The Division of Government and Community Affairs and Office of the Provost Student Success present a lunchtime speaker’s event - PASSION MEETS PURPOSE: ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE FOR WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY DIVERSE LEARNERS.  Dr. Luis Ponjuán is a tenured faculty member, researcher, and public policy scholar in the Department of Educational Administration and Human Resource Development in the College of Education and Human Development at Texas A&M University. He has developed a research agenda focused on Collegiate men of color, Latino/a students, students from low-income backgrounds and urban areas, historically underrepresented students in community colleges, STEM NSF-REU research experiences, and the professional development of faculty members of color.

Dr. Ponjuán’s keynote address will aim to facilitate and inspire Wayne State University and the local community to address the educational experiences of diverse student learners. Towards this goal, this keynote address will leverage an asset-based theoretical lens, empirically supported educational research and policy, and organizational change concepts to advance a new paradigm focused on improving how Wayne State University can leverage their “Warrior Pride.” The primary aim is to focus how the institution becomes more adept in becoming a “ready to serve campus” for the new generation of diverse student learners who vary by age, veteran status, race, ethnicity, religion, political affiliations, gender and sexual orientation identities, low-income status, food and home insecurities, neurodivergence, and many more traits.