The Role of Department Chair with Dr. Darin Stewart and Dr. Chris Nelson

In this episode of Mile Higher Ed, Sarah and Caitlyn speak with Dr. Darin Stewart, Professor of Higher Education and outgoing department chair and Dr. Chris Nelson, Associate Professor of Higher Education and incoming department char. We talk about the role of a department chair, accomplishments of the DU higher ed faculty, and creating relational spaces and community as faculty and leaders in higher ed.

About our guests:

Dr. Darin Stewart is Professor and outgoing Chair of the Higher Education Department in the Morgridge College of Education at the University of Denver. His scholarship has focused most intently on the history and philosophy of diversity, equity, and inclusion in higher education, as well as the institutional systems and structures that affect the experiences, growth, development, and success of racially minoritized and queer and trans* students in settler colonial historically white postsecondary institutions.

Dr. Chris A. Nelson is from the K’awaika (Laguna Pueblo) and Diné (Navajo) tribal communities. She is an associate professor of higher education and incoming department chair at the Morgridge College of Education at the University of Denver (DU) and the Native Faculty Director for DU’s Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Her research utilizes a blending of critical theory and Indigenous relationality theory to explore the purpose and function of higher education. When she isn’t sitting in front of the computer, she is a mother to Olin, a partner to talented artist, Johnny, and a cat mom to Lucky Cat & Fletcher. Chris is an avid player and spectator of soccer since she was 4 years old.

 

Thanks for listening to this episode of Mile Higher Ed. Mile Higher Ed is produced within the Morgridge College of Education at the University of Denver by Dr. Sarah Hurtado and Caitlyn Potter Glaser.  Our theme music is “Summer” by Liborio Conti.

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