Coursework that Goes Beyond the Classroom Walls
Three PhD students, Ellie Gallagher, Sonny Partola, and Taylor Knuth, wrote an opinion piece entitled Time to Go beyond DACA and Pass Real Immigration Reform as part of Dr. Leticia Alvarez's Immigration & Education.
Learning to Engage in Public Discourse
Dr. Leticia Alvarez incorporates lessons on engaging in public discourse in all of her classes. As part of her ECS 6823/7823: Immigration & Education course, 3 of her PhD students recently wrote an opinion piece in the Salt Lake Tribune on immigration. The opinion piece, entitled Time to Go beyond DACA and Pass Real Immigration Reform, was written by Ellie Gallagher, Sonny Partola, and Taylor Knuth. The authors stress the need for sustainable immigration legislation like the U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021 and point out that immigration reform like the 2001 DREAM Act and DACA, while temporarily helpful, keep pushing permanent reform down the road for future Congress members to manage. Constructing articulate arguments supported with evidence are critical to public discourse, and Dr. Alvarez spends time helping her students learn the science and art of writing op-eds, opinion pieces, and editorials. Even before Ellie, Sonny, and Taylor have graduated, Dr. Alvarez has taught them how to engage in public discourse. We are proud of Dr. Alvarez and her students and how they encourage our lawmakers to take bold and sustainable action on issues like immigration.
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From left to right: Ellie Gallaher, Sonny Partola, Taylor Knuth