Joe Person’s passion for IGR began when he enrolled in a dialogue on sexual orientation during his second-year in the winter of 2004. Before graduating from U-M in 2006 with a BA in English Literature, he completed the IGR training program for dialogue facilitation. Following graduation, Joe joined the IGR team full-time serving as the Program Assistant for over two years and in 2011 he earned his Master’s degree in Public Policy from U-M. He currently works as a Research Associate & Project Evaluator for the American Institutes for Research (AIR) in Chicago.
Q: How would you describe your time as the Program Assistant?
Being Program Assistant for two years was fantastic. I was able to learn even more about IGR programs and topics related to privilege and power. It was also a wonderful opportunity to have a bird’s eye view of the program, and watch over 20 different dialogues develop.
Q: What impressions or lessons did you learn from IGR?
I now have the ability to be comfortable having difficult conversations around power, privilege and identity. This has suited me both in my career and personal life. I also possess the intellectual framework and vocabulary necessary for these conversations, and I’ve internalized what it means to have a dialogue and be an active listener.
Q: Do you use those lessons in your everyday life?
Absolutely! Some of the top education priorities for AIR are equality, equity, and closing the achievement gap. It would be unrealistic for me to tackle educational disparity without first having an understanding of systems of power and privilege.
Q: What’s one of your favorite memories from your time with IGR?
There are a lot of great memories! I loved anything that Charles Behling said. Staci Daniels-Sommers and I once launched a pilot dialogue that crashed and burned. I had a religious identity discussion with Taryn Petryk, which culminated in a flash mob. And I once made IGR action figures, which Mark Chelser put on display for everybody to see!
Q: Reflect back on your time with IGR
When I think of my time at U-M, IGR is a cornerstone of that experience. What I like about the IGR perspective is that it continues to grow, and I constantly find people in my professional and personal life with whom I continue to have these conversations.