Welcome
Message from Noelle Arnold, PhD. Associate Dean
In a year filled with newness and uncertainty, I am grateful to work in a college with amazing faculty, staff and students who care about the work of inclusion. In EHE, our goal is to help build a sustainable infrastructure for equity, diversity and engagement and one that is an integral component of all aspects of the college life and activities.
It is with great pleasure that we introduce you to our reimagined newsletter. This has a new purpose: to keep our community abreast of the breadth and depth of sometimes “hidden” work of our office and the work occurring across the college.
We hope this issue gives you a deeper look into the work of the office and the ways we are seeking to forward the values of diversity, equity and inclusion in the college, campus, community.
-Noelle Arnold, PhD.
Meet the EDGE Staff
Our Team and Their Home Quarantine Essentials
The EDGE team meets regularly via Zoom, and often communicates by text and telephone. We also love sharing our kids, pets, and plants with one another through pictures or Zoom bombs!
Noelle Arnold, PhD, Associate Dean for EDGE and Professor, Educational Administration
“My home quarantine essentials are… working out with a trainer twice a week, reading lots of books (I have read over 60 books since March), and taking long drives with my husband. Next up is redoing the half bath!”
Ryann Randall, MA Program Specialist and Assistant to the Associate Dean
“My home quarantine essentials have been taking long walks with Ruhani while she rides her bike, my crafts, Amazon Prime (lol) and carving out time for meditation.”
Tei Street, Education Director of Health Sciences Academies, Partners Achieving Community Transformation Initiative
“My home quarantine essentials are my PC, access to my parents as a break, and the opportunity to drive every day as a break from ZOOM.”
Carlotta Penn, PhD, Senior Director of Partnerships and Engagement
“My home quarantine essentials are my beloved “co-workers”-Jember, Zemen, and Haile. And Pizza, of course!”
Keeley J. Pratt, PhD, Associate Professor in Human Development & Family Science, EDGE Faculty in Residence
“My home quarantine essentials are long runs,rowing, coffee, coconut water, nightly fires in my fireplace, fiction books (all the really outrageous unreal things) and Zoom happy hours with friends and family.”
Jenna Azotea, Education Abroad Specialist
“My home quarantine essentials are my running shoes/yoga mat for active breaks throughout the day, my garden and houseplants that bring joy into my quarantine space, and a steady stream
of coffee that gets me through work
and study sessions”
Austin McClellan, Graphic Designer
“My home quarantine essentials are my painting, crafts and of course my beloved dog, Winnie.”
Neal McKinney, Graduate Research Associate for EDGE
“My home quarantine essentials are taking my dog Banks out for walks around Goodale Park, finding new music on Spotify, spending time with my partner John, and teaching yoga.”
“And I am all the things I have ever loved: scuppernong wine, cool baptisms in silent water, dream books and number playing.” -Toni Morrison, The Black Book, 1974
Racial Justice and Equity Task Force
What We’ve Been Up To
The RJE Taskforce is organized into four committees: Leadership/Advancement, Faculty and Staff, Students and Teaching, and Engagement/Partnerships. Each committee is facilitated by a committee chair, who creates ad hoc committees to examine issues, forge consensus, develop recommendations, and take action in concert with other EHE-RJE committees and EHE as a whole and extend into work with community partners on and off campus. Each committee also includes volunteer working groups consisting of individuals who indicate an interest (e.g., completed an initial EHE survey) to become engaged once initiatives are established.
Leadership/Advancement committee consists of representatives of the college Executive Council and is responsible for the public facing, steering, and policy efforts of the Racial Justice and Equity Initiative. This group recommends committee chairs to the Dean and proposes actions, programs and initiatives and vets other proposed actions, programs and initiatives in the support and promotion of racial justice and equity. The LA group also coordinates with department Diversity Chairs and/or unit designees in alignment with our EHE pillars and values. The LA portfolio includes research, staffing, grantmaking and funding, and diversity plans.
Committee Leads: Noelle Arnold.1040, Lori Patton Davis.1
Engagement/Partnerships committee focuses on racial justice and equity in school and community contexts through the promotion of professional development, and community engagement in alignment with the EHE pillars and values. The EA portfolio includes external professional development and lifelong learning, outreach and engagement, and EHE-developed resources for internal and external constituents. Committee Leads: Carlotta Penn.123; Nicole Luthy.22
Faculty and Staff committee focuses on training and development for faculty and staff. The FS portfolio includes faculty and staff development, convenings, colloquia, webinars and other FS created programming.
