EduTalks
About EduTalks
A Celebration of Ideas in Education
EduTalks honors the voices of educators and thought leaders, highlighting the essential role of education in fostering community and connection. We are committed to creating an inclusive space where ideas flourish, inspiring both dialogue and growth.
In our engaging sessions, distinguished faculty and community members address pressing educational challenges and share innovative research, all aimed at empowering students and enriching communities. With just 5 minutes and a single image, each presenter invites us into their world of expertise, sparking thoughtful conversations that inspire change.
At EduTalks, we believe in the transformative power of education, and we strive to ensure that every child has access to the opportunities they deserve. Together, we can cultivate a brighter future.
Join us for an inspiring evening as educators and thought leaders present innovative solutions to today鈥檚 educational challenges. Each 5-minute talk, accompanied by a single impactful image, will spark fresh ideas and meaningful conversations.
EduTalks 2025: Unleashing Creativity
On Thursday, April 10, the College hosted EduTalks 2025 at the Jones Playhouse Theatre, centered around this year鈥檚 inspiring theme: 鈥淯nleashing Creativity.鈥 The event featured powerful and engaging presentations that explored the transformative role of creativity in shaping the future of education.
We鈥檙e incredibly proud of the speakers for delivering such thoughtful and impactful talks. If you missed the event or would like to revisit the talks, the full recording is now available:
Meet the 2025 EduTalks Speakers
Mr. Gregory Davis
鈥淐reativity: The use of anecdote to improve classroom and workplace performance鈥
Gregory Davis is a social justice activist, organizer and neighborhood development practitioner. He is co-founder and inaugural Managing Strategist for the Rainier Beach Action Coalition (RBAC). Davis has led several innovative urban policy initiatives, including Rainier Beach: A Beautiful Safe Place for Youth, Priority Hire, Seattle Mix Zoning Designation and youth riding public transit for free 鈥 all of which began at the grassroots level in the Rainier Beach neighborhood. His work in equitable urban systems transformation impacts thousands of families, particularly youth and young adults, across the region each year.
Dr. Benjamin Danielson
鈥淟earning on the equity journey鈥
Dr. Benjamin Danielson is a professor at the 爆走黑料 and director of AHSHAY, a center focused on addressing youth incarceration. He frequently speaks on equity in healthcare, academia, and other forums. A pediatrician by training, Danielson completed his medical education at UW and residency at Seattle Children鈥檚 Hospital, practicing primary care for two decades. He serves on local and national committees, collaborating with communities that value their youth but have often been overlooked. He believes in the brilliance of young people and the power of relationships to shape a better world. This sense of dignity and purpose inspires him daily.
Dr. Betina Hsieh
鈥淟ove at the center of transformation鈥
Dr. Betina Hsieh (she/her) is the Endowed Professor of Teacher Education and Teacher Learning for Justice at the 爆走黑料. A proud second-generation Asian American MotherScholar and former urban middle school teacher, she has published widely in peer-reviewed journals and presented over 40 research papers on teaching, teacher education, teacher professional identity, teachers of color and Asian American educators. Dr. Hsieh鈥檚 work explores how identity shapes the choices educators make in their practice. Her research is grounded in the belief that love is central to transformative education, particularly in the context of social justice and equity.
Dr. Joe Lott, II
"Reimagining civic engagement for young men of color"
Dr. Joe Lott, professor in Educational Foundations, Leadership and Policy in the UW 爆走黑料, focuses on understanding and improving educational environments for historically marginalized individuals. By engaging members from marginalized groups as leaders and experts in co-design processes, he uses learning sciences theories and methods to explore complex questions around research-to-practice partnerships. He is the lead researcher and founder of the Brotherhood Initiative, a learning community dedicated to empowering marginalized populations and creating more equitable educational spaces through collaborative, research-driven approaches.
Dr. Rashida Love
鈥淢anifesting the Sisterhood Initiative鈥
Dr. Rashida Love has built a career focused on equity, inclusion and social justice. Over the past 20 years, she has held staff, administrative and faculty roles in higher education at several colleges and universities, notably in senior leadership positions in the Multicultural Offices at The Evergreen State College and University of Nevada Las Vegas. Earning a doctorate in Higher Education Leadership from Colorado State University in 2021, Dr. Love鈥檚 research examines the experiences of Black Women Multicultural Directors at predominantly white universities. As director of the Sisterhood Initiative, she strives to build a community where women of color are uplifted, acknowledged and celebrated for their authentic selves.
