Young, Gifted & Advancing

RETURN TO CONFERENCE MAIN PAGE

Promoting Mental Health and Well-Being Among Students of Color  

speaker bios

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

Sherry Davis Molock, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at The George Washington University in Washington, DC. Dr. Molock teaches undergraduate and doctoral courses in the field of clinical psychology and conducts research on the prevention of suicide and HIV in African American adolescents and young adults. She was recently awarded a pilot grant from the DC Center for AIDS Research (DC-CFAR) to develop a HIV/AIDS testing and mental health intervention for youth in African American churches. Dr. Molock’s work has appeared in a number of professional journals, has served on a number of local and national boards, and currently serves on the Steering Committee for the Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC) and on the editorial board of the American Journal of Community Psychology. She also serves as a grant reviewer for NIMH, NIDA, CDC, and SAMHSA. In addition to her work in psychology, Dr. Molock and her husband, Guy Molock, Jr., are the founding pastors of the Beloved Community Church in Accokeek, Maryland. Their ministry focuses on “family healing” that is designed to bring spiritual, physical and emotional healing to the community.

David Rivera, PhD, is an associate professor of counselor education at Queens College, City University of New York. A counseling psychologist by training, his practical work in higher education includes college counseling, academic advising, multicultural affairs, and leadership development. Dr. Rivera’s research focuses on cultural competency development and issues impacting the marginalization and wellbeing of low-income/first-generation college students, people of color, and oppressed sexual orientation and gender identity groups, with a focus on microaggressions. Dr. Rivera is an adviser to The Steve Fund, faculty with the Council for Opportunity in Education, board co-chair of CLAGS: The Center for LGBTQ Studies, on the executive committee of The Society for the Psychological study of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Issues, and on the American Psychological Association’s Committee for Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity. Dr. Rivera holds degrees from Teachers College, Columbia University, Johns Hopkins University, and the University of Wyoming. He has worked and trained at a variety of institutions including the University of Pennsylvania, the New School University, the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, and the Addiction Institute of New York. He has received multiple recognitions for his work from the American Psychological Association, the American College Counseling Association, and the American College Personnel Association.

ALL SPEAKERS

Speaker biographies are listed in alphabetical order; not by session.

Jonea Ahouissousi graduated from The University of Virginia in 2017 and received her Bachelor’s degree in Women, Gender, and Sexualities. While at university, Jonea created a program called Success at SEA, which was designed to help African-American fourth years students transition from the university world to the “real world”. Jonea is currently pursuing a dual Masters’s degree at George Mason University in Conflict Resolutions and Social Work. Additionally, she is a student counselor at Year Up, a program designed to connect young adults to employment by equating them with skills and resources. She also works in the Social Work Integrative  Research Lab as a graduate research assistant under Dr. Eric Waithaka at George Mason University. 

Dr. Glenn Albright is a clinical psychologist who received his Ph.D. from the City University of New York.  He is currently a faculty member and former chair of the Department of Psychology at Baruch College and Director of Research at Kognito. His research involves evaluating the efficacy of virtual human role-play simulations that teach users how to effectively manage challenging health and mental health conversations that bring about sustained changes in attitudes and behaviors.  His work has resulted in numerous journal publications that examined the impact of role-play simulations utilizing intelligent virtual humans in the areas of K12, higher education and healthcare.    In addition to his research endeavors, Dr. Albright received the Baruch College and New York University awards for distinguished teaching and is the volunteer director of an equine therapy program for veterans and first responders with PTSD.  His passion for applying advanced simulation technology and learning models to the fields of health and behavioral health is fueled by a desire to make an impact on the quality-of-life of the large numbers of people within displaced populations who are struggling and would benefit from engaging game-based web and mobile simulations to equip them with the knowledge, skill and self-confidence necessary to have a positive impact on their lives and the lives of others.

Dr. Kavita Avula is a licensed clinical psychologist who specializes in international and cross-cultural psychology, well-being, trauma and resilience, crisis and critical incident response and group dynamics. As the founder of Therapist Beyond Borders, Dr. Avula also serves as the Lead Consulting Psychologist for The KonTerra Group and a consulting psychologist to The World Bank Group’s Personal & Work Stress Counseling Unit where she provides organizational consultation and staff care programming to humanitarian aid organizations on promoting emotional health and well-being. With experience in Afghanistan, Kenya, Ukraine, Uganda, Tanzania, Palestine, the Philippines, Peru, Mexico, and India, Dr. Avula provides psychological support and consultation to individuals and groups living or working in high stress environments. 

She began her career in university counseling and worked at several university counseling centers across the United States over the first decade of her career.  She consulted to Penn State University in the aftermath of the child sex abuse scandal and currently consults to Georgetown University’s Office of the President on a range of topics including an initiative that strives to shift the culture in higher education to one that embraces well-being and flourishing as integral to the university experience. Finally, Dr. Avula is an educator and speaks on topics including cultivating resilience, building cultural competence, understanding micro-aggressions, addressing sexual harassment, developing a better response to sexual assault, supporting staff in distress, psychological first aid, and creating flourishing communities.

Gordon Bell, CFA, is EVP at Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation, the nation’s first community development corporation, started by Bobby Kennedy. He oversees several divisions, including real estate development, the Brooklyn Business Center and sustainability initiatives.

Mr. Bell gained experience at Wall Street firms including JP Morgan, Prudential, Citibank, Legacy Growth Partners, Utendahl Capital and Lehman Brothers. Gordon has held positions as Business Developer, Portfolio Manager, Trader, and Director of Finance in his long tenure on Wall Street. Gordon earned his A.B. with honors from Harvard College, his MBA from Harvard Business School, and a Rotary International Fellowship to the University of Mexico. He also earned his Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation in 1993. He is a member and officer (Chair, Treasurer and Secretary) to several organizations including the Ralph Lauren Cancer Center, the New York Real Estate Chamber, North General Hospital, Literacy Partners, the Industrial Development Agency of New Rochelle, and the Harvard Class of 1983.  Gordon is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. He has humbly received honors and recognition by various publications and non-profit associations.

Dr. Porter Brannon has over 20 years of progressively responsible experience serving in key leadership roles at public, private and proprietary higher education institutions.  As the Vice President for Student Services at Mitchell Community College, Dr. Brannon coordinates long-range and strategic planning for, academic advising, accessibility services, financial aid, recruitment and enrollment, veteran’s affairs, student support services, and campus engagement. 

Dr. began her higher education tenure as an information technology specialist, helping faculty incorporate technology into the teaching and learning experience.  Prior to becoming a Vice President, she served as an academic advisor, adjunct instructor, Director of Advising, Registrar, and Dean for Student Affairs.  Over the life of her career, Dr. Brannon has been a primary architect in creating policies, programs, and systems designed to improve college access, enrollment, retention, and degree completion.  Her career has been focused on providing an environment where marginalized and underrepresented student groups can excel.  Dr. Brannon is passionate about the ability higher education has to transform the lives students, families, and entire communities.

In addition to her professional duties, Dr. Brannon serves on the Board of her local United Way, Chamber of Commerce, and Community Action Network.  Dr. Brannon is the program advisor for Mitchell’s Minority Male Success Initiative and the Student Ambassador Program.  This year, Dr. Brannon serves as President for the North Carolina Community College Student Development Association.  Dr. Brannon facilitates a variety of workshops, and frequently volunteers with the county public schools, youth leadership organizations, and community based organizations.

Dr. Brannon earned her Bachelor’s degree in Human Services, and Master’s degree in Education from St. John’s University.  She earned her Doctorate degree in Executive Leadership, Administration and Policy from Fordham University.  She lives in Mooresville, North Carolina with her husband David, and daughter Rebecca.

