John and Betty Michael Autobiographical Distinguished Lecturer for 2021-22

Dr. Wanda B. Knight

Monday, October 4, 2021
7:00 pm, Online Lecture Presentation
Register here https://tinyurl.com/artedjbm

Wanda B. Knight, Ph.D., Assistant Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and Associate Professor of Art Education, African American Studies, and Women’s, Gender & Sexuality Studies at Penn State University (Harrisburg), is President-elect of the National Art Education Association (NAEA). Dr. Knight chaired the high-impact NAEA Taskforce on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion that brought forth sixteen recommendations that currently serve as a strategic priority for advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion throughout the NAEA community, including the recommendation to create the NAEA Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Commission on which she now serves as a Commissioner-at Large. Besides university-level teaching, Dr. Knight has served as a Pre-K-12 art teacher, an art museum educator, and a principal of elementary and secondary public schools. Having broken a glass ceiling by being the first woman of color elected to serve as NAEA president, her motivation to serve stems from her advocacy and long-term commitment to achieving equitable systems where everyone thrives. Dr. Knight’s work concerning antiracism and intercultural preservice teacher preparation, culturally competent teaching, equity, diversity, inclusion, and social justice is published broadly. Her presentations span national and international locations. Her current projects are equity-minded and diversity-focused, including a forthcoming co-edited book, Lobby Activism (in press, 2021), and two upcoming single-authored books, Diversity, Pedagogy, and Visual Culture (first edition), and Breaking Barriers: Teacher Preparation for Culturally Competent Teaching and Classroom Management (under contract, 2021). Additionally, she is working on a co-authored book under contract for 2022, titled Principles for Teaching and Assessing Social Justice Art Education: Cultivating a Social Justice Curriculum for K-12 Schools. Dr. Knight’s honors include the NAEA Distinguished Fellows Award, the Pennsylvania Art Education Association Outstanding Higher Education Art Educator Award, the National Art Education Association J. Eugene Grigsby Jr. Award for outstanding contributions to art education, and the Kenneth Marantz Distinguished Alumni Award from The Ohio State University where she earned her Ph.D.