By Kashalah Robinson |Contributor
Augusta University’s College of Education will host the spring Dean’s Lecture Series on Thursday, March 15 in the Ballroom of the Jaguar Student Activity Center from 6-7 p.m.Patricia Alvarez McHatton of the University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley will lecture on “Knowing is Not Enough: How Do We Move from Awareness to Praxis?” Her talk will cover the goal of achieving equity in education.Despite legislative and advocacy efforts, many school-aged children are still struggling. Professor Alvarez McHatton will discuss how teachers can implement lessons from research in their classrooms.“We have an ethical and moral responsibility to all children,” Alvarez McHatton said. “A responsibility to right the wrongs that history has imposed by removing social barriers and providing necessary support. Without support, we’re missing out on talent, and we don’t even know what we’ve lost.”The Dean’s Lecture Series was created by College of Education Dean Zach Kelehear in 2016 to stimulate students, staff and faculty with new outlooks.“An outside person comes in, gives us a fresh perspective on the issues that matter around diversity, equity, and how we are creating just environments for learning to take place,” Kelehear said. “I hope the audience takes away a new viewpoint. If they come with an assumption, an idea or a belief, and they leave with that, it challenged or altered a bit, that would be a lovely outcome.”Alvarez McHatton fits this perspective because of her experience with varying levels of education, from middle school to college-aged.“I’m looking forward to the opportunity for our students and the faculty to hear from a scholar who has worked in the areas of social justice,” said Wayne Lord, associate dean of the College of Education. “I hope others take away from the presentation a sense of importance of social justice in our society today. That we as human beings have a responsibility to attend to the needs of all people, to ensure that they have access to quality education programs.”Professor Alvarez McHatton started her career by earning her B.A. in special education behavior disorders, learning disabilities and eventually went on to get her M.A. in special education varying exceptionalities. Then she received her Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction with an emphasis in special education and urban education. All of her degrees are from the University of South Florida.Today, she is the dean of the College of Education at Texas Rio Grande Valley. Alvarez McHatton also serves as the Interim Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs.