Chris Emdin

Dr. Christopher Emdin is the Maxine Greene Chair for Distinguished Contributions to Education and Professor of Science Education at Teachers College, Columbia University. He is also the  Director of Creativity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship At the STEAM DREAM and Ideal Lab.

He previously served as Robert Naslund Endowed Chair in Curriculum Theory at the University of Southern California, where he was Director of Youth and Community Partnerships at the USC Race and Equity Center.

Dr. Emdin is an alumni fellow at the Hip-hop Archive and Hutchins Center at Harvard University, Scholar in Residence at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and was STEAM Ambassador for the U.S. Department of State and Minorities in Energy Ambassador for the U.S. Department of Energy.

Dr. Emdin holds a Ph.D in Urban Education with a concentration in Mathematics, Science, and Technology; Masters degrees in both Natural Sciences and Education and Bachelors degrees in Physical Anthropology, Biology, and Chemistry.

He is the creator of the HipHopEd social media movement, Science Genius BATTLES and the CREATE Accelerator – an initiative that funds non-profits focused on culture and education. He has been named one of the 27 people bridging divides in the United States by Time magazine and the Root 100 lis of most influential African Americans.

He is the author of numerous award winning works; including the Strage Prize awardee, Urban Science Education for the Hip-hop Generation and the New York Times bestseller, For White Folks Who Teach In the Hood and the Rest of Ya’ll too. His latest books are STEM STEAM Make Dream and Ratchetdemic: Reimagining Academic Success.

The Crisis of Urban Education

In this presentation, Dr. Christopher Emdin lays out the current and ever-evolving sociopolitical and “in the trenches” landscape of urban education, outlines the reasons for our current national challenges, and offers research-based but often underexplored solutions. This speech explores the public/private battle in urban education, challenges of teacher training and recruitment, national policy, the newly developed common core learning standards, and new possibilities.

Teaching & Learning from the Student’s Standpoint

In an age where terms like “multiculturalism” and “cultural relevance” have been littered across the educational landscape, teachers and administrators still have a challenging time implementing instructional approaches/tools that meet the needs of a diverse student population. Education speaker Christopher Emdin explores the current educational buzz words, bridges the divides between theory and practice, and provides tangible tools for educators on improving their practice.

Hip-Hop & Education

Keynote speaker Christopher Emdin explores the concept of hip-hop education and discusses what works and what doesn’t in this growing field. He outlines research-based ways that hip-hop culture can be used in education and discusses the pitfalls of hip-hop education that are rarely discussed by scholars, researchers, and a growing “hip-hop intellectual” audience. In this speech, Dr. Emdin critiques hip-hop while discussing its immense political and social potential.

Rethinking STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics)

Dr. Christopher Emdin explores participation and engagement in STEM fields and the ways that the education culture tracks students out of success in these disciplines. He uncovers reasons for youth disinterest in school and the STEM disciplines and how we can look for new educational approaches that foster participation and engagement in STEM without sacrificing rigor and content. This speech discusses what it takes to be a scientist; how educators, parents, and the general public can hone those skills in youth; and why we have no choice but to re-focus on creating a new STEM generation.