EduTalks
A Celebration of Ideas in Education
EduTalks brings together educators, researchers and community leaders to share bold ideas shaping the future of education.
In just five minutes — and with a single powerful image — each presenter explores innovative approaches to today’s most pressing challenges.
Solving for X
At the UW College of Education, we’re "solving for x," taking inspiration from high school algebra to step into the complicated, often uncertain challenges in education with imagination and heart.
In math, x represents the unknown. In education, it symbolizes the complex questions we face as we strive for a more just, equitable and joyful future for all learners. Solving for these challenges takes imagination, persistence and, above all, community.
Join us for an inspiring evening of insight and connection as we explore what it means to solve for x together.
- Tuesday, March 31, 2026
- 5:00-7:00 PM PT (reception to follow)
Jones Playhouse Theatre - Google Map
This event is free and open to the public.
Register here
Meet the Speakers
Dr. Oscar L. Olvera Astivia is an associate professor of Measurement & Statistics whose research strengthens the foundations of psychometrics—examining how data are generated, how assumptions shape analysis, and what makes educational measurement truly valid.
Doug Baldwin Jr. is the Founder and CEO of Vault89 and the Founder of the Family First Community Center in Renton, WA, serving over 15,000 community members. A recipient of the Martin Luther King Jr. Medal of Distinguished Service and the youngest appointee to the Washington State Clemency and Pardons Board. He is passionate about creating positive change and building stronger communities.
Dr. Candis Lee Eckert is an Assistant Teaching Professor and Program Director of P–3 Education. Her work focuses on equitable, play-based teaching across the birth–third grade continuum, and she is leading a new P–3 undergraduate teacher certification program launching in Fall 2027.
Dr. Susan Enfield is the Executive Director of the Center for Educational Leadership at the University of Washington. She previously served as Superintendent for Highline Public Schools in Washington and Washoe County School District in Nevada, leading initiatives like the Highline Promise to support every student’s success. A former teacher and district leader, Susan has been recognized as Superintendent of the Year in 2018 and 2022.
Dr. Matthew Gardner Kelly is a historian of education and inequality whose work reveals how school funding laws have created and sustained racial, economic, and spatial inequities—and how communities have resisted them.
Dr. Meredith Honig is the director of the District Leadership Design Lab (DL2), where she partners with school district leaders to redesign central offices as engines of educational equity for historically underserved students.
Liz Huizar and Ji Ho (Geo) Yang are leaders at the Southeast Seattle Education Coalition, where Huizar serves as Executive Director and Yang as Research Fellow, advancing community-driven advocacy, policy, and educational equity for students and families of color.
Dr. James J. Mazza and Dr. Jaclyn Lally are central leaders in advancing student mental health at the University of Washington. Dr. Mazza, a professor of school psychology and co-author of the DBT STEPS curricula, has spent more than 30 years developing school-based approaches to reduce self-harm and strengthen adolescent coping and resilience. Dr. Lally, a school psychologist and UW teaching associate, partners with him to bring this DBT-based work into higher education through UW’s Wellness and Resilience for College and Beyond course, equipping students with practical, research-grounded skills for mental wellness across the lifespan.
bio coming soon
Youth Scholar
This year, the College of Education is also partnering with Toyia Taylor, Founder and Executive Director of Speak With Purpose, who is generously coaching EduTalks speakers on stage presence, voice, breathwork, and delivery. Speak With Purpose is the only public speaking program embedded in classrooms across King County, centering counter-storytelling, culturally responsive mentorship, and literacy through writing, reading, and speaking—prioritizing Title I schools and students who are LGBTQIA+, multilingual learners, immigrants, unique learners, and foster youth. A youth scholar from the program will also take the EduTalks stage.
Evening Emcee: Dean Mia Tuan
Dean Tuan will serve as the evening’s emcee, opening and closing the spoken program. Dr. Tuan has served as dean of the University of Washington College of Education since 2015. Before joining UW, she was a professor and academic leader at the University of Oregon, where she also served as interim dean. Her research focuses on racial and ethnic identity development, Asian transracial adoption, and majority–minority relations in educational contexts. She is the author of several influential books, including: "Prejudice in Politics: Group Position, Public Opinion and the Wisconsin Treaty Rights Dispute" and "Forever Foreigners or Honorary Whites? The Contemporary Asian Ethnic Experience"
Parking
Parking is available on campus in the Central Parking Garage.
Accessibility
EduTalks aims to be inclusive and accessible to all.
- Accessible parking: Contact the Transportation Services Events Office at 206.616.8710 or via email
- Accommodation requests: Contact the Disability Services Office at 206.543.6450, 206.543.6452 (TTY), or via email. Please reach out at least 10 days in advance of the event.
- Interpreting, captioning, or amplification services: Contact the Coordinator of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services at 206.543.1415, 206.543.6452 (TTY), or via email, preferably at least 10 days in advance.
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