HTA Lecture: “Heritage in Humanities: How Our Students’ Backgrounds Help Us Teach”

Zachary Dozier will present the 2026 Humanities Teacher Award lecture for Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College titled “Heritage in Humanities: How Our Students’ Backgrounds Help Us Teach.”

This presentation explores how incorporating students’ cultural and linguistic heritage can enrich language instruction. It will feature four students—two with Spanish-speaking backgrounds and two with family connections to French—as case studies for engagement strategies. While many universities discourage heritage speakers from enrolling in beginner language courses, this session argues that community colleges should embrace these learners to foster inclusivity and deepen classroom interaction.

The lecture will take place on Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College’s Perkinston campus on February 18, 2026, at 2 p.m.