JDS Emerging Scholars Working Group Session Announcement

ESWG Session Announcement

The John Dewey Society invites emerging scholars (whether inside or outside of the academy) to attend a special session at the JDS annual meeting, held in conjunction with AERA (Friday April 28, 2017, Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, Room 5). At the session, emerging scholars will discuss their interests in the society and learn about opportunities available for them within JDS, and its affiliate organizations. For those interested, they may join the emerging scholars working group. The session will be led by ESWG member Melissa Bradford, whose biography is included at the end of announcement.

The Emerging Scholars Working was established at the John Dewey Society in Philadelphia on April 3, 2014, which was held in conjunction with the Annual Meetings of the John Dewey Society and American Education and Research Association.

Over the last 3 years, the ESWG has:

•      Recruited new student members

•      Significantly expanded the network of emerging scholars, through events, online communication, and academic opportunities.

•      Helped coordinate a panel on Dewey, Higher Education, and Anti-Colonialism at the Graduate Student Conference in Philosophy and Education.

•      Helped develop the new format for the Journal of School & Society. Many members are now on the editorial board of S&S.

•      Helped develop the new journal Dewey Studies, the only journal solely devoted to Dewey’s philosophy.

•      Jared Kemling, the ESWG Publications Officer, has continued his work helping emerging scholars find publishing opportunities and editorial experience. He is also currently an associate editor of the Dewey Society Journals S&S and Dewey Studies.

•      Initiated and organized the Dewey Through Generations panel at the annual meeting for 3 years.

•      Helped prepare and coordinate the Centennial Celebration of D&E Conference.

•      Helped create and coordinate the Editors Roundtable Session at the annual meeting in 2016.

Melissa Bradford Biography:

Melissa Riley Bradford is a founder of Tallgrass Sudbury School in Riverside, IL and an adjunct science and math instructor at Joliet Junior College. She also conducts STEM and student-centered education workshops in Beijing, China on behalf of DePaul University. Her research interests include soka (value-creating) pedagogy, Makiguchi and Ikeda Studies, dialogue, democratic education, and alternative education models. Bradford is currently working on her doctoral dissertation in curriculum studies at DePaul University, focusing on the role of dialogue in value creating education. She is a recipient of the 2015-17 Ikeda Center Education Fellowship.