Strong Showing at ASHE Conference
The 50th conference took place with Dean Eboni M. Zamani Gallaher serving as president
More than 30 faculty, students, and staff from the University of Pittsburgh School of Education participated in or led nearly 40 sessions at the Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE) annual conference in Denver from November 12-15, capping off Renée and Richard Goldman Dean Eboni M. Zamani-Gallaher’s tenure as president of the association with a powerful call to action for the higher education research community.
Challenging Scholars to Be ‘Architects’ of Justice
Zamani-Gallaher delivered her presidential address, “Not Just the Arc, But the Architects: Justice, Scholarship, and the Power to Reimagine Higher Education,” on November 14 to a capacity crowd of more than 500 people.
Drawing on the conference theme, which referenced Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous assertion that the arc of the moral universe bends toward justice, she challenged attendees to recognize their active role in shaping that arc.
“Arcs don’t bend themselves,” she told the audience. “We need to make sure we’re bending the arc because when I look at an arc, think about how it is pulled, how it is stretched, how it can be shaped…it’s only done so by those who refuse to let it snap.”
The address wove together numerous themes as Zamani-Gallaher touched on the power of scholarly creative expression.
She traced her family’s journey through generations affected by slavery and sharecropping in Mississippi, to her own position as a scholar and dean.
“I am the legacy of my ancestors whose dreams I walk in,” Zamani-Gallaher said, “and I am my parents’ daughter, appreciative of the bridges they built that they never got to cross so that I could stand here today.”
Confronting Anti-Intellectualism in Higher Education
A significant portion of Zamani-Gallaher’s address focused on what she calls a resurgence of anti-intellectualism threatening higher education.
She drew parallels between historical anti-literacy laws that prevented enslaved African Americans from learning to read and write to current attacks on academic freedom and diversity initiatives.
“Anti-intellectualism framed education as a political battleground, where reason and critical reflection are cast as rebellious acts,” she said.
Using current popular culture touchstones as metaphor, Zamani-Gallaher referenced shows like “Stranger Things” and “The Handmaid’s Tale” to illustrate how current policies create a distorted reality where truth is suppressed and critical voices are marginalized.
Critical Hope and Radical Optimism
In the face of so many challenges—Zamani-Gallaher joked she would be on the dean’s list in the “School of Being Tried and Tested”—she called on scholars to embrace what she termed “critical hope.” The concept is grounded in action and strategy and “radical optimism.”
“Critical hope doesn’t deny pain,” she explained. “Critical hope works through that pain… It’s armed with facts, and it does not shrink from the truth.”
Zamani-Gallaher emphasized the intergenerational nature of the work, noting that while elders of the Civil Rights movement fought at lunch counters and in marches, today’s challenges take place in classrooms and policy meetings, and future generations will continue the struggle, likely in emerging digital spaces.
“Each time progress is made, please note that forces of fear are reverting,” she said. “But where do we go from here? We can advocate for policies that protect academic freedom. We commit to mentoring our students and junior faculty. We can create spaces for dialogue amid polarized divides.”
Robust Pitt Presence
In addition to Zamani-Gallaher’s leadership as ASHE president, the Pitt School of Education was well-represented at ASHE.
The more than 40 sessions led by faculty and students in attendance reflected the breadth of research and scholarship emerging under her leadership.
Participants presented on topics ranging from high-impact practices at Hispanic-Serving Institutions to international graduate and postdoctoral experiences, demonstrating the school’s commitment to advancing justice in higher education.
The school also hosted an evening reception featuring a DJ that drew scholars from around the world.
For Baili Park, a second-year PhD in Higher Education student, the conference marked an important milestone as her first ASHE experience.
“Presenting my research at ASHE was an incredibly affirming experience, made even more special by recognizing my advisor, co-PI, and friends in the audience as I shared my work on international postdocs with an informational justice lens,” she said. “The conference provided access to connect with and learn from leading scholars in the field, turning what felt like fangirling moments into genuine professional connections.”
Sylk Sotto, associate vice chancellor for faculty development in health sciences, called this year’s conference environment “exceptional.”
“President Eboni and all involved cultivated an energizing and truly meaningful space for me and so many,” Sotto said. “It simply reminded me why ASHE as one of my professional communities is so important. I left feeling inspired, reconnected, and excited.”
Assistant Professor Brett Nachman said the ASHE conference experience, his tenth so far, “never disappoints in elevating my enthusiasm and pride in belonging to this scholarly community.”
He added that the conference “always represents a wonderful opportunity to connect with researchers and practitioners in our field and present new research with my colleagues while concurrently learning about novel ideas, methods, and approaches for engaging in meaningful inquiry.”
Nachman also reflected on the “highlight” of attending Zamani-Gallaher’s presidential speech, saying she delivered “a compelling and meaningful” presidential address.
“She blended creativity, humor, heart, humanity, music, and deft writing to unpack the ‘bend in the arc’ theme of the conference that calls us to build a more just society. Her moving address raised the roof and further elevates our commitment to doing the good work,” Nachman said.
A Call to Be Architects of Change
Dean Zamani-Gallaher concluded her address, and her tenure as ASHE president, by returning to the core metaphor woven through her remarks.
“Our lives are like the stories we study, because they follow arcs, too,” she said. “Through each of us, the arc keeps bending.”
