Spirituality: How we define it, defines us

September 3, 2025 | 12:00-1:00pm | University Center 310 | UMBC Main Campus

The UMBC Department of Education Research Seminar kicks off the fall semester with a presentation by Dr. Jennifer Mata-McMahon, Professor in the UMBC Department of Education.  Professor Mata-McMahon shares her journey of exploring how spirituality is defined, drawing on its conceptualization in the literature and findings from her research with early childhood educators in Chile and the U.S. She underscores how a deeper understanding of spirituality can shape pedagogy and instructional practices in secular educational settings, particularly when guided by a holistic framework for development and learning. 

October 1| 12:00-1:00pm | UC 310 

Disability Sustaining Pedagogy: Reimagining Teaching and Teacher Education with the Expertise of Educators with Disabilities
Amy Tondreau (UMBC Department of Education)

November 5| 12:00-1:00pm |  UC 310

Gatekeepers or Gate Openers?: The Role of Human Resource Officers in Diversifying the K-12 Teaching Profession
Ramon Goings (UMBC Language, Literacy, and Culture doctoral program)

 

December 3| 12:00-1:00pm  | UC 310

The Empathic Engineer: Shaping Innovation with Heart
Jamie Gurganus (UMBC Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning)