Reimagining the Role of Colleges and Universities in Prison Education

Reimagining the Role of Colleges and Universities in Prison Education: Research, Policy and Practice is funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. It will be held in the Alumni Memorial Union Ballrooms (3rd floor) on April 24th (8am-5:15pm) and April 25th (8am-2:30pm). The Keynote Speaker is Dr. Christopher Beasley, Assistant Professor at the University of Washington Tacoma Dr. Beasley is an Assistant Professor at the University of Washington Tacoma, where he studies social and psychological factors involved in prison and post-prison higher education, leads the development of the Husky Post-Prison Pathways initiative, and advises the Formerly Incarcerated Student Association. His scholarly work emphasizes the possibilities incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people imagine, influences on these possibilities, and how they alter life courses. He’s also spoken extensively about the role of people with lived expertise in the creation of social change and ways to realize this potential. Dr. Beasley is invested in this scholarship because of his own transition from prisoner to social change agent and scholar. He attended community college after leaving prison and “cut his social justice chops” fighting for queer liberation as an undergraduate student in the early 2000’s. He began organizing and supporting formerly incarcerated college students as a graduate student in the 2010’s and co-founded the Formerly Incarcerated College Graduates Network in 2014--an organization that now has over 1000 members across 44 states and 10 countries. In addition to his scholarship, Dr. Beasley currently focuses on investing in student leaders while creating systems and structures in which they can realize their potential. He also serves as Board Director for From Prison Cells to Ph.D. while co-planning the annual Rise Up Conference and advising other efforts to develop higher education during and after incarceration. There will also be several panels (they will NOT be concurrent): April 24th (8am-5:15pm): The Pedagogy of Building Diverse (and Engaged) Classrooms in Prison Discussant: Peter Moreno, JD, MS Director, Prison Education Initiative, University of Wisconsin Madison Panelist 1: Dr. Theresa Tobin, Director of the Education Preparedness Program (EPP) and Associate Professor of Philosophy at Marquette Panelist 2: Dr. Joshua Miller, Assistant Teaching Professor, Director of Education, Prisons Justice Initiative, Managing Director, Georgetown Pivot Program, Georgetown University Panelist 3: Dr. Nigel Boyle, Professor & Associate Dean, Director of the Pitzer College prison BA pathway program, Pitzer College and Kenny Butler, Pitzer College Logistics and Operations: Discussant: Shannon Ross, Executive Director of The Community, Founding Partner at Paradigm Shyft, Founding Dreamer/Developer of the University of Reentry Panelist 1: Jessica Hicklin, CTO and Cofounder of Unlocked Labs/Programmer Analyst II Washington University, St. Louis Panelist 2: Dr. Amy Lopez, CEO Past the Edges Consulting LLC Panelist 3: Dr. John Dowdell, Editor of the Journal of Correctional Education, President, Heartland Curriculum Consultants Assessment and Evaluation of Prison Populations Discussant: Dr. Zach Baumgart , Research Analyst Advanced Supervisor, Office of the Secretary, Research & Policy Unit, Wisconsin Department of Corrections Panelist 1: Dr. Darren Wheelock, Associate Director of the Education Preparedness Program, Associate Professor of Criminology and Law Studies, Marquette University and Alyssa Spies, Criminology and Law Studies and Sociology double major, Social Welfare and Justice and Political Science double minor, Marquette University, Intern, Education Preparedness Program (EPP) Panelist 2: Dr. Michael Koenigs, Professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin Madison Panelist 3: Dr. Terrence S. McTier Jr. Assistant Dean of Students: Director of Student Conduct & Community Standards, Oregon State University April 25th (8am-2:30pm): Prison Education Programs, Trauma, Healing, and Families Discussant: Dr. Zaria Davis, Senior Consultant with New Direction Coaching & Consulting, LLC Panelist 1: Dr. Robert Smith , Director of the Center for Urban Research, Teaching & Outreach and Harry G. John Professor of History at Marquette University and Angie Sandoval, Graduate Research Assistant at the Center for Urban Research, Teaching & Outreach, Fellow at College Possible Milwaukee, Political Science Master's student, Marquette University Panelist 2: Brittany Lee, Empathy Network Manager at Dream.Org Panelist 3: Dr. Pajarita Charles, Assistant Professor and Director, Lab for Family Wellbeing & Justice, University of Wisconsin Madison and Dr. Julie Poehlmann, Dorothy A. O’Brien Professor of Human Ecology, University of Wisconsin Madison Preparation and Readiness for Students and Faculty Discussant: Lori Pompa, Founder and Executive Director, The Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program®, Temple Univeristy Panelist 1: Shar-Ron Buie, Associate Director of the Education Preparedness Program (EPP) Panelist 2: Julie O'Heir, M.T.S Director, Saint Louis University Prison Education Program Panelist 3: Jason Bell, MS Director of Programs CSU Project Rebound: Consortium, Executive Director of SF Project Rebound, Associated Students, San Francisco State University Collaboration and Sustainability Discussant: Dr. Darren Wheelock, Associate Director of the Education Preparedness Program, Associate Professor of Criminology and Law Studies, Marquette University Panelist 1: Christopher Agans, Executive Director, NJ-STEP, Rutgers University Panelist 2: Sean Pica, Executive Director, Hudson Link for Higher Education in Prison Panelist 3: Faiza Chappell, JD Program Associate, Vera Institute of Justice