Jaime Brown serves as the Community Director for Harbin Hall, a first-year residential community on campus. She started at the university in November 2016 and has taken on many roles, including but not limited to: facilitating Bystander Intervention, leading the Thriving wellness course, and being a Marino Workshop mentor. In addition to her work in Housing, she works on the SNAP team, serves on the Council on Student Diversity, and advises Interhall. She is passionate about the first-year experience, wellness (particularly through yoga), and being present on campus as a resource for Black students.

Jessica Brown is a nationally recognized financial aid expert. As Founder of College Gurl, President of The College Gurl Foundation, and Author of How to Pay for College When You’re Broke, Jessica educates students and families on how to make the best-informed decisions around financing a college education. She is a graduate of Howard University, Strayer University, and is currently seeking her PhD in Higher Education Administration at Indiana State University. 

Named the Financial Aid Fairy Godmother, Jessica uses her experiences to help students and families across the country successfully plot their course  toward financial aid opportunities for higher education that realistically meets their needs and works for them. Her mission is to ensure that students obtain financial freedom post-graduation. 

Jessica speaks all over the U.S. at a host of schools, universities, organizations, and news networks. Additionally, Diversity Inc., Strayer University, The Capitol Hill Community Foundation, and The Steve & Marjorie Harvey Foundation have sponsored her efforts. She has recently been featured on BET News, FOX Business Network, Good Day LA, ABC 7 NY, FOX 5 DC, W*USA-9 News, and several other news outlets.

 

Javier W. Bustamante, his wife Roselyn and two children, enjoy spending their spare time taking walks, playing in the park, watching movies and visiting relatives.

Javier is the Director of the Center for Cultural Engagement at The Catholic University of America. He is responsible for implementing, coordinating and supporting a comprehensive program of social, cultural, intellectual, spiritual, governance and community service programs that complement the academic mission of the university. He serves as a management leader and educator for Intercultural programs and services; serves as a resource for staff and students; supports and promotes the mission and vision of the university. He coordinates and develops intentional programmatic initiatives and services that positively affect the recruitment, retention and enrichment of students; emphasizing the retention of sub-populations including students of color and international students.

Previously, Javier served as Executive Director of the Office of Cultural Diversity and Outreach in the Archdiocese of Washington. He was responsible for overseeing the development of resources and leadership to serve the diverse cultural communities. He served pastors through assisting them in building the evangelizing capacity of their parishes, participating in archdiocesan-wide evangelization initiatives and responding to the spiritual and pastoral needs of the immigrant community and serving as the primary liaison between the offices of the Central Pastoral Administration and archdiocesan parishes and Catholic institutions.

Javier has been in active ministry for almost 20 years, primarily working with youth and young adults, at the parish, diocesan and national levels. He served as Director of the Catholic Youth Foundation USA, and prior to that he worked Director of the Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry in the Diocese of Metuchen, New Jersey. He has also worked as a parish youth minister in Southern California and as a parish coordinator of Religious Education in Northern Virginia.

Javier holds a Masters Degree in Latin American Studies from Georgetown University in Washington D.C. He completed his undergraduate degree in History and Pastoral Theology at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, California. He also holds a certificate in Catholic Social Teaching from The Catholic University of America; and a Certificate in Nonprofit Management from Georgetown University.

Al Castillo is a sophomore in the SFS studying Science, Technology, and International Affairs and minoring in Women’s and Gender Studies. He is the Co-President of Georgetown University Pride, the largest on-campus LGBTQ+ organization committed to fostering a safe, affirming space for LGBTQ+ students on Georgetown’s campus through community-building, discussions, and political activism. Along with Pride, Al is also a board member of Queer People of Color, a coordinator for the DC Schools Project, and a Student Assistant for Health Education Services.

Kenna Chick is currently a senior at the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service studying Culture and Politics with a minor in Disability Studies. Her greatest passion is disability policy and advocacy, especially as it relates to mental health conditions.

Kenna has served as both the Vice President of her student government, Georgetown University Student Association (GUSA), and the Chair of the GUSA Mental Health Policy Coalition, where she worked on many projects that focus on destigmatizing, educating and eliminating barriers around mental health resources. One of her projects is to implement off-campus therapy stipends, as psychotherapy in the DC area is notoriously expensive and Georgetown University’s services are short-term. In addition to that, she is the President of Project Lighthouse, an anonymous peer to peer chat-line that provides peer support and information about campus resources. Finally, Kenna is a fellow with the Coelho Center for Disability Law, Policy, and Innovation. She has also previously served as a member of Mental Health America’s first Collegiate Mental Health Innovation Council, where she was featured in their college program report, Beyond Awareness: Student-led Innovation in Campus Mental Health. She has also served as a member of the Jed Foundation’s Student Advisory Council, where she worked with Facebook on technology and suicide prevention.

Cara Crowley currently serves as Vice President for Strategic Initiatives for Amarillo College. Her leadership focuses on leading institution-wide initiatives targeting a systemic approach to poverty as well as creating a data ecosystem that drives policy and process reformation.

In her career, she has led institution-wide projects addressing student poverty barriers hindering academic success; general education course redesign efforts; and, creating an environment that is student-driven and data-informed.

Ms. Crowley received her Master’s in Business Administration (2006) and Master’s in American History (2001) from West Texas A&M University.

For close to four decades, John J. DeGioia has helped to define and strengthen Georgetown University as a premier institution for education and research. A Georgetown alumnus, Dr. DeGioia served as a senior administrator and as a faculty member in the Department of Philosophy before becoming Georgetown’s 48th president in 2001.

As President, Dr. DeGioia is dedicated to deepening Georgetown’s tradition of academic excellence, its commitment to its Catholic and Jesuit identity, its engagement with the Washington, D.C. community, and its global mission. Under his leadership, Georgetown has become a leader in shaping the future landscape of higher education and has recently completed a $1.5 billion fund-raising campaign dedicated to enhancing the lifelong value of a Georgetown education.

Dr. DeGioia is a leading voice in addressing broader issues in education. He previously served as Chair of the Board of Directors of the American Council on Education and is currently Chair of the Board of Directors of the Forum for the Future of Higher Education as well as Chair of the Board for the Consortium on Financing Higher Education. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the Board of Directors for the Business-Higher Education Forum, the NCAA Board of Governors, the NCAA Division 1 Board of Directors and is Chair of the Division I NCAA Committee on Academics.

Tracy DeLuca is the Founder of How Might We Design, a creative consultancy focused on the global transformation of clinical and everyday mental health. Recently, as the Principal Design Lead for Sutter Health’s Design & Innovation Team, Tracy helped launch a series of successful innovation initiatives across the system, including a new virtual-first primary care model that integrates behavior change (and soon, mental health) into everyday care, supported by a more accessible value-based insurance experience. Additionally, she was Design Lead for Sutter’s Mental Health Reimagined initiative, where her work focused on a human-centered deep dive into the Acute Care experience, and strategic development of an engagement platform to support youth 15-22 as they transition out of formal care back into their everyday lives.

Prior to her healthcare industry experience, Tracy spent 7 years at global design firm IDEO as a Communications Design & Project Lead, and 10 years working in Advertising. Her efforts mentoring Social Impact Fellows at Stanford University’s d.school, and her podcast, Results May Vary, were born out of her desire to teach design thinking superpowers to as many people as possible. And her work helping redesign Los Angeles County’s voting system, which will debut in 2020, was recently featured at the Access + Ability exhibit for Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum.

Eugenie Dieck joined Georgetown University in September 2017 as the Vice President for Strategy. In this role, she collaborates with leadership, faculty, staff, and donors to consider the future actions and investments of the University. 

Previously, Ms. Dieck served as a Senior Partner for Korn Ferry Leadership and Talent Consulting, based in Philadelphia.  Ms. Dieck joined Korn Ferry from Marsh & McLennan Companies, where she was a partner in various consulting entities.

She began her career in the public health/social services sectors, with VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America), working with underserved youth and then as a program manager for the first Medicaid health maintenance organization. 

