The Daniel L. Goodwin College of Education (GCOE) is proud to host the annual Jean Burke Carlson and Diane Berger Ehrlich Memorial Lectureship series. Each year, the Carlson and Ehrlich Lecture invites distinguished speakers from various fields of education and related disciplines to share their knowledge, insights, and experiences with the Northeastern community and the broader Chicago educational landscape. These lectures provide a platform for intellectual exchange, stimulating conversation, and the exploration of new ideas and approaches in the field of education.
This year’s lecture will be held on Nov. 12 from 6:00-7:30 p.m., in the Auditorium of Northeastern Illinois University, at 5500 North St. Louis Avenue. The event is free and open to the public.
Dr. Mirelsie Velázquez is the featured speaker for 2024. Dr. Velázquez is an associate professor of Latina/o Studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Her research focuses on the history of education, women's history, and Puerto Rican studies. Her book, "Puerto Rican Chicago: Schooling the City, 1940-1977," won the Critic's Choice Book Award from the American Educational Studies Association in 2023.
The first 25 registrants for the lecture will receive a free copy of Dr. Velázquez’s book. To attend the lecture and secure a copy of the book, please register now to attend.
Complimentary parking is available on levels 4 and 5 of the Main Campus Parking Facility.
By holding the Carlson and Ehrlich Lecture annually, GCOE aims to inspire students, faculty and alumni to engage with the latest research, trends, and best practices in education, while also strengthening connections with the broader community. Through these lectures, GCOE ensures that NEIU remains at the forefront of educational innovation, benefiting not only the university but also the diverse and ever-changing educational needs of the Chicago area.
The next Carlson and Ehrlich Lecture will be held in Fall 2025. Please return to this website in the future for details about this event.
Past Lectures
Dr. Gholdy Muhammad (2023)
Dr. Muhammad is an Associate Professor of Literacy, Language, and Culture at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Dr. Muhammad’s scholarship has appeared in leading academic journals and books. She has also received numerous national awards and is the author of the best-selling book, "Cultivating Genius: An Equity Model for Culturally and Historically Responsive Literacy."
Dr. Moogega Cooper (2022)
On Feb. 18, 2021, Dr. Cooper helped make history when the Mars Perseverance Rover successfully landed on the Red Planet. Part of the famed Jet Propulsion Laboratory team, Dr. Cooper inspires others with her love of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics), her personal journey and the obstacles she overcame, and her fascinating tales of what it’s like to be a real-life guardian of the galaxy. She also shares how important it is for people from diverse backgrounds to become the next generation of leaders in the fields of science and technology.
Dr. Manny Scott (2020)
Dr. Scott is an original Freedom Writer, whose story is told in part in the hit movie, "Freedom Writers." Through the Power of One, How to REACH Youth Today, Becoming Interculturally Competent, and his unique Turn the Page schoolwide assemblies, Dr. Scott has helped thousands of schools and organizations raise student achievement, develop intercultural competence, and increase teacher efficacy in 49 states and on six continents.
Dr. Daniel Ryan Davis (2019)
Dr. Davis’ primary research interests are 20th Century African American history, African American education, Hip Hop/urban culture, and the enslavement era. His most recent scholarly publications are titled “Let’s Get Free: A Call for Hip Hop Activism in the Trump Era” and “Sustained Inequality: African American Education in a ‘Post-racial’ Nation.'”
Dr. Ernest Morrell (2018)
Dr. Morrell is the Coyle Professor in Literacy Education and inaugural director of the Center for Literacy Education in the University of Notre Dame’s Institute for Educational Initiatives. He is the author of several books, including “Critical Media Pedagogy: Teaching for Achievement in City Schools."
Dr. Michael W. Apple (2017)
Dr. Apple is the John Bascom Professor of Curriculum and Instruction and Educational Policy Studies at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. He has been selected as one of the 50 most important educational scholars in the 20th century.
Dr. Kevin Kumashiro (2015)
Dr. Kumashiro is the dean of the School of Education at the University of San Francisco. He is an award-winning author and editor of 10 books on education and social justice. Dr. Kumashiro discussed the topic of school reform and spoke with students after the lecture.
Dr. Angela Valenzuela (2014)
Dr. Valenzuela is professor of Educational Policy and Planning at the University of Texas at Austin. Her discussion focused on educational equity and the policy imperative. Dr. Valenzuela's research and teaching interests are in the sociology of education, minority youth in schools, educational policy, and urban education reform.
Mr. Oliver Stone and Dr. Peter Kuznick (2013)
Oliver Stone is a distinguished screenwriter, producer and director who has won four Academy Awards and three Golden Globe Awards for his extensive film work. Among his most well-known works are "Natural Born Killers", "Born on the Fourth of July", "JFK", "Wall Street", and "Platoon". He has also directed documentaries including "Comandante", "Persona Non Grata" and "Looking for Fidel".
Dr. Peter Kuznick is a professor of history at American University (AU) in Washington, D.C., where he teaches courses on 20th century American history. He also directs the award-winning Nuclear Studies Institute at AU. As a noted historian, he writes and lectures frequently about politics and science, Cold War culture and nuclear history.
Dr. Freeman Hrabowski, III (2012)
Since 1992, Dr. Freeman A. Hrabowski, III has served as the president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. In 2009, Time magazine named him One of America's 10 Best College Presidents, and in 2010 he won the TIAA-CREF Theodore M. Hesburgh Award for Leadership Excellence and the Carnegie Corporation of New York's Academic Leadership Award. Dr. Hrabowski's research focuses on science and math education, with special emphasis on minority participation and performance.
About the lectureship
In 2010, the Jean B. Carlson Memorial Lectureship was established by family and friends in what is now the Daniel L. Goodwin College of Education at Northeastern Illinois University. The fund was the first of its kind for Northeastern and continues to provide an annual lecture for the benefit of the Goodwin College and broader University Community on the subject of leadership development, adult learning and latest trends and innovative approaches in higher education.
Dr. Jean Burke Carlson (1922-2010) taught at Northeastern Illinois University in the Educational Foundations department for 18 years, serving as Chair of the Department from 1977 to her retirement in 1989. In 1991, she served as Acting Dean of the College of Education while conducting the search for the next Deanship.
Dr. Diane Berger Ehrlich (1943-2019) was a faculty member of NEIU in the Department of Educational Leadership and Development, formerly Educational Foundations, and eventually served as Department Chair. After 25 years of service, she retired in 2012 as Professor Emerita.
Drs. Carlson and Ehrlich served the College of Education and were not only colleagues but dear friends. When Diane passed away in March 2019, family and friends reached out to the University to discuss adding her name to the Carlson Memorial Lectureship. Given the professional contributions to the College of Education as well as the enduring friendship of these two women, it was agreed that this would be a fitting tribute for the two colleagues to be recognized and celebrated together. In April 2019, the Memorial Lectureship was renamed The Jean Burke Carlson and Diane Berger Ehrlich Memorial Lectureship.
