Conference Speakers
Dr. Lynn McBrien
Assistant Professor,
Psychological and Social Foundations College of Education,
University of South Florida
Dr. Lynn McBrien is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychological and Social Foundations in the College of Education at the University of South Florida. She received her doctorate in Educational Studies from Emory University in May, 2005, where she was the 2004 recipient of the university’s Humanitarian Award, given to students who demonstrate exemplary service in social justice. Dr. McBrien’s service and much of her research focuses on resettled refugee students and their families in the United States. She has explored the connection between discrimination and academic motivation in adolescent refugee girls. Currently she is working on research examining the role of multi-faceted programs for supporting refugee students and families. She is also beginning research that examines ways in which a human rights curriculum and environment support African American and Caribbean immigrant students at the School for Human Rights in Brooklyn.
A secondary area in which Dr. McBrien conducts research is that of media literacy. She is the former Senior Education Editor of CNN’s education website, and she was the Project Manager and Senior Editor of a high-school curriculum entitled Media Matters: Critical Thinking in the Information Age. Her particular interest in media education focuses on ways in which media can enhance or deter social justice. Prior to leaving CNN to enter graduate school at Emory, Dr. McBrien participated both as a journalist and as a delegate to the 2001 UN World Conference Against Racism held in Durban, South Africa. She has presented her research at a 2003 UNESCO Conference in Finland and at the 12th World Congress of Comparative Education Societies in Havana, Cuba, as well as numerous venues in the United States and Canada.
Selected publications:
McBrien, J. L. (2006). Serving the needs of at-risk refugee youth: A program evaluation. Journal of School Public Relations, 27, 326-341.
McBrien, J. L. (2005). Educational needs and barriers for refugee students in the United States: A review of the literature. Review of Educational Research, 75, 329-364.
McBrien, J. L. (2005). Uninformed in the Information Age: Why media necessitates critical thinking education. In G. Schwarz & P. U. Brown (Ed.), Media literacy: Transforming curriculum and teaching (pp. 18-34). Malden, MA. Blackwell Publishing.
McBrien, J. L. (2004). Teacher research explores the refugee and immigrant experience [Review of the book American dream, global visions Dialogic teacher research with refugee and immigrant families]. Journal of Teacher Education, 55, pp. 372-375.
McBrien, J. L. (2003). Media for human rights education: Post WCAR reflections. In Allen, L.A., Breault, D.A., Cartner, D., Chargois, C., Gazatambide-Fernandez, R., Hayes, M., Krasny, K., & Setser, B. (Eds.), Curriculum and pedagogy for peace and sustainability (pp. 75-86). Troy, NY: Educators' International Press.