Reigniting Education and Inclusion

Reigniting Education and Inclusion Cynthia Dillard, PhD

Distinguished Educator and Scholar & Dean, College of Education

Cynthia Dillard, PhD, and her new book, The Spirit of Our Work: Black Women Teachers (Re)Member.

Dr. Cynthia Dillard, Dean of the College of Education, is reigniting education at Seattle University with her unique perspective that the transformative power of education lies in embracing mind, body and spirit. Her leadership, research and service experiences across the globe offer not only deep expertise but also a strong model of community building and engagement. Dr. Dillard is a distinguished scholar-educator whose innovative ideas and captivating style embody the best of our Jesuit values and hold great promise in addressing today's most pressing educational challenges for greater equity and justice. An award-winning author, Dr. Dillard has published numerous scholarly works including four books and various articles, book chapters and other writings. In her latest book, The Spirit of Our Work: Black Women Teachers (Re)Member, Dr. Dillard brings forward the spirituality of Black women educators and their students. Dean Dillard shares, “This book encourages educational institutions to (re) member the length and breadth of Black heritage in recruiting and retaining Black women faculty, staff and students. These acts of (re)membering cannot be accidental—they must be intentional, created specifically with Black women at the center, taking into account our intersectional identities and ways of being. The Spirit of Our Work argues that institutions must honor Black women teachers’ work and the ways that our spirituality—our politics, spiritual consciousness and creativity—animates our work and can serve as a critical framework for practices and policies that are more equitable, inclusive and just.”

The Office of Diversity and Inclusion is excited to engage Dr. Dillard’s expertise and this important text in the institutional pursuit of recruiting and retaining BIPOC faculty, staff and students. We believe that the pathways described in the The Spirit of Our Work can inform our practice of cura personalis as individuals and practitioners of inclusive excellence work.

This book encourages educational institutions to (re)member the length and breadth of Black heritage in recruiting and retaining Black women faculty, staff and students. These acts of (re)membering cannot be accidental—they must be intentional.

Cynthia Dillard, PhD Dean, College of Education