TerrapinSTRONG Symposium: Belonging
TerrapinSTRONG Symposium: Belonging
The TerrapinSTRONG Symposium is an opportunity for faculty and staff to learn from each other about diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, and belonging (DEIJB) topics. The annual campus conference day provides space to bridge the work of scholars, researchers, and practitioners to create greater collaboration and to provide insights from all sides that may inform our work. Each year, the TerrapinSTRONG Symposium will select a theme and solicit presentation proposals from faculty and staff with expertise in the area.
Relevant presentations by language scientists include “Muslim Students Sense of Belonging” by Laura Mahalingappa (TLPL), “Recurring Lessons from Very Different Initiatives” by Colin Phillips (LING), “Linguistic Longing and Belonging” by Kellie Rolstad (TLPL), and “Global Perspectives on Culture, Diversity, and Belonging” by Eliza Thompson, Ed.S CCC-SLP (HESP).
Keynote speakers Dr. Jennifer Roberts and Dr. Shannon Jette will share their experiences promoting student mental health and well-being through nature, reflecting on the challenges and opportunities of NatureRx@UMD, and the creation of the new Wekesa Earth Center, which seeks to increase belonging and justice in outdoor spaces.
View the TerrapinSTRONG Symposium Schedule At-a-Glance for more information on speakers and seminars.
Belonging
The first TerrapinSTRONG Symposium theme is belonging. The University of Maryland defines belonging on campus as the understanding that faculty and staff members appreciate each other, feel welcome on campus, recognize themselves as important to the mission of the University of Maryland, and understand how their work contributes to the larger goals of higher education. We are bringing together specific UMD efforts to enhance belonging in conversation with scholarship and research related to belonging from any discipline.
