Faculty Futures Lab Initiative for Inclusive Leadership

Our final installment of Fall 2020 Faculty Forward Winners features Professors Baris Askanli (Electrical and Computer Engineering) and Theresa Carlson (Chemistry) dropping science about how they transitioned their labs to the virtual space, with improved outcomes for many students. With Professor Sarah Elkind (History), CTL Director.

Professors Denise Lebsack (Exercise and Nutrition Science), Marissa Vasquez (Administration, Rehabilitation, and Post Secondary Ed), Kim Twist (Political Science) and Stephen Goggin (Political Science) talk to CTL Director Sarah Elkind about teamwork as an essential component of teaching and learning during COVID--teamwork with our colleagues, with community partners, and fostering it among our students.

Monitoring zoo webcams, making cheese and ice cream in a home laboratory, and managing international time zones—these are among the COVID-related challenges bested by Professors Linda Copp (Exercise and Nutrition Sciences), Erin Riley (Anthropology), Sonya Schumann (Music and Dance), and Mei Zhong (Journalism and Media Studies, who share their award-winning classroom innovations with SDSU CTL Director Sarah Elkind (History).

As we begin our third COVID-impacted semester, now more than ever we are realizing the importance of classroom community to our students, ourselves, and our curriculum. How to do this on Zoom? Join Center for Teaching and Learning director Sarah Elkind and Associate Professor Dani Bedau (Theatre, Film, & Television)to learn how to use grounding exercises, music, silliness, and Zoom polls to keep spirits high.

Join Professors Stella Chizhik and Sesen Negash, founders of SDSU's new Center for Achieving Black Wellness and Anti-Racist Education to think through how we do anti-racism in the classroom, now--as we face not only COVID but also deal with the continuing harms of racism. With Professors Regina Brandon (Special Education), Michael Dominguez (Chicanx Studies), and Daniel Reinholz (Mathematics).

Three SDSU women scientists--Dr. Lacie Barber (Psychology), Dr. Regis Komperda (Chemistry), and Dr. Mary Pilgrim weigh in on the essential work of mentoring graduate students--complicated by our extremely uncertain and isolating conditions. Are women / URM faculty picking up more than their share? How can we model best practices and foster collegial conversations about the value of "care work" or "relational labor?"