With Labor Day marking the end of summer, the new academic year is soon to begin at the UCLA School of Education and Information Studies. With new beginnings comes hope. I realize that some of us might be struggling to find the hope as climate change is again glaringly evident as millions of acres burn around Los Angeles, California and the Pacific Northwest. We also continue to navigate the twists and turns of the coronavirus public health and economic crisis, which is rapidly moving through our communities. While we stay at home to protect ourselves and others, it feels as if each day blends into the next. Images and evidence of systemic injustice and racism persist as videos of violence against Black bodies surface again and again. These seismic events have demonstrated that whether from our homes, in our streets, or in our University, we are strongest when we come together.
As a School whose work is firmly grounded in justice, equity and inclusion, our work is more important today than ever before as we generate the best research and learning in education and information studies. We care about people and place and we work for progress. Sharing in this work, it is an honor to welcome three new faculty members to our community.
In this issue of Ampersand, you will find articles introducing Robert D. Montoya, who joins the of UCLA’s Department of Information Studies as an assistant professor and director of the California Rare Book School, and Inmaculada García-Sánchez, who joins the UCLA’s Department of Education as an associate professor in the division of Social Research Methodology. García-Sánchez will be continuing her work on how the out-of-classroom experiences of immigrant children impact their learning and development.
Earlier this summer we introduced Eddie R. Cole, who joins our faculty as associate professor in Higher Education and Organizational Change. Looking through the lens of history, Professor Cole’s work illuminates contemporary racial issues in higher education. His highly anticipated new book “The Campus Color Line: College Presidents and the Struggle for Black Freedom,” will be published at the end of September by Princeton University Press.
Please join me in welcoming our newest faculty members in our efforts to provide the highest quality educational experience for our rich community of learners. Together we will persist – because what we do is important, right and good.
With appreciation and in solidarity,
Tina