SXU Welcomes New Education Faculty
Saint Xavier University (SXU) welcomes several new faculty members to the Education Division for the 2025-2026 academic year: Kate McConnell, Sawsan Jaber, Ph.D., Camille Griffin, Ph.D., and Matthew Bridges, Ph.D. New faculty join in a shared goal to cultivate a community of educators who believe in the profound impact of education.
Kate McConnell, an assistant professor whose background is rooted in special education, comes to Saint Xavier with more than 25 years of experience teaching and advocating for diverse learners and teaching current and future educators how to create inclusive, equitable learning environments.
"I was drawn to Saint Xavier University because of its deep commitment to welcoming all, service, social justice, and lifting up first-generation college students," said McConnell.
McConnell is currently teaching Characteristics of Students with Disabilities to graduate students, Application of Reading Strategies for Diverse Learners to undergraduate students, and a special education seminar for student teachers.
McConnell was called to teaching after seeing the ripple effect of the work. She believes that by supporting and mentoring educators, she is indirectly impacting countless students who will benefit from their skill, compassion, and advocacy.
"I absolutely love teaching. It is a privilege and an honor to be charged with the learning of others. I hope to inspire my students to not only be excellent educators but also ones who feel and exude a sense of joy when charged with their own classrooms. I want students to take away practical strategies but also a sense of responsibility, empowerment, and joy in the work of teaching," said McConnell.
Sawsan Jaber, Ph.D., is a global educator, author, equity strategist, curriculum designer, community activist, and keynote speaker with over 20 years of experience. She has held leadership positions in the U.S. and abroad and is the founder of Education Unfiltered Consulting, working with schools nationally and internationally. She earned her doctorate in curriculum and instruction with a focus on inclusion and belonging of marginalized students, particularly Arab American students in historically homogeneous communities.
Jaber is a National Board Certified educator and leader in curriculum development for grades 5–12, aligning learning with global citizenship and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Her work centers on equity, project-based learning, culturally sustaining pedagogy, and real-world problem-solving.
She has earned multiple honors, including Cook County Teacher of the Year (2023), ISTE 20 to Watch (2023), CEL Teacher-Leader of Excellence (2023), and IDEA Teacher of the Year (2022). Jaber co-founded the Arab American Education Network and serves on the board of Our Voice Alliance, advocating for teachers of color. She also serves as a member of the International Society for Technology in Education's Community Leader Network and on NCTE's Committee Against Racism and Bias in the Teaching of English.
Jaber's research focuses on equity and the experiences of Arab and Muslim students. She has collaborated with Google and the National Board Association and is a Fellow with Pulitzer, Liberated Ed, and Our Voice Alliance. A published author and speaker, she coauthored the best-seller "Pedagogies of Voice: Street Data and the Path to Student Agency" and has contributed to several scholarly works and publications on critical pedagogy and social justice.
Jaber, who is passionate about fostering agency and advocacy in her students, helping them grow as global citizens committed to equity and liberation, was drawn to Saint Xavier's mission.
"I consider myself a social justice activist and advocate, and SXU's mission of inclusion, Mercy, and acceptance are my core values. I felt the community intrinsically and wanted to be a part of the great work of shaping a culture and future through the Education Division, especially in our current times," said Jaber.
This semester, Jaber is teaching a variety of teacher practitioner courses. She considers teaching her life's calling, and education and curriculum design are what she is most passionate about.
"I hope to inspire my SXU students to find the art, beauty, and power in a field that can restore humanity and heal so much," said Jaber.
Camille Griffin, Ph.D., is an assistant professor whose research focuses on beliefs and teaching practices related to neurodiverse students of color in mathematics classrooms. Griffin investigates the socialization practices that shape student learning experiences, aiming to gain insights from students and educators about the concepts of "mathematics identity" and bridge gaps between educational research and practical applications in inclusive classroom environments.
Griffin has a bachelor's degree in special education with a learning behavior specialist 1 (LBS1) endorsement and a master's degree in curriculum and instruction with a specialization in language, literacy, and bilingual education.
Griffin was drawn to Saint Xavier because of her shared core values of compassion, service, diversity, and lifelong learning, which align with her professional commitments. During her visit to campus, she immediately felt that the SXU community was welcoming, progressive, and encouraged students to think critically, all important qualities for disability advocacy. As a disability advocate, her objective is to prepare future and current teachers to support neurodiverse learners in schools and amplify the voices of marginalized individuals.
Griffin was drawn to teaching and preparing future teachers because she loves to play, learn, and think outside the box. As a teacher educator, she aspires to teach students in higher education to think critically about complex issues, communicate effectively, and foster mutual respect. Her greatest wish is for her students to learn strategies that eliminate unnecessary barriers to educational success, which she aims to achieve by using student-centered instructional approaches, the principles of Universal Design for Learning, and the pedagogy of Learning by Design.
This semester, Griffin is teaching EDU 323: Survey of Students with Exceptionalities and EDU 304: Foundations and Methods of Teaching Math.
"I am most looking forward to co-creating learning communities where students feel valued and empowered to engage fully in their education. I also hope to work collaboratively with my colleagues across disciplines and in the surrounding community to demonstrate meaningful mission-driven partnerships. I am looking forward to plugging in, harnessing some radical joy, and making an impact!" said Griffin.
Matthew Bridges, Ph.D., has a background in history and religion. After graduating from Duke University, he began teaching high school history and literature. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he pivoted to do community organizing around affordable housing before moving to the University of Illinois to complete a doctorate in education.
While pursuing the teaching opportunity at SXU, he appreciated his interactions with education students and was thoroughly impressed with their earnestness, thoughtfulness, and activism.
"My sense of this generation of new teachers is that they genuinely want an education that reflects the best ideals of equity, democracy, and humanity. I am interested in being in the classroom with folks passionate about changing education and classrooms in spaces for inquiry, justice, and even liberation," said Bridges.
Bridges is teaching EDU 200: Introduction to the Profession of Teaching, a course designed to introduce the history, ideas, and practices of education. As emerging educators have the opportunity to specialize in content or age groups, this foundational frame provides a basis for understanding what is possible in education. He also teaches an elementary social studies methods course that introduces teachers seeking licenses with a survey of best practices and curriculum for teaching social studies to young children.
Bridges hopes that his classes become spaces of deep and insightful dialogue with individuals who share the same calling to invest in schools and students and reflect the exciting and important work of education.
The University looks forward to collaborating with these esteemed educators over the next academic year and watching them help students thrive.