Ms. Dieck earned a BA from Harvard College and a MBA from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. She is a member of the YWCA Academy of Women Leaders.

Shelter Dziya, M.A. is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Maryland Baltimore County in the Human Services Psychology Program, Clinical Psychology Track. She is also a Meyerhoff Graduate Fellow and a Psychology Teaching Fellow. Ms. Dziya teaches undergraduate Introduction to Psychology, Psychology & Culture, Relationships & Intimacy, and Aggression & Violence. In addition, Ms. Dziya is a clinician who specializes in mental health services for diverse populations suffering from a range of psychological difficulties. Ms. Dziya works with individuals across the lifespan but has a special interest in youth between the ages of 16 and 26.

Ms. Dziya’s thesis focused on the use of spirituality and internal locus of control to cope with experiences of racial and ethnic discrimination. Her current research focuses on the social and mental health impact of racial/ethnic and gender discrimination among Black women. Specifically, she examines the psychosocial factors Black women utilize to cope with experiences of discrimination with a focus the use Intersectionality Theory to Empower Black women. Post education goals include the development and implementation of prevention and treatment programs that serve Black girls and Black women. The broader impact is aimed at educating, liberating, uplifting and empowering Black women through culturally sensitive programs for prevention and treatment of mental health disorders.

Professor Heidi Elmendorf has been at Georgetown University since 1999 as a faculty member in the Department of Biology, and she now serves as Senior Advisor to President DeGioia for Equity in Education.

Prof. Elmendorf has spent her research career in the field of global health, studying parasitic diseases that primarily affect some of the world’s most underprivileged peoples. Her laboratory conducts research on the intestinal parasite Giardia. Over the past two decades, she has taught a wide range of courses in Biology to both majors and non-majors and has won numerous teaching honors for her work.

Prof. Elmendorf has long been committed to increasing opportunities in the sciences for a greater diversity of students. In 2002 she founded, and has since directed, a STEM partnership with D.C. Public Schools. Since 2010 she has coordinated and taught in the science week of the Summer College Immersion Program, a partnership with Cristo Rey and KIPP schools. And she founded and now serves as Director of both the Regents Science Scholars Program and The Hub for Equity and Innovation in Higher Education.

Tawara Goode is an assistant professor in the Department of Pediatrics, Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington, D.C.  She has been on the faculty of the Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development (GUCCHD), for over 30 years and has served in many capacities.  She has degrees in early childhood education, and education and human development. Professor Goode has extensive experience as a principal investigator for federal and private sector grants and contracts.  She is the Director of the GUCCHD’s University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (GUCEDD) and is responsible for short-term and ongoing programs for individuals at-risk for and with developmental and other disabilities and their families.  Professor Goode’s duties include program development, administration, and teaching, within the University and community settings.  A primary area of focus of Professor Goode’s is national level efforts to advance and sustain cultural and linguistic competence within an array of settings including but not limited to institutions of higher education, health, mental health, and other human service systems.  Professor Goode is also the director of the National Center for Cultural Competence (NCCC) at GUCCHD.  The NCCC has been in existence for the past 24 years during which Professor Goode was the director for 22 years. The mission of the NCCC is to increase the capacity of health care and mental health care programs to design, implement, and evaluate culturally and linguistically competent service delivery systems to address growing diversity, persistent disparities, and to promote health and mental health equity. Professor Goode is recognized as a thought leader in the area of cultural and linguistic competence and building the NCCC into a nationally and internationally recognized and award winning program. She had a primary role in developing curricula, assessment instruments, professional development series, and other resources that support cultural and linguistic competence. Professor Goode has conducted research on cultural and linguistic competence and its role in addressing health, and health and mental health care disparities ⎯ including a multi-site project to examine health disparities for populations at the intersection of race, ethnicity, and disability. Professor Goode’s publications include peer reviewed articles, book chapters, policy papers, guides, and instruments that support cultural and linguistic competence in a variety of human service and academic settings. Professor Goode has and continues to serve on numerous boards, commissions, and advisory groups at the local, regional, and national levels that are concerned with the health, mental health, and well-being of racially and ethnically diverse populations.

Ashley L. Gray is an emerging scholar activist with a passion for creating equity within higher education. Ashley’s research focuses on the intersection of race and gender on women college presidents through feminist and womanist lenses. Ashley currently serves as a Research Analyst for the American Council of Education, working primarily with the ACE Women’s Network and Moving the Needle Women in Higher Education Research Initiative. In this role, she creates initiatives and engages in research on women’s pipeline to the presidency. She brings with her 10 years of higher education experience primarily in the area of equity affairs.

Ashley’s research on women of color presidents, has led to an innovative research brief titled Voices from the Field: Women of color Presidents in Higher Education funded by the Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association (TIAA). Ashley has authored scholarly blogs, facilitated presidential roundtables and co-authored a chapter on Black queer student engagement at HBCUs.

Ashley is a doctoral candidate in the Higher Educational Policy and Leadership Studies at Howard University (D.C.). Her master’s degree is in Higher Education Administration from the University of Missouri- St. Louis and her bachelor’s degree is in African American Studies with a certificate in Women’s Studies from Saint Louis University.

Rev. Ebony Grisom is the Protestant Chaplain on the Law and Main Campuses. Rev. Grisom is in ordained in the American Baptist Churches USA. She received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in African-American/African Studies and her Master of Arts from Providence College in American History. She completed her seminary education at Duke Divinity School, receiving a Master of Divinity with a concentration in Christian Education and a certificate in Gender, Theology and Ministry.

Rev. Grisom began her career in education, working in secondary and post secondary admission offices in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and North Carolina. Prior to Georgetown University, Rev. Grisom served in a faith-based anti-poverty non-profit, and two Baptist churches, where she equipped faith leaders and people of faith to act against the sin of poverty.  To that end, she is a past Co-Chair of the Rhode Island Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival. In addition to her work at Georgetown, she is the Co-Convener of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA’s  Convenening Table on Joint Action and Advocacy for Justice and Peace. Her call to Georgetown University melds her experience in higher education and the parish, allowing her to meet God’s People at the intersection of the Church and the academy. 

Dr. Christopher Holland serves as the Assistant Dean/Chief Housing Officer at George Mason.  Previously, he served as the Vice President of Student Services at Florida State College at Jacksonville before coming to Mason in August 2018.  With over 20 years of professional service in working with college students, Dr. Holland’s career in higher education has taken him from Montana to Mississippi to New York.  He has served as a Director of Housing at a small public state traditional women’s college and at a large research one university and has served as a Dean of Students at both small private liberal arts and larger public colleges and universities.  

Dr. Holland earned his AA in liberal arts from Jamestown Community College in New York and was named its “Outstanding Alumni” in May 2016; his B.A. and M.A. in English from State University of New York College at Fredonia where he served in various leadership roles while also teaching 8th and 9th grade English; his M.S. in Higher Education Administration from State University of New York at Albany, where he served as a member of the SUNY Board of Trustees from 2000-2002; and his doctorate in Higher Education Administration from the University of Alabama. 

His research interests focus on college culture, the student experience, and how both effect and affect each other in the context of student development.  His dissertation, “The Experiences of Gay Male Students at a Traditional Women’s University” was both published and the 2009 recipient of ACPA’s Research Recognition Award.  In addition to his publications, Dr. Holland has presented at various conferences in higher education all over the country, was selected to participate in the Executive Leadership Institute of the League for Innovation in Community Colleges, and was named the Director of the New Professionals Institute for NASPA (Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education). He has also been involved in numerous boards and organizations and was named the NASPA Region III “Most Outstanding Community College Professional” in 2017. 

Chris currently serves as the Senior Housing Officer representative to the Virginia Association of College and University Housing Officers (VACUHO) and teaches student development and leadership in George Mason’s higher education program.  Outside of work, he enjoys being actively involved in community affairs, mentoring at-risk youth, traveling, and living in Northern Virginia with his partner Cole and eight year old son Cayden. 

