Brittany Brathwaite, M.S.W., M.Ph. candidate, and adjunct assistant professor, received the second annual Laura Rauscher Memorial Teaching Award.
Established in 2023 in honor of the late Laura Rauscher, the award is given annually to a faculty member who shows dedication to universal access and social justice in the classroom along with collaboration and collegiality.
Lisa Page, accommodations coordinator for the Smith College Accessibility Resource Center (formerly known as the Office of Disability Services), extended deep appreciation for Brathwaite’s commitment to “creating a safe, inclusive and accessible learning environment that celebrates students of all bodies and minds.”
Page said that according to Brathwaite’s students, universal design and accessibility is inherent in her pedagogy and classroom space, which is foundational to social justice.
“I had the honor and the privilege of working with Laura Rauscher for over ten years, and [Brathwaite is] truly continuing [Laura’s] crucial work with [her] dedication to these tenets, and for that we are so grateful,” said Page.
Brathwaite has made a deep impact on students and the wider SSW community with her warmth and energy. Students shared that Brathwaite embodies these values not only in her teaching but in all of her actions.
Said one student, “Professor B’s teaching exemplifies the values of accessibility, intersectionality, social justice and a commitment to collaboration and collegiality on a day-to-day level. I can think of no other professor I have that so perfectly fits this description so authentically.”
The Laura Rauscher Memorial Teaching Award. Established in 2023 in honor of the late Laura Rauscher, the award is given annually to a faculty member who shows dedication to universal access and social justice in the classroom along with collaboration and collegiality.
Another student wrote, “I appreciated and deeply respect Professor B’s intentional and purposeful pedagogical choices—engaging different learning modalities, inclusive language and learning materials, small group and whole group discussions, and queries to hone critical thinking skills. Lastly, watching Professor B interact with her colleagues is inspiring, as she models collaboration and authenticity.”
Laura Rauscher was the director of the Accessibility Resource Center at Smith for over twenty years, a longtime SSW adjunct and friend of the School. A disabilities rights activist involved in developing the policy framework that became the Americans with Disabilities Act, Rauscher brought a sense of hope, and unwavering commitment to universal access grounded in an understanding of the intersectionality of systems of oppression.
Brathwaite’s influence at SSW goes well beyond the classroom. In a congratulatory video for her, Professor JaLisa Willams said, “I really thank you for sharing your gifts, your love and your care. I get to brag a little bit because you are a part of the [SSW] policy team. I’m just so grateful to have you working here. Your energy, your knowledge and your skills are so so so necessary for this work.”
