Social Justice
Social Justice in Turbulent Times
Union 207, 2:50-3:30pm (Session Period 2)
Target audience: Students, Faculty, and Staf
Presentation: This interactive conversation/presentation asks the question, "What can we do to facilitate dialogue around taking the concept of "social justice" out of the political arena and turning the focus on humans in the pursuit of dignity, peace, comfort, and well-being?" Themes will include: 1) Human migrations and the conditions that make movement necessary 2) What is your role in current activism or education that addresses human needs and behavior changes? 3) What is our capacity to make changes? 4) Recommendations and tools for change will be presented.
Presenters
Dr. Debra Bolton
Director of Intercultural Learning and Academic Success, Diversity and Multicultural Student Affairs
Dr. Debra Bolton is the director of intercultural learning and academic success for Kansas State University. Bolton plays a key role in fostering cultural advocacy, civility, intercultural learning, education and training development at the university. She collaborates with faculty and staff to promote efforts to improve success rates for students of color and other marginalized communities. Bolton’s work aims to expand campus capacity to track student progress, and to monitor and report on student success as it relates to cultural competency development.
Bolton previously served as an extension specialist for K-State Research and Extension, based in the Southwest Region, for 13 years. Her specialty was on engaging multilingual populations in localized research focused on education, health, well-being, integration and social connectedness. Her work helped health care, nonprofit and educational systems working with multiethnic populations. Bolton has been a workshop presenter and trainer who has helped education and human services professionals build relationships in refugee and other immigrant communities. Bolton’s passions lay in logic-model design, research, and geography. Bolton is a National Geographic Society explorer promoting geospatial analysis and other STEM subjects to females of color.