Written by: Challis Wells
Media contact: Alicia Rohan
Vanessa Vega, director of Clinical Experiences in the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Education, has shown a commitment to improving social consciousness among pre-service teachers. Her work has led to recognition from the National Association for Multicultural Education as a 2018 Emerging Scholar.
“Although early in the process, Ms. Vega is developing critical, timely and inspiring work centering pre-service teacher experiences in the Deep South,” said Courtney C. Bentley, Ph.D., the former associate dean of the UAB School of Education who nominated Vega. “Her commitment to the research is exceptional, but she also looks at how the research is applied within her current work as the director for Clinical Experience.”
The NAME International Conference will be held Nov. 27-30 in Memphis, Tennessee, where Vega, currently an Education Studies in Diverse Populations doctoral student, will present her research proposal to a group of senior scholars during the NAME Founders’ Forum. The forum serves to facilitate the scholarship development of emerging scholars who are committed to the principles and goals of multicultural education.
Vega’s research examines the experiences of African-Americans in teacher education programs and how their perception of Latinx youth is influenced. Her goal is to identify the types of social justice preparation that should be implemented to increase racial literacy among new teachers.