Michael J. Klein (he/him/his)

Professor of WRTC; Director of the Cohen Center for the Humanities

James Madison University

Description of Work:

I am currently examining ways in which I can incorporate healthcare issues centered on access and inclusion into my pedagogy. For the symposium, I am working on an essay that describes a communication course I taught during spring semester 2021 on the twin pandemics of COVID and racism. Rather than just focusing on the course content, I wish to expand my discussion into modeling ways in which RHM scholars can discuss timely topics (like COVID and race) into their pedagogy in a meaningful way for their students. While COVID is an important topic in and of itself, it also illustrates ways in which our healthcare system has long been inequitable. Topics such as equitable healthcare standards are an important entry-point for demonstrating the ways in which RHM can elucidate hidden and/or ignored aspects of healthcare and provide relevance for students who wish to work in healthcare and allied fields.

Contact: kleinmj@jmu.edu | http://educ.jmu.edu/~kleinmj/