2022 Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Leadership Summit
Thursday, April 7, 2022
8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
University of Rochester
River Campus
Hybrid: Virtual and in-person
The equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) leadership summit is a gathering of EDI leaders and practitioners to collaborate, learn, and engage around strategies, implementation, and application of bringing together diverse voices committed to transformative environments.
The inaugural leadership summit, Lift Off: Lead. Connect. Transform., aims to inspire and encourage EDI leaders and practitioners. Lift Off will motivate its attendees to understand the nuances of leading EDI in their respective spaces; forming new connections and reconnecting with professional networks, and equipping attendees with the skills to transform systems and practices from a model of diversity or equity and inclusion as an isolated initiative to equity and inclusion as a catalyst for institutional and organizational excellence.
EDI Leadership Summit Program 2022
Summit Keynote Speaker: Dr. Gloria Ladson-Billings
Gloria Ladson-Billings is Professor Emerita and former Kellner Family Distinguished Professor in Urban Education in the Department of Curriculum & Instruction and was Faculty Affiliate in the Departments of Educational Policy Studies, Educational Leadership & Policy Analysis, and Afro American Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is the current President of the National Academy of Education. Ladson-Billings’ research examines the pedagogical practices of teachers who are successful with African American students. She also investigates Critical Race Theory applications to education.
Ladson-Billings is the author of the critically acclaimed books, The Dreamkeepers: Successful Teachers of African American Children, Crossing over to Canaan: The Journey of New Teachers in Diverse Classrooms, and Beyond the Big House: African American Educators on Teacher Education. She is editor of 6 other books and author of more than 100 journal articles and book chapters. She is the former editor of the American Educational Research Journal and a member of several editorial boards. Her work has won numerous scholarly awards, including the H. I. Romnes Faculty Fellowship, Spencer Post-doctoral Fellowship, and the Palmer O. Johnson outstanding research award. She is the 2015 winner of the Social Justice in Education Award given by the American Educational Research Association.
Ladson-Billings has an active community life that includes serving on several community boards such as the Urban League of Greater Madison, The Madison Children’s Museum, the United Way of Dane County, and the Susan G. Komen for the Cure of Madison. She is a member of The Links, Inc. and a 50-year member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. At the 2017 Leadership Summit, she was named the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. International Citizen of the Year. As an active member of the Mt. Zion Baptist Church of Madison, WI she is the 2nd woman named to the 108-year-old church’s Board of Deacons.
Watch Dr. Ladson-Billings Keynote Presentation
Summit Spotlight Speakers
Dr. Tom L. Humphries (pictured left)
Fuel for Connection with Dr. Tom L. Humphries
Deaf American Communication and Language Educator who coined the term ‘Audism’
Dr. Jennifer J. Freyd (pictured middle)
Fuel for Courage with Dr. Jennifer J. Freyd
Nationally-renowned Expert on the Psychology of Sexual Violence & Institutional Betrayal
Dr. Shaun Nelms (pictured right)
Fuel for Empowerment with Dr. Shaun Nelms
Superintendent East High EPO and William & Sheila Konar Director of the Center for Urban Education Success
Summit Concurrent Workshop Presentations
EDI in the Workplace – Religious Diversity: Challenges and Opportunities
Presenters: Rev. Dr. C. Denise Yarbrough (she/her/hers), Director of Religious and Spiritual Life at the University of Rochester and Student Interns, Interfaith Chapel at the University of Rochester
Illustrating Equity and Enacting Sustainable Change
Presenter: Eleni Duret (she/her), PhD Candidate in Teaching and Curriculum, Warner School of Education at the University of Rochester
Lessons from Theatre of the Oppressed
Presenters: Carli Gaughf (she/her/hers) EDI Learning Specialist, Office of Equity and Inclusion at the University of Rochester Medical Center and OJ Shepard (he/him/his) EDI Learning Specialist, Office of Equity and Inclusion at the University of Rochester Medical Center
Summit Power Sessions
Power Session: University EDI Initiatives
An informative power session engaging with the university’s EDI initiatives within dining services, facilities, and parking. The session will explore transformative equity, diversity, and inclusion strategies employed by the university’s valuable service arms. This informative session is an extension of the university’s strategic planning efforts with the EDI Action Plans.
The panel will feature Cam Schauf, Director of Campus Dining Services and Auxiliary Operations at the University of Rochester; Jim Chodak, Director of Transportation and Parking at the University of Rochester; and Mario Roque, Director of Diversity and Inclusion, University Facilities at the University of Rochester.
Power Session: Transformative Student Activism
An informative power session engaging with student leaders and activists on their activism—hear their tangible experiences of what they have been able to accomplish as well as their growing pains. The session will feature various student leaders.
The panel will feature University of Rochester student leaders: Adrija Bhattacharjee; Mauricio Marc Coombs I; and Indiia Maring.
Innovative Spotlights
Undergraduate, graduate, doctoral students, post-doctoral scholars, staff, faculty, alumni, and members of the Greater Rochester Community created summit innovative spotlights. The virtual platform features research project ideas, theses or dissertation works, ideas, or concepts. The innovative spotlights showcase academic, scholarly, professional, or community action-oriented work.
Innovative spotlights featured via the virtual platform:
#blackintheivory: What Twitter Taught Us About Academia
Authored by: Kristin Hocker, EdD., she/her/hers, Assistant Professor of Clinical Nursing, University of Rochester School of Nursing; Martina Anto-Ocrah, PhD., she/her/hers, Assistant Professor of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh; and Jeiri Flores, BS., she/her/hers, Department of Pediatrics, University of Rochester
The BEST RCSD Student and Teacher Research Program (Broad Exposure to Science and Technology)
Authored by: Terrance Kessler, (he/him/his), UR/LLE Diversity Manager and Senior Research Engineer University of Rochester’s Laboratory for Laser Energetics (UR/LLE) and UR/LLE Diversity Council Members: Marco Romo-Gonzalez (they/he), Deputy Diversity Manager Raka Ghosh (she/her/hers), Diversity Administrator; Karen Cera (she/her); Ken Marshall (he/him/his); Amy Rigatti (she/her); Kathleen Weichman (they, them); Stephanie Dent (she/her/hers); William Scullin (he/him/his); Mervin Lim Pac Chong (he/him); and Maitrayee Ghosh (she/her/hers)
Gender as Prescription: The Medicalization of Transgender Identities
Authored by: Jessica N. Bansbach (she/her/hers), Master’s Student in Mental Health Counseling at Warner School of Education and Graduate Assistant at the Burgett Intercultural Center
Phenomenal Growth
Authored by: Sara Lolo, Research Lab Technician, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester and Certified Youth Program Facilitator
RxASL: Mixed-Methods Study on Accessible Medication Information
Authored by: Mariam Paracha, PharmD – she/her/hers, Center for Health + Technology, University of Rochester and National Technical Institute for the Deaf/Rochester Institute of Technology; Ellen Wagner, MS – she/her/hers, Center for Health + Technology, University of Rochester; Olivia Brumfield, BA – she/her/hers, Center for Health + Technology, University of Rochester Kaixin Li, BA – she/her/hers, Center for Health + Technology, University of Rochester
General Inquiries and Volunteering
Please contact equityandinclusion@milworld.net