Dr. Steven Thurston Oliver, Associate Professor of Secondary and Higher Education at Salem State University, is a Sociologist of Education whose research and expertise is focused on using Contemplative Pedagogy in K-12 teacher preparation and higher education programs as a catalyst for cultivating greater capacity among educators to engage across human differences. Steven received a B.A. in International Studies from Antioch College, a M.Ed. in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from the University of Washington, and a Ph.D. in the Sociology of Education from New York University. Steven is an advocate for Environmental Justice and Sustainable Food Systems serving on the Board of Trustees of Sterling College in Craftsbury Vermont, an institution focused on the human relationship with the natural world. Steven and his husband Jonathan live in Lowell, Massachusetts with their rescue dog from Puerto Rico.