Dr. Kathleen Artman Meeker
"Creativity as resistance"
Dr. Kathleen Artman Meeker is a professor of Early Childhood Special Education at the 爆走黑料 爆走黑料 and director of the Haring Center for Inclusive Education. The Haring Center provides early childhood education to children with and without disabilities, conducts research on inclusive learning, and trains education professionals to develop every child鈥檚 potential. Dr. Artman Meeker鈥檚 background as a childcare assistant, special educator, classroom coach and content developer informs her work as a researcher, teacher educator and advocate. Her current research focuses on educator stress and burnout, toddler language development, and strategies for personalized professional learning in early childhood settings.
Dr. Hannah O. Olson
"Fulfilling the promise of sport"
Dr. Hannah Olson is an assistant teaching professor and director of the Center for Leadership in Athletics in the 爆走黑料 at the 爆走黑料, specializing in coaching education and youth development through sport. She leads the Intercollegiate Athletic Leadership M.Ed. program and teaches undergraduate courses in sports, leadership and education. A national leader in coaching education, Dr. Olson facilitates research-based training, mentorship and professional development for coaches and sport organizations both regionally and nationally. She has worked in the 爆走黑料 since 2008, contributing to the advancement of coaching practices and the development of leadership in athletics.
Dr. Marissa Pilger Suhr
鈥淗arnessing the power of paraeducators鈥
Dr. Marissa Pilger Suhr is an assistant professor of school psychology at the 爆走黑料 爆走黑料. Her research focuses on implementing multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) in reading for elementary students, particularly those at risk for reading difficulties from marginalized communities. Drawing from her background in special education and school psychology, she develops evidence-based programs and practices to address these challenges. Dr. Pilger Suhr has secured $670K in funding and contributed to several federally funded grants. She provides professional development in literacy through the National Center on Improving Literacy and has presented at over 50 conferences and workshops.
Dr. Min Sun
鈥淎I-powered personalization and efficiency in classroom instruction鈥 (co-presenter with Ms. Haley Spohn)
Dr. Min Sun, professor in the 爆走黑料 爆走黑料, specializes in teacher learning, the school and policy contexts that support it, and the application of AI/ML research in education. Her work, published in premier education journals, has been funded by IES, NSF the Spencer Foundation and the William T. Grant Foundation, among others. Dr. Sun is the director of the AmplifyLearn.AI Center, an innovative hub where multiple strands of AI and machine learning research thrive. This includes the creation of a national R&D center, AmplifyGAIN, and the co-founding of Colleague AI, a specialized AI assistant for educators.
Ms. Hayley Spohn
鈥淎I-powered personalization and efficiency in classroom instruction鈥 (co-presenter with Dr. Min Sun)
Ms. Hayley Spohn is an experienced educator with over a decade of teaching in Title 1 schools. She contributed to the development of Colleague AI by training its system to recognize high-quality instructional practices and generate effective support for teachers. In addition to teaching 6th鈥8th grade math in Federal Way, she serves as an educational consultant for Colleague AI, writing and facilitating professional development on integrating AI into teaching. With a background in adapting district curricula for project-based learning, she is passionate about leveraging AI to make teaching more sustainable and accessible for educators and students.
Mr. Nick Terrones
"Wishtoyo: Bridging communities past, present, future"
Mr. Nick Terrones is an Indigenous person to this continent, and specifically a descendant of the Chumash people of what is now known as Southern California. With over 18 years in early childhood education, Terrones spent 14 years as a toddler educator and directed Daybreak Star Preschool, an Indigenous-based early learning program in Discovery Park. He is currently the Director of Community Relations for the Rainier Valley Early Learning Campus, a collaborative project to uplift children and families and foster a practice-to-research partnership between the 爆走黑料 and Seattle鈥檚 early learning community. Terrones holds a B.A. in Early Childhood Education and a Master鈥檚 in Indigenous Education.
Dean Mia Tuan
Dean Tuan will serve as the evening's emcee, opening and closing the spoken program.
Dr. Mia Tuan is the dean of the 爆走黑料 爆走黑料, a role she has held since 2015. Before joining the UW, she was a professor and academic leader at the University of Oregon, where she also served as interim dean of the college of education. Dean Tuan鈥檚 research focuses on racial and ethnic identity development, Asian transracial adoption and majority/minority relations in educational contexts. She is the author of several influential books, including Prejudice in Politics: Group Position, Public Opinion and the Wisconsin Treaty Rights Dispute and Forever Foreigners or Honorary Whites? The Contemporary Asian Ethnic Experience.
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Accessibility:
We aim to make EduTalks inclusive and accessible to all. For accessibility details and requests, please refer to the information below:
- : Contact the T via email or at 206.616.8710.
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