Transformation in Action:
Critical Questions in Urban Education & Communities
Thank you to all who joined us on April 3-4 in Milwaukee and virtually for the 2025 Institute for Urban Education (IUE) Annual Research Symposium. We appreciate your participation in celebrating research, innovation, and collaboration in urban education.
We are especially grateful for those who presented their research in the poster gallery, roundtable sessions, or both. Please find below a sample of the dynamic, innovative research being done in our urban schools and communities.
A recording of the keynote speaker, panel presentation and the full conference agenda are available below.
Conference Resources
Keynote Speaker: Dr. Latish Reed
Reed Leadership and Consulting, LLC

Dr. Latish Reed is a senior leadership consultant with over two decades of experience. She was Milwaukee Public Schools’ first equity leader, championing efforts to create more inclusive and just learning environments. She also led professional development initiatives, including the district’s first virtual leadership institute for over 1,200 leaders. Before her district role, Dr. Reed was an assistant professor at UNC-Chapel Hill and UW-Milwaukee, focusing on the cultural and social dynamics that shape school leadership. She has also been a college admissions counselor, teacher, and administrator.
Dr. Reed holds a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership from UW-Madison, a master’s from Alverno College, and a B.A. from Marquette University. A sought-after speaker and strategist, she partners with organizations across industries to drive policy development, conduct evaluations, and provide executive coaching that leads to meaningful change. Her upcoming book, The Complexities of Equity: Navigating Shades of Gray in Schools and Organizations, helps readers navigate the challenges of leading in a diverse world. She finds joy in the arts, social media storytelling, and being Zion’s proud mom.
Panelists

Crystasany R. Turner (Moderator)
Crystasany R. Turner (she/her/ella), is an Assistant Professor of Teacher Education at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Grounded in Black feminist epistemologies, her research centers Black women educators and their cultural knowledge in caring for and educating Children of Color. Her work examines social power, institutional inequities, and systemic oppression in education. Dr. Turner’s scholarship appears in Race Ethnicity and Education, Journal of Teacher Education, and the Bloomsbury Encyclopedia of Social Justice

Morgan Mayer-Jochimsen
Morgan Mayer-Jochimsen is a PhD Candidate in the Department of Educational Policy Studies at UW-Madison. Her research critically examines racial equity reform and the im/possibilities of student wellness in schools. Morgan’s ongoing work as an out-of-school STEM educator, mindfulness facilitator, and university instructor continues to shape her approaches to pedagogy and research with young people.

María Ruiz-Martinez
María J. Ruíz-Martínez is a PhD Candidate in Equity, Bilingualism & Biliteracy at the University of Colorado Boulder. A bilingual teacher, teacher educator, and researcher for two decades, she examines how transborder communities teach and learn across home, school, and community. Her current research deploys art inquiry and Chicana feminist methodologies to explore artistic interventions in Milwaukee, tracing how transborder artists create pedagogical moments that reflect and story the often obscured, intimate encounters of neighborhood, home, and self.

Dr. Keith E. Benson
Dr. Keith Eric Benson is a Camden public school educator, qualitative researcher, and former President of the Camden Education Association. He is committed to defending urban public education and pushing back against financial interests and political operatives working to dismantle public schools in Camden neighborhoods. Dr. Benson is also a Camden resident, a husband and a father who is committed to his loved ones, friends and community.

Nia C. Taylor
Nia Taylor is a devoted sister, advocate, and policy enthusiast committed to advancing equity and joy in underrepresented communities and youth. A proud master’s student in Adult, Continuing, and Higher Education Administration at UW-Milwaukee, she envisions a liberated future where education is rooted in inclusivity and equity. As the founder of Achieve with Purpose, Nia’s work is community-driven, centering educational justice and well-being.