The Department of Psychology Brown Bag Series will present a Diversity and Inclusion Brown Bag session with Beth Hatt, Ph.D., and Pamela Hoff, Ph.D., from noon-1 p.m. Wednesday, March 1, in 551 DeGarmo Hall. Hatt and Hoff are both associate professors in the Department of Educational Administration and Foundations at Illinois State University. Hatt will lead a discussion on “The Cultural Production of Smartness,” while Hoff’s topic is “Colonizing Communities: Smartness and the Ideology of Domination.”
About the speakers
Hatt was the first person in her family to go to college and believes her family background is a strength in that it taught her to value independence, hard work, and humility. Her research interests include the cultural production of smartness, the school-to-prison pipeline, and culturally responsive practice. She has taught at men and women’s prisons and partnered extensively with educators in alternative schools. Her pedagogy centers on relationships, respect, and focusing on students’ strengths.
Hatt received her doctorate from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in culture, curriculum, and change, an interdisciplinary social justice program. Her educational background includes studying kindergarten readiness, charter schools, mindsets around ability, and high poverty/high-achieving schools in North Carolina and Miami. As part of a Fulbright grant, she has taken teachers and preservice teachers to Mexico to improve their cultural competency in working with Mexican and Mexican-American families and youth. She currently teaches courses on culturally responsive practice, diversity and equity, and research methods. Hatt is a mother of two and enjoys spending time outdoors and traveling.
Hoff describes herself as a mother, “sista,” and friend to many. She teaches courses in the Social Foundations of Education and African-American Education. She holds a M.Ed. from the University of Cincinnati in curriculum and instruction, multicultural and international education, and a Ph.D. in educational studies.
Hoff’s career in education has spanned more than 20 years in numerous capacities. As a faculty member in Africana studies at the University of Cincinnati, she taught in two large urban schools so that students could earn college credit. As the director of a Head Start program, Hoff increased parental involvement and community support. As the director of an Upward Bound program, her motto was “opportunity favors a prepared mind.” She used critical and culturally centered approaches to increase student participation, graduation, and postsecondary matriculation by more than 50 percent. As a high school social studies teacher, Hoff used culturally relevant pedagogy techniques and strategies to engage students. Hoff identifies as an activist scholar who believes that education should be transformative for the individual and the community.
A printable PDF flyer for this colloquium is available on the Department of Psychology website.
This speaker series is sponsored by the Department of Psychology. To support the Department of Psychology and help enhance its educational mission with advanced teaching methods, guest speakers, and more opportunities for students to learn through research experiences, please consider making a gift to the department through the Illinois State University Foundation.
If you need a special accommodation to participate in this program, call the Department of Psychology at (309) 439-8651. Please allow sufficient time to arrange the accommodation.