Theo Holt is a doctoral candidate at the University of West Georgia (UWG) majoring in Psychology: Consciousness and Society. He recently defended his dissertation entitled, Black Undergraduate Students’ Experiences of Thriving at a Predominately White Institution: A Photovoice Study.  He is a proud military veteran who began his career in academics as a special education teacher in Baton Rouge, LA, volunteered as an education advocate for children placed in foster care services, and established a mentorship program for Black youth. Theo is new to the DMV area and looks forward to continuing his work, supporting equity in education.

Dr. Adanna J. Johnson serves as the Associate Vice President for Student Equity and Inclusion and leads the Office of Student Equity and Inclusion (OSEI) at Georgetown University.  The OSEI is an umbrella office for the Center for Multicultural Equity and Access, the Community Scholars Program, and the Georgetown Scholars Program. In her role, Dr. Johnson provides leadership for a broad range of work focused on student access and success, diversity and inclusion work with students, consults with schools and units across the institution, and contributes to Georgetown’s work with the American Talent Initiative.

Dr. Johnson completed her undergraduate degree in Psychology at Prairie View A&M University in Texas, and both her Master’s in Counseling and Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology are from Marquette University. Prior to coming to Georgetown, she was a member of the Loyola University Maryland faculty as an Associate Professor of Psychology and Director of the African and African American Studies Program. At Loyola, she also co-chaired the institutional Racial Justice Training Implementation. She has published extensively on a range of topics, with a particular focus on cultural competence and recruitment and retention of underrepresented groups in higher education. She is a licensed psychologist and her extensive clinical experience further deepens the perspectives she brings to her work. Additionally, she is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated, is a certified Nia Technique dance teacher, and a comedian. 

Dr. Demetrius Johnson has worked in higher education for 20 years. During his career in education, he has worked to design support and intervention programs to support student success. Demetrius has created and developed mentoring programs, behavioral intervention teams, threat assessment programs, and student success initiatives.

Dr. Johnson has worked with graduate and undergraduate students at several institutions – including the University of Illinois, Troy State University, the University of Iowa, the University of South Carolina, Dillard University, and Marymount University. His work has included direct interventions with all students with a special attention given to students of color, first generation college students, and men.

Educationally, Demetrius earned an undergraduate degree in Psychology, a Masters in Higher Education with an emphasis in counseling, and a Doctorate in Management with an emphasis in Organizational Leadership. Over the past 10 years, he has become an expert on emotional intelligence and skill based leadership theory.

Anuja Khemka has served as Executive Director of the Steve Fund since January 2018. Anuja has extensive programmatic expertise in youth development, college access and persistence, workforce development and training, and entrepreneurship training. Prior to her work with the Fund, Anuja spent over 15 years in the corporate and philanthropic sector focusing on program planning and implementation, thought leadership, and fundraising. She has held senior leadership roles at JP Morgan Chase Global Philanthropy and Goldman Sachs Foundation. Anuja was a Management Fellow at Columbia University and received her Masters in Social Work in Social Enterprise Administration. Anuja completed her undergraduate studies at Brown University with a BA in Business Economics. Her work in philanthropy has been featured in the Chronicle of Philanthropy, Youth Today, Forbes, Huffington Post, New York Times and Stanford Social Innovation Review.

Anna Landre is a junior in the School of Foreign Service majoring in Regional and Comparative Studies of Latin America and Africa. She serves  as an Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner for the District of Columbia, where she represents Georgetown. Anna is also a disability activist, focusing on the social and legal barriers faced by disabled people in the United States and Latin America. She is the co-chair of the Democratic National Committee’s Youth Disability Council and a founding member of the Georgetown Disability Alliance. Her advocacy efforts have been featured in outlets including the Washington Post, Forbes, and others.

Jacqueline Looney is senior associate dean for graduate programs and associate vice provost for academic diversity at Duke University.  She is responsible for leading the work of the Graduate Student Affairs unit, which collaborates with graduate departments, student organizations, and other administrative units to provide services that enhance the academic, social, personal, and cultural needs of graduate students. She has spearheaded comprehensive initiatives to provide services that improve the quality of life for all graduate students, has produced measurable changes in the diversity of the graduate student population, and has helped graduate students be a part of all aspects of university life. Dr. Looney was the recipient of the 2005 Duke University Blue Ribbon Award for Diversity, a 2013 Meritorious Presidential Award for outstanding service to Duke, and a 2015 Equity Award from the American Historical Association for efforts in recruiting and supporting students from underrepresented groups. She has also served as program officer for The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and was the national director of the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship (MMUF) program. Looney currently serves as the director of the Duke University Center for Exemplary Mentoring. Looney earned a B.A. in psychology and a master’s degree in educational psychology from the University of Tennessee and a doctorate in human development from Vanderbilt University.

Dr. Christine Mangino currently serves as the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Hostos Community College of the City University of New York. Dr. Mangino was selected this past year to participate as an Aspen Presidential Fellow for Community College Excellence, a leadership program aimed at preparing the next generation of community college presidents to transform institutions to achieve high and equitable levels of student success. She began her tenure at the college as an assistant professor for Early Childhood Education in 2004 and soon after served as Coordinator, Chairperson, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, and Interim Provost. Prior to Hostos, Dr. Mangino taught in both an early childhood center, as an elementary school teacher, and later on as an adjunct professor at St. John’s University. She served on nine doctoral dissertation committees, chairing four of them. Dr. Mangino began her education earning an Associate’s degree from Nassau Community College, a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in education from Hofstra University and a doctoral degree in Instructional Leadership from St. John’s University. Like many community college students, Dr. Mangino was the first in her family to attend college.

Dr. Mangino presents at national and international conferences on topics such as differentiated instruction, learning styles, and leadership. She was an invited keynote speaker for faculty at Oregon State University, the 21st Century Principals Forum in Beijing and Shanghai, China and for an international Learning Styles conference in Denmark. Consistent with the mission of Hostos Community College, Dr. Mangino believes in serving her community. She has served as the co-president of the North Merrick Special Education Parent Teacher Association, a Girl Scout leader, a volunteer counselor for a suicide hotline, and provided parenting workshops for her local community.

While working in her various roles in the Office of Academic Affairs, Dr. Mangino has led the college in the implementation of a CUNY-wide general education framework, redesigning developmental education, the creation of a new strategic plan, operational planning, creating and implementing assessment processes to meet Middle States accreditation standards, increasing three-year graduation rates from 12% to 27% in the past six years, and secured a $2.4 million Title V grant, in addition to foundation funding.

Helen Mantuano is a Hostos Community College alumna. She attended Hostos from Spring 2018 to Spring 2019. During her time there, Ms. Mantuano served as a student assistant at the Hostos Writing Center; a tutor for ESL students; as the Treasurer of the Reimagining Justice Club; as a volunteer across CUNY’s Women’s Leadership Conferences; as an organizer for an on-campus “Souper Market; and as a participant in the College-Wide Honors Program. Additionally, her academic accomplishments include winning the Adrienne Rich Women’s History Month Essay and the Americanah Essay Contest. She is currently seeking an undergrad for Literature at NYU, and is an active member of the SPS Community Service Committee. She seeks to make a difference among her peers, especially among minority students, and serve as a role model for women; including her daughter.

Dr. Linda Fleming McGhee is a clinical psychologist who speaks and writes on mental health and education.  She received her doctorate from George Washington University.  Prior to that she received a law degree from GWU. 

Dr. McGhee served as the Director of the Teaching and Learning Center at the Landon School. Prior to that, she served several years as a psychologist there. She has served on a school board and worked at several other schools specializing in learning disorders (Kingsbury and Chelsea).  She has also served as an adjunct professor at George Washington, Trinity, the Chicago School of Professional Psychology, and the Washington School of Psychiatry.  Dr. McGhee served on the Board of the Kingsbury School and she is currently the Chair of the Education Committee and a member of the Board of Directors of the Maryland Psychological Association. 