Committee Leads: Stephen Quaye.13, Mitsu Narui.1
Students and Teaching committee focuses on projects related to students including classroom, field, research and mentoring opportunities to help students gain improved understandings that promote racial justice and equity. In addition, the ST group works with departments and units to create or revise curriculum and the development of materials directed at issues of racial justice, equity and inclusion; assist with recruitment and admissions to compose a future student body for and from racially diverse backgrounds. The ST portfolio includes courses, curricula, and teaching. Committee Leads: Colette Dollarhide.1, Penny Pasque.2
Featured Program
Be the Change! Online Professional Development Module
The Implicit and Institutional Bias module is the first in the Be the Change! Professional development series created by the College of Education and Human Ecology. This series features online professional development related to race, racial equity, and social justice for K-12 educators.
This initiative was spear-headed by Dr. Nicole Luthy, Director of School and Community Research Engagement, in the Office of Research, Innovation and Collaboration.
The following Central Ohio school districts have piloted the module with staff members: Westerville City Schools, Hilliard City Schools, Bexley City Schools, and Columbus City Schools. Additional districts will participate in 2021.
College and Community Engagement
EDGE Art Exhibit Partnership
EHE Office of Equity, Diversity, and Global Engagement (EDGE) has been charged with creating a space for culturally responsive artwork throughout the college, and we started this initiative with an Art Exhibit featuring Ohio artists during the Fall 2019 semester. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused an interruption into the normal functioning of society and a near shutdown of our personal lives. We know that creating and showcasing art, and celebrating artists, helps to create a positive experience that offers hope and inspiration to our community. Given our call to bring art to the EHE community and to engage with K-12 schools, EDGE proposes a virtual art showcase featuring participating school districts and their senior art students. This virtual event presents a meaningful opportunity for those students to display their artwork to not only their fellow students and teachers, but also to their friends, families, the OSU community, and to the world.
Health Sciences Academies
Currently, I, Tei Street, am assisting Columbus City Schools (CCS) in their engagement activities, including their Learning Extension Centers (LECs, All Seniors In initiative, and parent outreach and engagement.) Simultaneously, I am working to provide health sciences resources to the Health Sciences Academies including Curbside COSI, Surgical Videoconferencing, Science in the Park activities and virtual HSA lectures. I am participating in the school-based activities of the HSAs. Finally,I wrote and secured a grant proposal to Franklin County Department of Job & Family Services to support the Health Sciences Academies.
College and Community Engagement
EHE – OSU Equity and Justice Read Around
The EHE-OSU Equity and Justice Read Around was created to support a multi-site reading program in collaboration with school districts, libraries, community and other groups. The purpose is to bring together educators and young people to read and discuss works related to justice and equity. This project provides grants to educators and community organizations to purchase books for students and teachers, and sponsors dynamic programming and events such as author readings, arts shows, webinars, and guided discussions.
The EHE-OSU Equity and Justice Read Around© Project has 3 distinct aims:
- To feature works related to racial justice and equity in addition to works that amplify and support the unique voices of those often relegated to the margins and their rich array of excellence, intellect, and talent.
- To provide leadership and support for state-wide Equity and Justice Read Around© projects across Ohio; and
- To catalyze national Equity and Justice Read Around© projects across other organizations and states and cities around the globe.
The Equity and Justice Read Around initiative will begin Spring 2021.
One of the featured books is “Teaching for Black Lives” with 50 copies provided by a generous anonymous donor!
EDGE Creates and Pilots Student Evaluation of Inclusive Classroom Instruction (SEI_CI)
To effectively teach and reach all students, instructors need to demonstrate that they (a) have acquired the knowledge and skills to develop a culturally responsive curriculum representative of diverse lenses; and (b) are responsive to students’ individual needs and cultural differences. Students’ engagement in discussion, expression of ideas, critical thinking, and interpersonal interactions are influenced by their perceptions of instructor’s cultural responsivity (Bates, 2001; Bates & Poole, 2003). There is a great need to promote responsive engagement of diverse students, and provide a clear feedback mechanism for inclusive practices in the classroom, which is essential for developing new policies and practices.
