The IRT virtual Summer Workshop brought together current scholars, alumni and university deans, and representatives to acquire, question, and disseminate knowledge based on lived experiences, public policy, and research. IRT alumni served as summer faculty and engaged with scholars through a variety of sessions this July. IRT scholars learned more about each other through a series of seminars, presentations, and reflective sessions.
One of the staples of the Summer Workshop is Recruiters’ Weekend. This unique, IRT-exclusive opportunity directly connects scholars with deans, directors, and other administrators from consortium schools. This summer the IRT designed a virtual schedule that approximates an in-person graduate school fair experience. This event is often the first time that scholars have the chance to speak one-on-one with the graduate institutions they are considering.
The design of the summer workshop curriculum was centered on the following:
- Career Pathways: Examining different employment opportunities along the academic and non-academic routes. Essentially asking the question, “Where Am I Headed With My Career + Future Of Jobs?”
- Thriving in Graduate School: Approaches to navigating the graduate school experience. Asking the fundamental questions, “What Does It Mean To Be In Grad School + What Strategies/Skills Are Needed To Be Successful?
- Scope of Higher Education: Brief survey of historical developments and philosophic bases, public policy issues at the state and federal level; types of institutions and their purposes; characteristics of faculty, students, and curricula. The vital question being asked, “What Is The Past, Present, Future Of Higher Education?”
- Theories of inequality, oppression, and social stratification: Using frameworks to examine power and oppression dynamics between diverse groups, providing insight on how salient identities serve to maintain and reinforce inequity in educational policies, practices, and access to resources and opportunities. “How Does Systemic Oppression Explain These Disparities?”
Astrid Moises, IRT ‘08
“For me, it all started with IRT, my career which began 15 years ago and continues to strive due to a team of lifelong supporters. This community that we build in our summer IRT program does not just create a strong impact on our careers, it also gives us the confidence to believe in ourselves and our potential as educators and learners. I am grateful to have met, conversed with, and learned from not only fellow summer faculty but from scholars as well. I appreciated every interaction had and hope that through the lens of culturally responsive education, scholars and faculty alike continue to celebrate, respect, reflect in, and honor our diversity.” Astrid Moises was a summer faculty member and is currently a pre-K teacher for the NYC Department of Education.
Joseph Baez, IRT ’18
“Being a part of the Summer Workshop was a full-circle moment for me. It was moving to work with staff and other alumni to recreate the magic that can occur this month. I felt empowered to facilitate meaningful experiences because I was working with people with the same goals in mind. I want to express my gratitude to the IRT scholars I met throughout the month during the workshops and the course I facilitated. (Shout out to the scholars who attended “Theorizing the Body in the Humanities”). IRT Scholars showed up with such a warm presence at every meeting and engaged thoughtfully with the material and the experiences I curated for them. It is hard work to show up remotely during summer nights, and I am appreciative to the scholars who showed up and to the scholars whose schedules and life circumstances did not allow them to participate in their desired capacity.” Joseph Baez was a summer faculty member and is currently a Ph.D. candidate in American Studies at The George Washington University.
IRT SUMMER WORKSHOP CO-CHAIRS
Heather Moore Roberson, IRT ’07 & ’10
Dean of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Allegheny College
Ryan Sermon, IRT ’10
Regional Director of University Partnerships, Global Campus, Southern New Hampshire University
IRT SUMMER WORKSHOP FACULTY
- Joe Baez, IRT ’18 – PhD candidate, American Studies, George Washington University
- Guadalupe Barrientos, IRT ’20 – PhD candidate, Educational Linguistics, Culture & Language, University of Pennsylvania
- Aaron Benavidez, IRT ‘ 11 – PhD Candidate, Sociology, Harvard University
- Yanil De La Rosa-Walcott, IRT ‘19 – EdD Candidate, Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education, University of Pennsylvania
- Khrysta Evans, IRT ’18 – PhD candidate, Educational Policy Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Armando Martinez, IRT ’19 – MS, Higher Education & Student Affairs, The Ohio State University
- Astrid Moises, IRT ’08 – MS, Early Childhood General & Students with Disabilities, Touro University
- Margaret Perez-Brower, IRT ‘ 11, ’15 – PhD, Political Science, University of Chicago
- Toby Wu, IRT ‘ 09, ’21 – PhD candidate, Educational Leadership & Policy Studies, New York University
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Read an additional article on the IRT Summer Workshop from the June 2023 Newsletter:
IRT Virtual Summer Workshop 2023
Institute for Recruitment of Teachers 