Dr. McGhee is the founder of McGhee & Associates in Chevy Chase Maryland.  She specializes in adolescents and assessment for learning differences.  Dr. McGhee speaks at national conferences on anxiety, race, education and the availability of resources. She regularly appears on television and radio on a variety of topics. Dr. McGhee hosts a radio show called Good Mental Health on Radio One to raise awareness around mental health. 

Dean Sheila McMullan, JD is a native New Mexican turned Washingtonian roughly twenty-five years ago.  She earned a bachelor’s degree in both Political Science and Theater Arts at New Mexico State University. She holds a Master of Liberal Studies with a concentration in Public Policy, and a JD from Georgetown University, with a focus on mediation, negotiation, and higher education law.

As the Vice Dean of the Graduate School, Dean McMullan is responsible for the implementation and direction of Graduate School strategic goals including new program development (both national and international), admissions, academic affairs, enrollment management, and merit based financial aid. She works directly with students on issue related to Title IX, and student engagement and governance, taking to heart the very unique needs of graduate students at the master and PhD level. In addition, she is the chief financial officer for the School which includes financial planning, and resource allocation across all Graduate School programs.  She develops policies, administers fiscal and personnel procedures, monitors and plans the efficient use of the Graduate School’s financial resources, and is responsible for the overall financial health of the School. 

Dean McMullan is a member of the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS), the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO), the Eastern Association of College and University Business Officers (EACUBO).  She is member in good standing of the District of Columbia Bar.

Philip W. Meilman has served as the director of the Counseling and Psychiatric Service for Georgetown University for the last 14 years and is also Professor in Georgetown’s Department of Psychiatry.

Dr. Meilman earned an A.B. from Harvard University, a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and completed his internship in clinical psychology at the University of Minnesota Medical School.  Prior to coming to Georgetown, he served as director of the student mental health service at Cornell University (7 years) and at the College of William and Mary (6 years).  Earlier he worked at Dartmouth College and the University of Nebraska Medical Center.  Beginning in 1990, he served as co-director of The Core Institute Center for Alcohol and Other Drug Studies based at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale for nearly two decades.

Books and monographs authored by Dr. Meilman include: Beating the College Blues:  A Student’s Guide to Coping with the Emotional Ups and Downs of College Life, First and Second Editions (with P.A. Grayson), Alcohol and Drugs on American College Campuses:  Use, Consequences, and Perceptions of the Campus Environment, Volumes I, II, III, and IV (with C.A. Presley and R. Lyerla), and College Mental Health Practice (also with Grayson).

He is also published in Developmental Psychology, Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy, The Clinical Journal of Pain, Journal of College Student Personnel, Journal of Pain and Symptom Management,Journal of American College Health, International Journal of the Addictions, Journal of College Student Development, The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education, and College Mental Health Practice, among others.  After serving a five-year term, he is now Editor Emeritus for the Journal of College Student Psychotherapy.

Dr. Meilman is listed in Who’s Who in America, Who’s Who in American Education, and Who’s Who in Medicine and Healthcare. He was also the recipient of The Martin S. Wallach Award at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for the outstanding doctoral candidate in clinical psychology in 1977.  He was named an honorary lifetime member of the Black Faculty and Staff Forum at College of William and Mary for his efforts to recruit black professionals to the university.

Sherry Davis Molock is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at The George Washington University in Washington, DC.   Dr. Molock teaches undergraduate and doctoral courses in the field of clinical psychology and conducts research on the prevention of suicide and HIV in African American adolescents and young adults. She was recently awarded a pilot grant from the DC Center for AIDS Research (DC-CFAR) to develop a HIV/AIDS testing and mental health intervention for youth in African American churches.  Dr. Molock’s work has appeared in a number of professional journals, has served on a number of local and national boards, and currently serves on the Steering Committee for the Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC) and on the editorial board of the American Journal of Community Psychology. She also serves as a grant reviewer for NIMH, NIDA, CDC, and SAMHSA.  In addition to her work in psychology, Dr. Molock and her husband, Guy Molock, Jr., are the founding pastors of the Beloved Community Church in Accokeek, Maryland. Their ministry focuses on “family healing” that is designed to bring spiritual, physical and emotional healing to the community.

Dr. Hans Momplaisir is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at Trinity Washington University. He conducts research on race, racial/ethnic identities, and mental health. Most of his research draws particular attention to how social statuses such as race, ethnicity, immigrant status, and gender impact psychological well-being. His published works include an investigation into the relationships among racial identity, racial discrimination, and depressive symptoms for African Americans and Afro-Caribbeans. Recently, he has investigated whether religious involvement reduces the negative impact of stressors on well-being for U.S. blacks. He is also enthusiastic about teaching. As an educator his focus is on student success and providing opportunities for students to achieve their goals. 

Denée Thomas Mwendwa, PhD is a Professor in the Department of Psychology in the College of Arts and Sciences at Howard University. Dr. Mwendwa graduated with a B.A. in Political Science from Trinity Washington University (College) in Washington, D.C. She received both her Master and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in Psychology in the area of Clinical Psychology from Howard University. Dr. Mwendwa is the Principle Investigator of the Health Promotion Risk Reduction Research Center (HealthPARC), where she examines the biological, psychological, social, and spiritual factors associated with the development of cardiovascular disease in African Americans. Recently, she has developed research interest in using narrative psychology as a mechanism for promoting behavior health change, particularly in African-American women. Dr. Mwendwa continues to collaborate with other research scholars in the areas of psychoneuroimmunology, obesity, cognitive aging, and mindfulness-based stress reduction interventions. The hallmark of her approach to spiritual, psychological and physical health is recognizing and embracing the unique experiences of all people and incorporating these experiences to promote overall wellness. Dr. Mwendwa teaches graduate courses in Individual Psychotherapy, Health Psychology, and Psychoneuroimmunology. When she is not teaching or conducting research, Dr. Mwendwa takes time to travel with family and friends.

Provost Carlota Ocampo oversees academic affairs, assessment, and planning at Trinity Washington University in Washington, DC.  Her previous appointments included associate provost for academic assessment and associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, where she directed academic advising and the first-year experience.  Dr. Ocampo joined the Trinity community in 1997 as assistant professor of psychology and earned tenure and promotion to associate professor in 2003.  She has also served as chair of psychology and of the human relations program.

Dr. Ocampo received her Ph.D. in neuropsychology from Howard University in 1997.  Her teaching and research interests encompass interactions among diversity, oppression, and health. She has published on pedagogical reform with changing student populations, racist-incident based trauma, and ethnicity, gender and disease; her current research examines use of mobile health technologies with safety net populations.  In 2014, she was appointed to the APA’s Board of Educational Affairs working group on national assessment for introductory psychology.  She serves as a peer evaluator for the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and is a member of the Leadership Institute for Women in Psychology (LIWP) class of 2011.  She enjoys promoting student-centered academic initiatives and culturally relevant health research.

Dr. Ross O’Hara is a Behavioral Researcher at Persistence Plus, where he applies his expertise in behavioral science to develop scalable interventions that improve college student retention and well-being. He earned his Ph.D. in social psychology from Dartmouth College, and completed post-doctoral fellowships at the University of Missouri and the University of Connecticut. His research has appeared in numerous peer-reviewed journals, including AERA Open and Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, and he is a regular contributor to Psychology Today as the author of the blog Nudging Ahead.

Ricardo L. Ortiz is Chair and Associate Professor of US Latinx Literature and Culture in the English Department at Georgetown University. Prof. Ortiz’s first book, Cultural Erotics in Cuban America, was published in 2007 and his second book, Latinx Literature Now: Between Evanescence and Event, appeared in early 2019. At Georgetown Prof. Ortiz is also affiliated with the Programs in American Studies, Latin American Studies, and Comparative Literature, and he is a Senior Faculty Fellow with the Center for New Designs in Learning and Scholarship. In 2019 Prof. Ortiz was also recognized as Outstanding Faculty Ally by the Georgetown Students of Color Alliance.

