The Humanities Research Colloquium’s first talk of the semester will feature Dr. Gabriel Velez, assistant professor of educational policy and leadership in the College of Education, on Thursday, Feb. 1, at 4 p.m. in Marquette Hall 105 and virtually via Microsoft Teams.
Velez will speak on “Thinking Through School-Based Restorative Justice and Identity: Practice, Research, and Challenges.”
Restorative justice is growing as an approach in schools to build community and to address disproportionate discipline and unhealthy school climates. Much of the research on this approach has thus focused on static outcomes related to these areas: behavioral infractions, absences, relationships and engagement. Developmental psychology, however, also offers us frameworks for thinking about how such experiences may inform deeper processes related to young people’s identity and understanding of their place in the world.
In this talk, Velez will discuss a framework for thinking about how restorative approaches in educational contexts can inform students’ understandings of themselves as agents and actors in their social worlds. He will draw on collaborations with K-12 schools, research on former school restorative justice leaders, and his efforts to build a more restorative environment on Marquette’s campus.
In addition to his assistant professor role, Velez is faculty director of the Black and Latino/a Ecosystem and Support Transition (BLEST) Hub.
To obtain the Teams meeting link, email Dr. Melissa Ganz, associate professor of English in the Klingler College of Arts and Sciences.
