Alumni Reunite for Summer Workshop Experience

The IRT is thrilled to have Heather Moore Roberson, IRT ’07, ’10 Ryan Sermon, IRT ’10, and Renée Wilmot, IRT ’12, ’17 return as Summer Workshop Co-Curriculum Coordinators. They took a few moments to share what brings them back and their expectations for this year’s workshop.

---

Heather Moore Roberson is the Dean of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Allegheny College. Heather received her M.A. and Ph.D. from the American Studies program at Purdue University.

What motivates you to return as a Co-Curriculum Coordinator?

I have had the honor and privilege to serve as a member of the faculty since 2016. After I received my Ph.D., it was vital for me to get reconnected with the next generation of teacher scholars who will transform higher education. I would not be a faculty member/administrator if it wasn’t for the IRT Summer Workshop. IRT continues to be an integral part of my village. As a curriculum coordinator, I get to share my experiences and insights that will help scholars thrive in K-16 environments.

What do you hope scholars will learn during the Summer Workshop?

I hope that IRT students will learn how to navigate higher education as professional intellectuals. So often, the public has misperceptions about the purpose and function of higher education. And sometimes, there is an assumption that graduate school is just a more intensive academic endeavor. However, IRT students need to learn how to adopt an authentic, navigational capital that will help them to thrive as professional intellectuals in academic and non-academic spaces. 

Ryan Sermon is the Assistant Dean of Student Affairs in the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Arizona. Ryan received his M.A. in Higher Education at the University of Arizona and is
continuing his doctoral studies.

What motivates you to return as a Co-Curriculum Coordinator?

I have benefited enormously from the IRT program, so it is only right for me to want to pay it forward by helping sustain and grow the program for the next generation of scholars and activists. Returning in this leadership capacity allows me to refine my leadership skills in an environment that I understand, and as a result I feel that I am able to help guide new IRT participants through the challenges I experienced. 

What do you hope scholars will learn during the Summer Workshop?

Program participants should walk away with increased academic and research skills, meaning they will become more comfortable with graduate-level writing, critical reading, and analysis. A pillar of the program is centered around the hidden curriculum – learning the unwritten norms and expectations of academia. Most of all are the networking opportunities, which provide participants with the ability to connect with mentors and academic peers.

Renée Wilmot is Assistant Professor in African American Studies at Michigan State University. Renée received her Ph.D. in Curriculum & Instruction
from Michigan State University.

What motivates you to return as a Co-Curriculum Coordinator?

I am excited to return this summer as a Co-Curriculum Coordinator for a couple of reasons. First, I thoroughly enjoy thinking about curriculum design and the pedagogical possibilities for learning in a unique setting such as the IRT Summer Workshop. I also appreciate the opportunity to work with a team of IRT alumni from differing disciplines and careers because that contributes to more generative ideas and innovative approaches to curriculum building and actualization. 

What do you hope scholars will learn during the Summer Workshop?

I hope the new cohort feels encouraged to fully engage in the unique learning environment that the Summer Workshop creates. There is “no grade,” which is meant to cultivate a learning environment where students can take risks that ultimately contribute to their overall learning and growth as future scholars. I hope they see the Summer Workshop as a way to practice “studenting” in a way that facilitates their own curiosities and encourages them to solidify their own beliefs and values. 

###