Dr. Maya Ozery is the Executive Director of the Cooper Athletics Leadership Program at Georgetown University. In her role, Ozery develops and manages leadership education initiatives within the athletic department, along with working with the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and partnering with different departments on campus to enhance the student-athlete experience. Dr. Ozery is an adjunct instructor for the Sport Industry Management, School of Continuing Studies at Georgetown University, and is a consultant for the NCAA Leadership Development unit and with the Institute for Sport and Social Justice. She earned her B.S. from Barry University, where she majored in Psychology and was a member of the Women’s Soccer program. She earned her Master’s from Barry University in Sport Science with a concentration in Sport and Exercise Psychology. After working in different roles in athletic administration, Dr. Ozery earned her PhD from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. Dr. Ozery’s research interests include leadership and social justice in intercollegiate athletics, and the role athletics plays within higher education.

Christopher Pérez (he/him/his) is the Director in The Office of Graduate Diversity and Inclusion in The Graduate School at the University of Maryland, College Park and has held that position for five years.  He serves as the Diversity Officer for both The Graduate School and the The Graduate School’s partnership with Big Ten Academic Alliance.  Mr. Pérez’ primary role as Director is the recruitment and retention of underserved and underrepresented populations.  He designs success programming for current graduate students, including programming focused on health equity & education, wellness, and self-care, with campus partners.  Mr. Pérez is also a doctoral candidate in the Department of American Studies at UMD, and his research examines different stages of trauma and the intersections of identities of LGBTQ+ asylum seekers from Latin American countries to the U.S.

Dr. Daniel K. Phillip is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist, a National Register Health Service Psychologist, and an LGBT-affirmative psychotherapist, whose clinical background includes working in hospitals, community health centers, and university settings. He is currently a Staff Therapist and Clinical Supervisor at IntraSpectrum Counseling, which is a group practice located in Chicago, IL that serves clients of various sexualities and gender identities. Prior to this, Dr. Phillip was a Staff Psychologist within Georgetown University’s Counseling & Psychiatric Services (CAPS) department and served as the inaugural Wellness Advisor to the Georgetown Scholars Program (GSP), during which he provided counseling, consultation and outreach services to the university’s first generation, lower income student population. As a psychologist with marginalized identities, Dr. Phillip’s clinical and lived experiences have uniquely positioned him to appreciate the realities of today’s college students of color who, in addition to forging their personal and professional identities, are learning how to navigate systemic and institutional circumstances which may adversely impact their wellness and ability to thrive.

Arisaid Gonzalez Porras is a junior in the College majoring in American Studies. As an undocumented student, she advocates for the undocumented youth on and off-campus. She is President of Hoyas for Immigrant Rights which creates spaces for affected students and allies to have dialogues, share stories, and attend actions. This summer she is interned at United We Dream, the largest immigrant youth-run non-profit organization dedicated to activism and immigration policy. Her main goal is to amplify the stories of those who have been silenced. Apart from her activism, she is also part of the Baker Scholars Program which aims at creating business leaders who are both intellectually inspired and socially conscious. In addition, she was a Women Advancing Gender Equity Fellow and is a proud Georgetown Scholars Program mentor. Her background as a first-generation and low-income pushes her to aid others with the resources and tools she has obtained. After Georgetown, she is planning on attending law school but not after gaining experience as a local immigrant organizer in D.C. Her ultimate goal is to create a business aimed at deconstructing misconceptions about immigrants and creating a scholarship fund for aspiring college students regardless of immigration status. 

Dr. Annelle Primm is a psychiatrist who has lectured and written widely on community psychiatry and cultural psychiatry, including two books she co-edited, Disparities in Psychiatric Care, published in 2010 and the 2012 book, Women in Psychiatry: Personal Perspectives. Well-known for her leadership in educating the public about mental illness, Dr. Primm produced the culturally-tailored DVD, Black and Blue: Depression in the African American Community. Dr. Primm was a physician executive at the American Psychiatric Association (APA) from 2004-2015 a period during which she led APA’s Division of Diversity and Health Equity and served as Deputy Medical Director. Prior to her service at the APA, Dr. Primm was Medical Director of the Johns Hopkins Hospital Community Psychiatry Program where she oversaw a variety of mental health services for adults. Dr. Primm is currently an adjunct Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Howard University, Johns Hopkins and New York University Schools of Medicine, and is Senior Medical Adviser for the Steve Fund. A Distinguished Fellow of the APA and a member of the American College of Psychiatrists, Dr. Primm has received numerous awards and honors including the Alexandra Symonds Award from the American Psychiatric Association Foundation in 2016. A graduate of Harvard for undergraduate studies, Dr. Primm received her medical degree from Howard University College of Medicine and psychiatry residency training at Johns Hopkins. She completed, also from Johns Hopkins, a master’s degree in public health and a fellowship in Social and Community Psychiatry.

Albert Ramirez (he/him) is the Associate Director of the Georgetown Scholars Program (GSP), a Georgetown University initiative that supports undergraduates from low-income backgrounds who are the first in their family to attend college, and promotes access, equity, and inclusion in higher education. He has a dual degree in Economics and Environmental Studies from St. Louis University. Prior to joining GSP, Albert held program and policy roles at organizations focused on leadership development, community organizing, and food and economic justice, including: the Congressional Hunger Center, the Center for Community Change, and Haley House Inc. in D.C., Seattle, and Boston.

Seher Raza is currently practicing Social Work at Burke Health and Rehab Center, working with the geriatric population. She graduated in 2017 with a degree in Psychology.  At University of Virginia she conducted her own research study and compiled an undergraduate thesis which is currently under review for publication. She also created and implemented her own intervention at University of Virginia for African American students called Write Direction. This program aimed to reduce student anxiety using expressive writing and counseling. Since graduating, she has worked at a Psychiatric hospital, a preschool, and is starting her masters program in School Counseling next spring at George Mason University.

Jierah Reid is a sophomore at Southern Connecticut State University majoring in Healthcare Studies and minoring in Psychology. Jierah’s drive to educate individuals throughout our society on mental health and emotional wellbeing is what drew her towards becoming a member of The Steve Fund YAB. She is dedicated to reshaping the stigma connected to mental illness, specifically targeting those who may feel hesitant to seek help (primarily people of color). Her passion will help promote the importance of mental health throughout her campus and the community.

As the fourth Dean of the historic Andrew Rankin Memorial Chapel, the Reverend Dr. Bernard L. Richardson is the executive officer for religious affairs at Howard University. Dr. Richardson is perhaps most widely recognized by the University community and leaders across the nation for his prolific prayers and insightful spiritual guidance.

Dr. Richardson has set an example in affirming religious diversity and freedom both on campus and throughout the community. He has the distinction of being the first to officially establish a Muslim chaplaincy at a U.S. university. Dr. Richardson has built upon the Chapel’s social justice legacy by opening the Chapel to the interfaith leaders who birthed the Million Man March, welcoming anti-apartheid and religious leader Archbishop Desmund Tutu as a Chapel speaker, and hosting President William Clinton and the World AIDS Conference.

Under his leadership, Rankin Chapel is known as one of the most effective chapels in the nation. The Sunday service, a center of thought and leadership, reaches a worldwide broadcast audience of over one million. Generations of students cite the life-changing impact of Chapel initiatives instituted by Dr. Richardson including: Chapel Assistants, Alternative Spring Break (ASB), HU Day of Service, the Interfaith Advisory Board, Justice for Juveniles Prison Ministry and the University’s first Children’s Defense Fund Freedom School. After securing $2.5 million in funding from the Lilly Endowment establishing the Spiritual and Ethical Dimensions of Leadership initiative (SEDL), he launched a series of Learning Labs to produce spiritually sensitive leaders. He led the worship service for the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington honoring those who organized and marched. He twice hosted President Barak Obama’s White House Interfaith Community Service Campus Challenge with the first international delegations in 2015.

