In this episode Durell speaks with 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 be introspective and engage across human differences. Steven received a Ph.D. in Sociology of Education from New York University, and M.Ed. in Educational Leadership and Policy from the University of Washington and a B.A. in International Studies from Antioch College. An advocate for Environmental Justice and Sustainable Food Systems, Steven serves on the Board of Trustees of Sterling College, an institution focused on the human relationship with the natural world. Steven is a member of the Brooklyn Zen Center and lay practitioner in the Soto Zen tradition. Steven and his husband Jonathan live in Lowell, Massachusetts with their rescue dog Batu from Puerto Rico.