The Student Evaluation of Inclusive Classroom Instruction (SEI_CI) for undergraduate and graduate students with declared majors in EHE was piloted during spring and summer semesters of 2020. Graduating students provided anonymous feedback about their overall experiences with cultural inclusion in their EHE courses (20-30% response rate). Overall, students reported race, ethnicity, and economic cultural areas were covered; religion/spirituality, sexual orientation, gender identity, and ability status were not covered as often. Based on adaptations of an existing scale for students to evaluate aspects of their instructors’ cultural competence (Robinson, 2012), participants reported positive agreement (≥70%) with the majority of statements (n=5; see Table, below). Less positive responses (≥20%) were reported for instructors privileging students from their own cultures, and facilitating disagreements between students from different cultures.
In Fall 2021, faculty and instructors will have an opportunity to “opt in” to use the SEI_CI as a supplemental evaluation method with their courses. Taken together, EHE’s preliminary work in creating and piloting the SEI_CI has the potential for high impact through its widespread dissemination to additional OSU Colleges, and further testing and validation. Ultimately, we hope to use the SEI_CI in the future development of policies and procedures around the use of students’ feedback on shaping instructors to become more inclusive in their teaching practices and cultural competency at the individual, college, and university levels.
Professional Development
In 2019, the Dean assigned Professional Development and Lifelong Learning (PDLL) to the EDGE office. EDGE coordinates with entities to provide professionals, organizations, and individuals with high-caliber content and cutting-edge information via online and in-person workshops, courses, and institutes in both facilitated and self-paced formats. Participants gain skills and knowledges that can be applied in various settings in impactful ways.
With partners in the Fisher College of Business, we are currently completing training and materials for Managing Anti-Bias/Anti-Racism Change: Multi-tiered Professional Development for Educational Leaders. This development and training includes online modules, a summer institute, and coaching for schools principals and district diversity leaders.
In addition, EDGE has created mechanisms for entities to request professional development and to let us know if you have an idea for PDLL. We are looking for individuals to provide content and deliver high-quality PDLL and receive compensation! Contact Carlotta Penn.123. https://osu.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6QcoYBEhVzFISa1
Introducing the Global Hub @ EDGE
Global Hub @ EDGE
Hello EHE Community,
My name is Carlotta Penn and I am Senior Director of Partnerships and Engagement in the EDGE office. An exciting aspect of this role includes oversight of International engagement and initiatives for the college.
I serve as the college liaison to the Office of International Affairs (OIA) and work closely with colleagues in OIA to stay abreast of University policies, procedures, and opportunities. Together, with OIA, I review and process international contracts, including MOUs, MOAs, and service agreements. Jenna Azotea, who is the education abroad specialist in EDGE, is the lead for developing and sustaining faculty-led education abroad programs.
The purpose of the Global Hub is to improve communication and engagement around international initiatives in the college. We know there are dynamic and impactful programs, and meaningful relationships among EHE faculty and international institutions and scholars across the globe. Our goal is provide support as you navigate university processes, and to highlight this necessary work!
In the coming months, we will offer information sessions that help to clarify the ways that EDGE and OIA can support your international endeavors. I hope that you will consider tuning, and look forward to working with you all.
All my best,
Carlotta Penn
Education Abroad
EDGE strives to provide relevant and impactful global experiences to our students through education abroad programs. The College has a growing portfolio of faculty-led programs during summer, spring, and winter breaks. This semester, we have been working to develop some exciting virtual program opportunities to add to our portfolio and hope to share more information this spring.
While education abroad continues to be impacted by COVID-19 on an unprecedented scale, we are cautiously proceeding with plans for Summer 2021. For regular updates on travel, please visit the Office of International Affairs’ COVID-19 Updates page.
Even though travel is not currently possible, it is more important than ever for our students to remain engaged with the world. This semester, the education abroad team launched the Buckeye Bridge Series, a suite of virtual sessions to connect students to global opportunities and topics. From international cuisine to career conversations, there are a range of topics to engage every student.