Dr. Richardson has advanced the connection between scholarship, spirituality and service. His impact was marked in 2015 by the White House with a place on the Higher Education Interfaith Community Service Honor Roll. This honor was largely due to the Alternative Spring Break program that Dr. Richardson developed in 1994. In 2006, he persuaded FEMA to grant permission for Howard students to serve following Hurricane Katrina, opening the door for other volunteers and leading to the recognition of the ASB students by ABC’s World News Tonight as their Persons of the Week. ASB has become Howard University’s flagship service-learning program that, through fundraising, is offered at no cost to students.

Dr. Richardson, a tenured Associate Professor at the Howard University School of Divinity, has made scholarly contributions in the areas of pastoral care and counseling. Among his distinguished lectures are the Parks/King Lecture at Yale University and the Indaba Revitalizing Social Work in South Africa. Dr. Richardson is an ordained minister in the A.M.E. Zion Church who has previously served as a pastor, counseling specialist, mental health therapist and faculty member at several institutions.

Dr. Richardson has earned a B.S., Sociology, Howard University; M. Div., Yale University Divinity School; M.A. and Ph.D., Michigan State University, and an honorary Doctor of Divinity, Carthage College. 

His numerous honors include: Washington, DC Hall of Fame; MLK Jr. Board of Preachers of Morehouse College; DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities; Phi Delta Kappa Honor Society; National Institute of Mental Health Fellowship; Crystal Apple Outstanding Educator Award, Michigan State University; Special Citation of Achievement as orator for the 139th Opening Convocation of Howard University; Benjamin E. Mays Fellowship for Ministry; Perth Amboy High School Hall of Fame.  He is a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. 

Most recently, Dr. Richardson received the 2018 Alumni Award for Distinguished Postgraduate Achievement in the field of Religion from Howard University.

Dr Richardson is the son of Abbott and the late Ethel Richardson and father of Everett, Vincent, Justin and Marcus.

David Rivera, PhD, is an associate professor of counselor education at Queens College, City University of New York. A counseling psychologist by training, his practical work in higher education includes college counseling, academic advising, multicultural affairs, and leadership development. Dr. Rivera’s research focuses on cultural competency development and issues impacting the marginalization and wellbeing of low-income/first-generation college students, people of color, and oppressed sexual orientation and gender identity groups, with a focus on microaggressions. Dr. Rivera is an adviser to The Steve Fund, faculty with the Council for Opportunity in Education, board co-chair of CLAGS: The Center for LGBTQ Studies, on the executive committee of The Society for the Psychological study of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Issues, and on the American Psychological Association’s Committee for Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity. Dr. Rivera holds degrees from Teachers College, Columbia University, Johns Hopkins University, and the University of Wyoming. He has worked and trained at a variety of institutions including the University of Pennsylvania, the New School University, the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, and the Addiction Institute of New York. He has received multiple recognitions for his work from the American Psychological Association, the American College Counseling Association, and the American College Personnel Association.

Dr. Richardson has set an example in affirming religious diversity and freedom both on campus and throughout the community. He has the distinction of being the first to officially establish a Muslim chaplaincy at a U.S. university. Dr. Richardson has built upon the Chapel’s social justice legacy by opening the Chapel to the interfaith leaders who birthed the Million Man March, welcoming anti-apartheid and religious leader Archbishop Desmund Tutu as a Chapel speaker, and hosting President William Clinton and the World AIDS Conference.

Under his leadership, Rankin Chapel is known as one of the most effective chapels in the nation. The Sunday service, a center of thought and leadership, reaches a worldwide broadcast audience of over one million. Generations of students cite the life-changing impact of Chapel initiatives instituted by Dr. Richardson including: Chapel Assistants, Alternative Spring Break (ASB), HU Day of Service, the Interfaith Advisory Board, Justice for Juveniles Prison Ministry and the University’s first Children’s Defense Fund Freedom School. After securing $2.5 million in funding from the Lilly Endowment establishing the Spiritual and Ethical Dimensions of Leadership initiative (SEDL), he launched a series of Learning Labs to produce spiritually sensitive leaders. He led the worship service for the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington honoring those who organized and marched. He twice hosted President Barak Obama’s White House Interfaith Community Service Campus Challenge with the first international delegations in 2015.

Dr. Richardson has advanced the connection between scholarship, spirituality and service. His impact was marked in 2015 by the White House with a place on the Higher Education Interfaith Community Service Honor Roll. This honor was largely due to the Alternative Spring Break program that Dr. Richardson developed in 1994. In 2006, he persuaded FEMA to grant permission for Howard students to serve following Hurricane Katrina, opening the door for other volunteers and leading to the recognition of the ASB students by ABC’s World News Tonight as their Persons of the Week. ASB has become Howard University’s flagship service-learning program that, through fundraising, is offered at no cost to students.

Dr. Richardson, a tenured Associate Professor at the Howard University School of Divinity, has made scholarly contributions in the areas of pastoral care and counseling. Among his distinguished lectures are the Parks/King Lecture at Yale University and the Indaba Revitalizing Social Work in South Africa. Dr. Richardson is an ordained minister in the A.M.E. Zion Church who has previously served as a pastor, counseling specialist, mental health therapist and faculty member at several institutions.

Dr. Richardson has earned a B.S., Sociology, Howard University; M. Div., Yale University Divinity School; M.A. and Ph.D., Michigan State University, and an honorary Doctor of Divinity, Carthage College. 

His numerous honors include: Washington, DC Hall of Fame; MLK Jr. Board of Preachers of Morehouse College; DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities; Phi Delta Kappa Honor Society; National Institute of Mental Health Fellowship; Crystal Apple Outstanding Educator Award, Michigan State University; Special Citation of Achievement as orator for the 139th Opening Convocation of Howard University; Benjamin E. Mays Fellowship for Ministry; Perth Amboy High School Hall of Fame.  He is a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. 

Most recently, Dr. Richardson received the 2018 Alumni Award for Distinguished Postgraduate Achievement in the field of Religion from Howard University.

Dr Richardson is the son of Abbott and the late Ethel Richardson and father of Everett, Vincent, Justin and Marcus.

Dr. Debra D. Roberts is Founding Director of the Cultural Socialization Lab (CSL) housed in Howard University’s Department of Psychology, where she is Professor and Chair. She received her B.Sc. in Psychology/Neuroscience from University of Toronto, M.Sc. in Community Psychology from Florida A&M University, and Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology from Temple University.

Dr. Roberts’ primary areas of research involve examining various aspects of culture and ethnicity as they impact the relationship between psychosocially toxic environments, otherwise known as PTEs (poverty, violence, discrimination, trauma, etc.) and psychosocial well-being among children and adolescents.  She has worked with diverse populations and has unique research experience with programs that target marginalized, vulnerable children and adolescents of color.  As someone of Caribbean descent who was raised in Canada, she is particularly excited about the prospect of working with youth of African descent throughout the Diaspora.  Her passion for research extends to the classroom, where both undergraduate and graduate courses motivate her to bring creative, innovative student-centered instructional approaches to teaching.

Aligned with her commitment to empowering those from marginalized communities, Dr. Roberts has been active in national organizations such as the Black Caucus of the Society for Research in Child Development, National Black Child Institute, American Psychological Association’s Office of Ethnic Minority Affairs, and National Association of Black Psychologists.  She was recently accepted as a member of the Diversity Scholars Network, which is an “…international, interdisciplinary, multi-institutional community of scholars committed to advancing understandings of historical and contemporary social issues related to identity, difference, culture, representation, power, oppression, and inequality — as they occur and affect individuals, groups, communities, and institutions.”

