research Association in 2015 and a Spencer Foundation/National Academy of Education Postdoctoral Fellowship in 2017, examines how ideologies of language, race, class, and nation are embedded and enacted in educational policy and practice for bilingual learners. Luis's work has been published in several journals, including the Harvard Educational Review, Journal of Education Policy, Language Policy, Bilingual Research Journal, and Whittier Law Review.

Dr. Travis Bristol is an associate professor of teacher education and education policy in Berkeley’s School of Education and (bycourtesy) the Department of African American Studies. Before joining Berkeley's faculty, he was a Peter Paul Assistant Professor at Boston University. Using qualitative methods, Dr. Bristol explores three related research strands: (1) the role of educational policies in shaping teacher workplace experiences and retention; (2) district and school-based professional learning communities; (3) the role of race and gender in educational settings. Dr. Bristol's research has appeared in over 60 peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, policy briefs, and opinion editorials including Urban Education, the American Educational Research Journal,  Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, the Journal of Teacher Education, Teachers College Record, Harvard Educational Review, Brookings, and The Washington PostHe co-edited (with Conra Gist) The Handbook of Research on Teachers of Color and Indigenous Teachers, which was published by the American Educational Research Association (AERA).

Dr. Alex Mejia is an educator, artist, and researcher focusing on the experiences of communities impacted by racial capitalism. His interdisciplinary work focuses on the everyday forms of creativity, ingenuity, and solidarity that racialized working class communities engage in. Alex works with audiovisual material including video, film, sound, and installation, and connects these practices with various forms of language arts such as poetry and essay.

Session 2 | 12pm PT

Media, Race, & The War on Ethnic Studies, Race, Media and Politics

Dr. Janelle Scott (she/her) is a Professor at the University of California, Berkeley in the School of Education and African American Studies Department. She holds the Robert J. and Mary Catherine Birgeneau Distinguished Chair in Educational Disparities, and is the Chair of the Race, Diversity, and Educational Policy Cluster of the Othering and Belonging Institute. She is the Associate Dean for Students in the College of Letters and Science. Scott earned a PhD in Education Policy from the UCLA and a BA in Political Science from Berkeley. Prior to earning her doctorate, she taught elementary school in Oakland, Calif. Her research explores the relationship between education, policy, and equality of opportunity, and centers on three related policy strands: the racial politics of public education, the politics of school choice, marketization, and privatization, and the role of elite and community-based advocacy in shaping public education.

Dr. Tammie Visintainer's research focuses on issues of equity in science education at the intersections of race, identity, and learning at the high school and undergraduate levels. She explores the types of learning experiences that engage youth of color (i.e., students historically/currently marginalized in society, school, and science) in authentic science practices, and empowers them as learners and doers of science, and change agents in their communities. In addition, she examine the types of instructional and pedagogical resources that foster inclusion, community development, and the co-development of students’ science and racial identities.

Dr. Adam Banks - Committed teacher. Midnight Believer. A Slow Jam in a Hip Hop world. Cerebral and silly, outgoing and a homebody. Vernacular and grounded but academic and idealistic too. Convinced that Donny Hathaway is the most compelling artist of the entire soul and funk era, and that we still don't give Patrice Rushen enough love. I'm a crate digger, and DJ with words and ideas, and I believe that the people, voices and communities we bring with us to Stanford are every bit as important as those with which we engage here at Stanford.

Session 3 | 1pm PT

Design Workshop: Training Teachers & Departments for Diversity

Dr. Kathryn Ribay received her Ph.D. in Science Education from Stanford Graduate School of Education. Kathryn began her career as a chemistry teacher in public high schools in New Jersey. She has worked as a research assistant and teacher educator and is an experienced professional development facilitator. Kathryn has worked with teachers in the United States and the Galápagos Islands and co-developed innovative workshops to support teachers working to connect social justice and chemistry teaching.

Dr. Kathy Sun is an Associate Professor, MATTC Program Director at Santa Clara University.  Kathy Liu Sun earned a bachelor’s degree in Economics and a Ph.D. in Mathematics Education from Stanford University. She received her single subject teaching credential in mathematics from San Jose State University. Kathy taught high school mathematics and computer science in San Jose, California. She spent four years teaching at a charter school in East San Jose and another five years in San Jose Unified School District. Kathy has also co-facilitated a variety of teacher professional development workshops throughout California.

Maricela Montoy- Wilson is the Assistant Director of Elementary Education at the Stanford Teacher Education Program (STEP.) A graduate of STEP herself, Mari went on to serve for over a decade in East Palo Alto as a first grade, second grade, and third grade teacher before becoming the school’s principal at the family-founded charter, East Palo Alto Charter School which was comprised predominately of Latine families and students of color. At EPACS, she worked to cultivate a community of belonging for students, staff, and families, centered around equity, inclusion, and community.  She is proud of integrating health, wellness, and sustainability in Art, Science, and Garden courses for all students supported through the school’s one-acre garden. The incredible work of her students has been highlighted by NPR’s Mindshift, the Teaching Channel, and PERTS Mindset Lab.  Today, Mari draws on her experience at EPACS, her inspiring parents, and her own brave and courageous changemakers – Lola (9), Joaquin (6), and Noelia (3) as well as her partner, Paul. Mari is passionate about racial justice, children’s books, health and wellness, and loves to spend time outdoors with her family.

Jeff Camarillo is currently the Assistant Director of Secondary Education at the Stanford Teacher Education Program (STEP). At STEP, Jeff is honored to bring his 20+ years of experience teaching, leading and serving in BIPOC centered urban communities to STEP to the role of preparing and guiding the next generation of teachers. He is energized to support his alma mater program to evolve to think deeply and critically about what it means to teach for racial justice and educational freedom for historically marginalized and oppressed communities, while centering BIPOC culture & identity and its role in education and teacher preparation. Prior to his current leadership role at STEP, Jeff was a charter high school leader and founding principal of two of the Bay Area’s newest and most innovative educational models to support BIPOC students and families-Lodestar High in East Oakland and the Luis Valdez Leadership Academy in East San Jose. Jeff was also an asst. principal at the East Palo Alto Academy, a college prep charter high school founded by Stanford University’s Graduate School of Education. Before leading and founding charter high schools throughout the Bay Area, Jeff was a middle and high school history teacher and coach in his father’s hometown of Compton, CA and San Francisco, CA. Jeff graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor's degree in Urban Studies and a concentration in Urban Education. Jeff also holds a Master’s Degree of Education from Stanford University and second Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership from San Jose State. Jeff is a father to two incredible boys, Jaxson (8) and Jayce (4), and when not working, loves spending time with them and his wife Josephine, coaching their sports teams, attending sporting events and traveling.

Wednesday, October 25th, 12:00pm PT (Online Webinar)

Race, Inequality, and Language in Education (RILE), PhD Admissions Webinar

RSVP Here

Join admissions representatives and RILE area chair and Professor Bryan Brown, for an online webinar focused on the RILE PhD specialization.

This one-hour online webinar is a great resource for prospective applicants who would like to learn more about the details of the RILE program, application requirements, funding and financial aid options, studying at Stanford University, and more. The webinar will include a Q&A session dedicated to answering your questions. 

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To learn more about the RILE annual conference,
contact John Baker at rile_conference@stanford.edu.

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