A review of our Fall Semester events:
What I Wish I Knew Before Going Abroad
Speakers: Julius Mayo, Assistant Director of Academic Initiatives and Carly Corio, Archer/Torres Complex Director
Identity and Education Abroad (Part 1)
Speaker: Neal McKinney M.Ed, EDGE Graduate Research Associate and Ph.D. Student in Higher Education and Student Affairs
What is the Global Hub @ EDGE?
The Global Hub @ EDGE (“The Hub”) is a centralized location to find opportunities for global engagement within the College of Education and Human Ecology (EHE). The purpose of The Hub is to (a) inform EHE students, faculty, and staff about global engagement opportunities, (b) inspire participation in those opportunities, and (c) provide direction to resources that lead to meaningful experiences and professional development.
Spring 2021 Virtual International Conferences
3D & Educational Technology Training for Nigerian Universities
March 29th-April 1st, 2021
The Executive Leadership Institute is a partnership with The College of Education and Human Ecology, International Group of Education Transfer and International Institute for Training and Development that serves Nigerian university executives. The partnership started in 2019 with a five-day, on campus leadership seminar presented by senior leaders and experts from across OSU. The 2021 virtual institute will similarly engage Nigerian executive leaders and educators, and focus on virtual educational technologies and pandemic response strategies. If you are interested in being a part of this event, or have questions, contact Carlotta Penn (penn.123@osu.edu). The Faculty Lead for this partnership is Noelle Arnold.
Interdisciplinary & International Perspectives on Diversity and Inclusion: Effective Approaches in Education
February 11th, 2021 7:00pm-9:30pm
This conference is jointly presented by researchers from the College of Education and Human Ecology at Ohio State University (OSU) and Faculty of Human Sciences and Faculty of Health and Sports Sciences at University of Tsukuba (UT). The purpose is to present and discuss potential collaborative research topics/themes which involve researchers from OSU and UT regarding “diversity/inclusion” and “education”. During this 3-hour session, faculty members from the fields of sports sciences, sociology, psychology, education, and special education will a)synthesize research studies pertaining to inclusive education in the field and identify research gaps and b)propose potential and collaborative research topics. The conference is free and open to the public, with registration required. The Faculty Leads for this partnership are Jackie Goodway and Sue Sutherland.
Establishing International Partnerships
- Faculty member works with International Partner to conceptualize partnership
- Faculty member completes Concept Statement
- Faculty member sends Concept Statement to Department Chair and College Liaison (Carlotta Penn) for signatures
- College Liaison sends Concept Statement to OIA for review
- OIA and Office of Research Compliance conduct mandated screenings of international partner
- OIA and College Liaison support Faculty member in drafting appropriate agreement
- OIA, Office of Legal Affairs, and EHE Fiscal review the agreement for approval
- International Agreement is revised and finalized with international partner
- EHE Fiscal signs Resource Commitment Approval Memo (RCA)
- OIA and EDGE coordinate the signing process for the final agreement
**International agreements expire every five years. The renewal process follows the same process as establishing new partnerships. However, Faculty will complete a Renewal Concept Statement.**
We also provide consultation meetings with Carlotta Penn.123 and Jenna Azotea.1 to discuss ideas or concepts at any stage in the process.
Meet the Dean’s Diversity Post Docs
Dr. Autumn Berme, Department of Human Sciences
Research interests: Intimate partner violence in LGBTQ+ relationships, health disparities in LGBTQ+ communities, intersectional research in sexual and racial identity, community-based research, qualitative methodologies, queer theory
Teaching: HDFS 4730: Families and Stress
Home quarantine essentials: spending quality time with my family, hiking/camping, yoga, boxing, coffee, Face-timing with my family in Texas, podcasts, yummy vegan food, (now that fall’s officially here!) using my slow cooker, and good books
Dr. Lucia B. Chacon Diaz, Department of Teaching And Learning
Research interests: Science academic achievement, metacognition, self-efficacy in science teaching and learning, cognition and assessment, and diversity and equity in science education.
Home quarantine essentials: coffee, virtual hangouts with friends and family, yoga, and my succulent plants.
Dr. Sonia E. Girón, Department of Human Sciences
Research interests: Latinx (Black and non-Black Central American) adolescent socioemotional and positive youth development, parent-child and sibling relationship processes in the community.
Teaching: HDFS 2420 Adolescence and Emerging Adult Development.