Sivagami (“Shiva”) Subbaraman is the first Director of the LGBTQ Resource Center, one of the first institutionally funded Centers in a Jesuit university in the country.  Since she came on board in the Fall of 2008, she has worked to establish the Center as an integral and integrated part of the Hilltop community by building across differing communities and groups.  We seek to align the work of the Center with institutional mission, identity, and values. The Center now offers a full range of intersectional student- centered academic programming, support services, educational programs, and seminars and workshops.

In partnership with colleagues, she has envisioned and created a retreat program, Journeys: Understanding Self & Building Community, which builds on Jesuit educational values centered around reflection and community.

Under her leadership, the Center was honored to receive an one million dollar endowment from Paul & Chan Tagliabue that has established the The Tagliabue Initiative for LGBTQ Life: Fostering Formation & Transformation (“Initiative”).  This is a significant endorsement of the educational value and scope of the work, and is one of the largest for any LGBTQ Center in the country.

The Tagliabue Initiative has now made possible a Faculty Research Award to support academic work related to LGBTQ life (https://lgbtq.georgetown.edu/tagliabue-initiative/facultyaward); works with campus-wide initiatives to promote, enhance, and deepen our understanding of LGBTQ issues in the context of larger diversity issues. We have also created a new year-long Institute/Seminar for LGBTQ students, Gatherings: Towards Flourishing, Formation, & Transformation.

Shiva serves on several key campus committees, including the LGBT Campus Committee, the Safety Net, Women’s & Gender Studies Steering Committee, the Sexual Assault Working Group, the Disability Justice Working Group, committee on A Different Dialogue and the Provost’s committee on Diversity among several others.

Prior to Georgetown, she worked at the University of Maryland, at the LGBT Equity Center, and the Office of Human Relations Programs (now Office of Diversity Education).  While there, Shiva co-developed and implemented the Rainbow Terrapin Training program,  and the LGBT Peer Education program. She also worked extensively with the Words of Engagement: an Intergroup Dialogue program. Shiva worked on the two-year Ford Foundation funded INTERACT (Intergroup Dialogue as Pedagogy Across the Curriculum) project which integrates dialogues in curricula.

She has taught at Macalester College, Drake University, and University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana. Her primary areas of research are African American & American literature, feminist, and queer literature and theories.

She has  keynoted and presented at several national conferences (ACPA, NASPA, JASPA, Expanding the Circle, Creating Change), on social and racial justice, LGBTQ and faith, and race and gender. She has presented several day-long institutes, colloquia, and seminars on how to envision and implement LGBTQ work that is intersectional;  how to do LGBTQ work in faith-based institutions with creativity and sensitivity; and to create campus-wide templates for work that is centered on race, gender, class, and equity.  She has been invited to several campuses in a consulting and advisory capacity.

She is a feminist activist and serves on the board of several local community organizations. In her varied career, she is most happy to report that she also managed a coffee shop for several years that allowed her to continue her scholarship in a way that being an adjunct professor could not. She has also realized, much to her consternation, that there lurks “a geek” in her humanities soul.

Dr. Jeffrey Volkmann, PhD is a Board Certified, Licensed Clinical Psychologist. Dr. Volkmann is currently the Executive Director at the Counseling Center. Dr. Volkmann is also the owner of Flourishing PLLC, which is a private psychology practice that focuses on treating a diverse range of individuals using the tenants of positive psychology. He completed his doctorate in Clinical Psychology at George Mason University in 2009. Prior to his position at American University, Dr. Volkmann was the Internship Training Director at the Catholic University of America. As a clinician, Dr. Volkmann uses integrative techniques, drawing primarily from the Humanistic, Interpersonal, Positive Psychology and Cognitive Behavioral (CBT) orientations, in order to effectively meet the needs of individuals he works with. He believes that the client-therapist relationship is an essential aspect of therapeutic change.  

Dr. Vanessa V. Volpe is an Assistant Professor of Psychology in the Applied Social and Community Psychology program at North Carolina State University. As an applied developmental health psychologist, her research focuses on amplifying the ways in which Black and Latinx individuals and communities resist and protect themselves against systems of oppression in order to preserve their health (follow her lab on Twitter: @BlackHealthLab). She has demonstrated a longstanding commitment to social justice for emerging adult health on college campuses via her research, teaching, and service, including leading workshops on White anti-racist racial identity and practice for faculty and administrators. She is also particularly invested in the mentorship, training, and success of undergraduate and graduate students from minoritized social identity positions. 

Dr. Jo Ellyn Walker is a licensed clinical psychologist originally from a small suburb of Chicago. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Northwestern University, and completed her graduate work at Texas A&M University obtaining a Master’s degree in Education and a Ph.D. in counseling psychology. Having developed a passion for social justice early, Dr. Walker has worked for years to address health disparities, and other forms of oppression through various roles in student and academic affairs; as well as community agencies. In November 2018, Dr. Walker joined Georgetown Scholars Program (GSP) as its first full-time Wellness Director. Her primary responsibilities include providing therapy to GSP students, infusing health equity and holistic wellness throughout GSP programming and activities, and advocating for enhanced equity and inclusion campus-wide. Prior to working at Georgetown, Dr. Walker served as a staff psychologist based on the MCV campus of Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), as well as Chair of the Division of Student Affairs Diversity Committee. As a first-generation student herself, Dr. Walker is both passionate and grateful to be a part of GSP’s work to increase accessibility and support its students so that they have the best opportunities to realize their full potential, and create positive memories at Georgetown University. 

Jay Wang is currently on sabbatical from academia but is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin (BSA, Biology) and the University of North Texas Health Science Center (M.S., Medical Sciences). Jay has served on The Steve Fund YAB since 2017 and has enjoyed every second of it! Through the YAB, he hopes to continue building a foundation and space for SOCs juggling their various identities and ensuring that they have the proper mental health tools to progress and reach whatever goals they may have later in life. In particular, Jay has a strong desire to reach out to LGBTQ+ youth, immigrant and first-generation students, and language brokers.

Jenn Wiggins serves as the Assistant Director of Sexual Assault Response and Prevention in Health Education Services. In this role, she is available to offer students clinical services, advocacy, judicial supports, as well as, support navigating on and off-campus resources. Past work experiences include community mental health, rape crisis counseling, and women’s health counseling. Jenn’s research experiences include, multicultural competencies within the field of counseling, understanding White privilege, and self-efficacy and its impact upon performance.

Dr. Edilma Yearwood is a certified Child and Adolescent Psychiatric-Mental Health Clinical Nurse Specialist with over 40 years of clinical, teaching and research experience. She is Chair of the Department of Professional Nursing Practice in the School of Nursing & Health Studies. Dr. Yearwood’s research interests are in mood dysregulation in youth, the intersection of culture and mental health of immigrant populations and community-based participatory action research methodologies. She is an editor and chapter contributor to two mental health textbooks, Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health and Routledge Handbook of Global Mental Health Nursing. She is an Associate Editor of the journal Archives of Psychiatric Nursing and has done extensive work in the areas of diversity and inclusion. Dr. Yearwood served as the President-Elect, President and Past-President of the International Society of Psychiatric Nurses from 2015-2018.

Doris Zelaya completed her BA in Family and Children Studies in 2005 and her Masters in Mental Health Counseling in 2008 at Gallaudet University. She became a licensed as a professional counselor for DC in 2016.

She has 11 years of experience working in the mental health field. She worked at the Lexington Mental Health Center for the Deaf in New York City as a mental health therapist from 2008- 2010. For the past 8 years she has been working at the Counseling and Psychology Services (CAPS) at Gallaudet as counselor, and for the last three years as a Coordinator of Services, working primarily with Deaf, Hard of Hearing, students of color, and LGTBQA college students.

Her therapeutic approach is eclectic and uses a blend of Reality Based Therapy, psycho-education, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Dialectical Behavior Therapy in her practice.  She works primarily with Deaf/deaf, hard of hearing, students of color, and LGTBQA college students.