Jacqueline N Font-Guzmán

I am passionate about collaborating with communities committed to reimagining higher education to benefit students, staff, and faculty. My focus lies in developing processes and creating spaces that unleash individuals’ potential, enhance academic excellence, identify new revenue streams, advance equity, create the conditions for belonging to flourish, and cultivate meaningful relationships. I find immense joy in building community and highlighting the remarkable achievements of colleagues and students.

As a leader, I am known for my strategic thinking, collaborative spirit, advocacy, and dynamic community-organizing approach to making things happen. I have a keen sense of curiosity and I embrace wandering unknown paths. I remain receptive to feedback and dedicated to continual learning. I bring humility to every space, appreciating diverse perspectives, yet stand firm with decisiveness when impactful decisions need to be made. I don’t shy away from naming what I see.

Fueled by a profound passion for service and the transformative power of authentic relationships, my connections span across borders. With a core belief that change initiates through conversation, I've led dialogue processes, conducted training sessions, and delivered valuable services on a global scale.

I am a Fulbright Scholar (Carlos III University Law School, Madrid, Spain, spring 2012). My research focuses on health care, law, and conflict engagement. I explore how marginalized individuals create alternate stories and counter-narratives to confront institutional injustices. I have been recognized nationally and internationally for my academic work.

TEACHING PHILOSOPHY:

I subscribe to the theory of critical and reflective pedagogy. The education process can be a way of enforcing the dominant discourse in society, and yet I see my role as an educator to create a safe space where this discourse can be deconstructed in a positive manner so that other ways of thinking can emerge. Therefore, my role is to gently nudge students out of their comfort zone, just enough, so that they can have a significant learning experience outside of what they are used to experiencing. This creative process takes place in community, establishing a dialogue with students that connect the relevance of course content with their lives, and following the tenets of: reflection, action, evaluation, context, and experience.

My courses are interdisciplinary. By this I mean that I usually draw from various disciplines (i.e., anthropology, sociology, psychology, law, humanities, literature, and conflict studies). Students also have an opportunity to connect theory to practice by engaging in simulations, analyzing case studies, participating in improvisation exercises, and using technology throughout their learning process.

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Jacqueline N. Font Guzmán es la Vice Presidente de Diversidad, Equidad, e Inclusión & Catedrática en Eastern Mennonite University.

Me apasiona colaborar con comunidades comprometidas a re-imaginar la educación para beneficiar a estudiantes, personal y profesorado. Mi enfoque radica en desarrollar procesos y crear espacios que liberen el potencial individual, mejoren la excelencia académica, identifiquen nuevas fuentes de ingresos, promuevan la equidad, creen las condiciones para que el sentido de pertenencia florezca y cultiven relaciones significativas. Encuentro inmensa alegría en construir comunidad y destacar los logros notables de colegas y estudiantes.

Como líder, soy conocida por mi pensamiento estratégico, espíritu colaborativo, defensa y enfoque dinámico de organización comunitaria para hacer que las cosas sucedan. Tengo un agudo sentido de la curiosidad y disfruto recorrer caminos desconocidos. Traigo humildad a cada espacio, apreciando perspectivas diversas, pero manteniéndome firme cuando se necesitan tomar decisiones impactantes. No me alejo de nombrar lo que veo.

Inspirada por una profunda pasión por el servicio y el poder transformador de relaciones auténticas, mis conexiones se extienden más allá de las fronteras. Con la creencia de que el cambio se inicia a través de la conversación, he liderado procesos de diálogo, realizado sesiones de entrenamiento y facilitado valiosos servicios a escala global.

En la primavera del 2012 tuve el privilegio de recibir una beca Fulbright para enseñar en la Facultad de Derecho de la Universidad Carlos III en Madrid, España. Mi investigación se centra en las áreas de salud, el derecho y la conflictología. Exploro cómo las personas marginadas crean historias alternativas y contra-narrativas para enfrentar las injusticias institucionales. He sido reconocida a nivel nacional e internacional por mi trabajo académico.