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Grounded in socio-ecological perspectives, this session will invite participants to examine how academic environments—such as classrooms, laboratories, and candidacy exams—shape graduate students’ scholarly identities and sense of belonging. Structural belonging emphasizes the intentional integration of students into institutional and disciplinary communities through the adoption of practices and policies that affirm graduate students’ diverse social identities and addresses systemic inequities in graduate education. Participants will engage with emerging research, reflect on their current mentoring practices, and explore strategies to cultivate inclusive, equity-minded mentoring relationships. Through interactive activities, attendees will deconstruct traditional mentoring approaches and design new practices aimed at advancing equity, fostering belonging, and supporting the academic and professional success of graduate students.
An appetizer buffet will be served. The buffet will accommodate a variety of food allergies, intolerances, and lifestyle choices. If you have a special dietary need, please feel free to contact Brian Nunez (bnunez@wisc.edu.)
Speaker Bio
Steve Desir (he/him/his) is an Assistant Professor of Research at the Pullias Center for Higher Education and the USC Race and Equity Center. He currently serves as the Director of Professional Development and Organizational Learning for the Equity in Graduate Education Resource Center at the University of Southern California (USC). Dr. Desir's research focuses on racial equity issues in both higher education and K-12 educational settings, with particular interest in how insights from social psychology and organizational theory can enhance educational experiences for minoritized groups.
Before joining the faculty, Dr. Desir held several leadership positions in student affairs at institutions such as New York University, Rutgers University, the University of Vermont, Georgia State University, St. John’s University, and Loyola Marymount University. In these roles, he was responsible for overseeing graduate student life, student success programming, emergency management, crisis response, student conduct, and wellness initiatives.
Dr. Desir has collaborated with a wide range of educational stakeholders, including state departments of education, higher education institutions, K-12 school districts, and nonprofit organizations. His commentary on issues related to higher education access and student transition has appeared in the Washington Post, USA Today, LAist (Southern California Public Radio), and The Hechinger Report.
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Brian Nunez (bnunez@wisc.edu)
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College of Engineering Faculty and Staff
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Official Course Website
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