To be successful, diversity, equity, and inclusion has to be threaded into everything we do--including the arts. MCLA's Institute for Arts and Humanities is a great example of how to infuse foundation-changing philosophies into programming that empowers students, spreads knowledge, and contributes to the existing body of work and research on DEI in the arts.
How can data help drive decision-making in DEI? Jason Canales '00 will tell you--and he's got plenty of examples to offer.
As associate director of MCLA's diversity programs and Multicultural Education Resource Center (MERC), Arlene Theodore is a mentor, a passionate advocate for students of color, and a content expert who is working across campus to make sure everyone understands that diversity, equity, and inclusion work requires the entire community's participation.
Before she became the nursing director of Massachusetts General Hospital's Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) this past November, Kimberly (Cerrato) Whalen '93 had already made significant contributions to her field.
The Common Folk Artist Collective will soon have a permanent home in downtown North Adams--thanks to years of hard work from local artists, many of whom are MCLA alumni.
Devyn Renzi '19, one of the first graduates of MCLA's health sciences degree program, is back on campus, consulting with students on nutrition.
While Emily Kelleher '23 and Hannah McCormick '22 presented on different research topics, their experiences at the COPLAC Virtual Northeastern Regional Conference have some things in common. They both spent time researching topics they were passionate about, delving deeply into their research and discovering surprising things. They both prepared and practiced--and they both say they would participate in another all-virtual conference.
In January, Associate Professor of Physics Kebra Ward will travel to South Africa on a Fulbright Award, working on physics education research at Nelson Mandela University. "In the last 20 years, there's been a lot of research into how to teach physics," she said. "The answer is not to do it lecture-style. Students need to work with the material, practice it, and engage with it."
MCLA faculty members are working to bring topics around care to museum-goers at the same time they're leading classes on care and the therapeutic arts, helping students develop empathy and critical thinking. In fact, they're being recognized nationally for their work, which offers a wide array of justice-oriented education and community resources.
Jackson O'Brien '18 has quite a lot of experience teaching, especially for someone who is about to turn 24. In fact, he's currently the youngest Red Cross instructor trainer, volunteering his time to educate others--so they can go on to provide Red Cross training in their own communities, and help people save lives.
