Summit 2019

2019 Social Justice and Leadership Summit Promotional Video

Past Faculty Facilitators

Dr. Nina Smith received her Ph.D. from American University in Sociology because that’s what a classically trained vocalist does. She started out life believing that she’d be singing on the great stages, but always thought sociologically about all things. As a vocal music educator for young children, she was able to bear witness to the way society designates, denigrates and deviates from its role as nurturer and support function. She hopes to do her small part to advance scholarship that is focused on the immense capacity a society has to ensure each and every being is able to demonstrate their innate abilities. Dr. Smith has two additional graduate degrees from Washington University in St. Louis (her hometown) and another from George Mason University. Her research centers around the educational experience of Black girls and the way perception can be a detriment to academic success which can lead to complex life choices. She is energized by her current role as a Visiting Professor here at UMW and looks forward to learning from the students.

Dr. Kim Gower earned her Ph.D. from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) in 2012 after spending 25 years in consulting and sales, and as a business owner. She has taught at Virginia Commonwealth University, Virginia State University, and the University of Richmond Jepson School of Leadership Studies, and is currently an Assistant Professor at the University of Mary Washington (UMW), where she teaches Leadership and Organizational Behavior and Leadership and Social Justice in the UMW MBA program, and Leadership Theory and Application, Leadership and Social Justice, and Principles of Management at the undergraduate level. She is the incoming chair of the International Management Education and Development Division (MED) of the Academy of Management, a division with over 1800 members. She enjoys engaging in service activities at the university to help promote programs for students and learning.

Dr. Christine Henry is currently an assistant professor of historic preservation at the University of Mary Washington where she teaches classes in building investigation, architectural history, and tourism. Recently, she has had an article titled “Who Moved the Blue Hole?” published in the Journal of the Society of Commercial Archaeology and co-authored a chapter in the forthcoming book “Contested Pasts: Urban Heritage in Divided Cities.” Before joining the faculty in Fredericksburg in the fall of 2015, she spent close to 25 years living in Washington, DC where she restored an 1888 row house, worked for the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and investigated historic sites whenever possible. Her favorite place to learn about the city is from her own front porch.

Dr. John P. Broome is an Associate Professor in the College of Education. He teaches undergraduate and graduate courses on the foundations of teaching and learning, social studies methods, classroom management, and educational research with a focus on diversity and equity. Dr. Broome’s research interests are on the intersection of social studies education, critical race theory, and social justice in schools. His recent publications focus on the teaching of #BlackLivesMatter in US schools, decentering whiteness and patriarchy in the social studies curriculum, and inherent white feminism in museum educational resources. He earned his B.A. in Government from The College of William & Mary, a Masters in Curriculum & Instruction from George Mason University, and a Ph.D. in Education from the Curry School of Education at the University of Virginia. Before joining UMW, Dr. Broome taught secondary social studies in public and private schools in the Virginia.

Dr. Erin Devlin joined UMW in 2016 after teaching undergraduate and graduate-level public history at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. She earned her PhD in American Studies at the College of William and Mary. Her work focuses on race, public memory, and social justice, and she offers courses in both History and American Studies, including a class called Civil Rights and American Memory that will be offered this fall. Her book Remember Little Rock was published by the University of Massachusetts Press in 2017, and examines the persistence of racial inequity in American schools. She is currently working on a historic resource study with the National Park Service focused on segregation and African American visitation in Virginia’s national parks during the 20th century.