As a part of ongoing diversity, equity, and inclusion work, all faculty and staff will participate in a professional development series in February 2021. The three-part “Engaging in Diversity, Inclusion and Action Series,” led by Dr. Liza Talusan, seeks to both raise awareness and take real action toward culturally relevant spaces.
Talusan is a highly sought after and engaging facilitator, educator, and scholar-practitioner who creates environments that allow people to build skills for having difficult conversations.
With over 24 years of experience in PreK-20 education, she has been invited to more than 175 organizations across the country. Through her direct work with organizational leaders, staff, students, teachers, and communities, she empowers individuals to create a more inclusive organization, environment, community and team.
Each week, Talusan will facilitate learning experiences for the 60-minute session and provide reflection assignments to be completed before the next session.
The sessions include:
- Getting Ready to Do the Real Work — Focused on why diversity, and in particular, race, matters.
- Identity-Conscious Leading — Focused on our learned biases, how they show up in our work, and ways to dismantle them.
- Leadership and Change Management — Focused on leadership and agency, as well as the action, conflict, and risk that accompanies change.
Currently, Talusan serves as a faculty member at the University of Massachusetts Boston where she teaches graduate level courses focused on leadership, equity, and justice. Her scholarship has been published in peer reviewed journals, edited book collections, online platforms, and she has been featured on a number of podcasts and interviews related to education, identity, and inclusion.
Talusan’s cumulative research interests include the experiences of underrepresented populations; Asian American and Pacific Islander students; socialization to graduate programs; navigating academic parenthood; interracial relationships; recognizing and reducing unconscious bias; and the impact of federal financial aid policies.
She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and Child Development from Connecticut College; Master of Arts in Higher Education Administration from New York University; Ph.D. in Higher Education from University of Massachusetts Boston; Certificate in Human Resources, Stonehill College; and PCC Coaching Credentials. She is also certified as a Professional Coach by the Institute for Professional Education in Coaching (iPEC).