Home quarantine essentials: virtual happy hours and laughing with friends, phone calls with family, meditation & yoga, my therapist, audiobooks, music, and comfy/cozy loungewear.
Dr. Jerraco L. Johnson, Department of Human Sciences
Research Interests: Motor Competence, Physical Activity, and Health interventions to reduce health disparities in young underserved children from low socioeconomic status
Teaching: KNPE 2542 – Lifespan Motor Development this Academic year.
Home quarantine essentials: fruit smoothies, home HIIT exercise workouts, music, books, online shopping, and TACOS!
Dr. Rhodesia McMillian, NCSP
Research interests: K-12 Education Policy and Reform Law; Elementary and Secondary Educational Governance; Critical Theories of Race; Critical Discourse/Policy Analysis
Teaching: Conflict, Power, and Voice in Public Education (Spring 2021)
Home quarantine essentials: a quiet area to pray, read, and reflect for at least an hour in the early mornings. A yoga mat, dumbbells, resistant bands, and a jump rope for an hour workout.
Dr. Kristen J. Mills, Department of Educational Studies
Research Interests: Risk, protective, and promotive factors influencing academic resilience of racially and ethnically minoritized students Racial battle fatigue among Black students Educators’ use of research evidence.
Home quarantine essentials: plants, tea, white sage and eucalyptus candles, headphones, and light (natural or light therapy)
Dr. Dinorah Y. Sanchez Loza, Department of Teaching and Learning
Research interests: critical social theory in education; critical race & (de)colonial studies in education; schooling & political (re)production; ethnographies of schooling; youth and community based participatory methodologies
Teaching: EDUTL 5892 Issues in Urban Education: The School to Prison Pipeline
Home quarantine essentials: Having karaoke afternoons with my kiddo, enjoying a good series with my partner on a streaming service, new recipes, workouts via the OpenFit App, and now as we move into fall, a hot tub.
Dr. Steven D. Stone-Sabali, Visiting Assistant Professor, Department of Educational Studies
Research interests: Using a psychological lens to examine how adolescents and emerging adults of color (primarily Black and African American individuals) are impacted by and persists in educational and healthcare spaces in spite of racially marginalizing and discriminatory experiences.
Teaching: ESSPSY 8077 – Mental Health I: Mental Health Issues in the Schools
Home quarantine essentials: reading and writing.
Dr. Allen B. Mallory, Department of Human Sciences
Research interests: Intersectionality, risk and protective factors for the health and well-being of LGBTQ+ populations, and sexual health.
Teaching: HDFS 5440 Human Sexuality in Context in the Spring
Home quarantine essentials: a laptop, home HIIT workouts, solo dance parties, new recipes, and good books.
Looking Forward
Thank you to Dr. Keeley Pratt who has served as EDGE Faculty in Residence since 2018. Dr Pratt has been instrumental in the advancement of several initiatives including professional development for the PFP Fellows, the creation and validation of the Student Evaluation Of Inclusive Classroom Instruction (SEI_CI), the NIH panel series. We will miss Keeley and wish her well with her sabbatical in spring 2021!
Congratulations to Drs. Noelle Arnold (PI), Nicole Luthy, Carlotta Penn in EHE and Dr. Ben Campbell and Jon Rensink (Co-PIs) were awarded $50,000 in the OSU Seed Fund for Racial Justice grant competition with an additional $30,000 matching funds from the Fisher College of Business and College of Education and Human Ecology. The title of the project is Managing Anti-Bias/Anti-Racism Change: Multi-tiered Professional Development for Educational Leaders. The community partners are Columbus City Schools, Hilliard City Schools, and the Fairfield County ESC.
In our recent Buckeye Funder Campaign, we raised $13,560 for racial justice and equity initiatives! Thank you to all the donors for making this campaign a success.
Coming Spring 2021
January 2021
Applications open for Racial Justice Read Arounds
Applications for EDGE Scholar in Residence open
Webinar update for the ROTATE January 27, 2021 2:00-3:00pm
February 2021
Racial Justice and Equity Docuseries
Screening and Q/A with Artist Charles
Smart of Mark Phi Creations
March 2021
Spring Institute for Nigerian Executive Leaders in Higher Education
Coming Soon!
Templates for unit Racial Justice and Equity Action Plans
EHE-EDGE Podcast Channel and EHE-EDGE Blog
