Speaker Biographies
Speakers are listed alphabetically by first name.
Nicole N. Aljoe
Nicole N. Aljoe
Conference Co-Chair | Professor, English & Africana Studies; Faculty Affiliate, Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program; Faculty Affiliate, NULab for Texts, Maps, and Networks; Dean’s Leadership Fellow, Public Engagement, Diversity, and Research, College of Social Sciences and Humanities, Northeastern University
Professor Aljoe’s research focuses on 18th and early 19th Century Black Atlantic and Caribbean literature with a specialization on the slave narrative and early novels. In addition to teaching in these areas, she has published articles on these topics in American Literary History, The Journal of Early American Literature, and African American Review. In her monograph Creole Testimonies: Slave Narratives from the British West Indies, 1709-1836 (Palgrave 2012) and in the co-edited collections Journeys of the Slave Narrative in the Early Americas (UVA Press, 11/2014) and, most recently, A Literary History of the Early Anglophone Caribbean: Islands in the Stream (Palgrave/Springer, April 2018), she explores the myriad ways in which subaltern voices appear in the archives. Currently, she is at work on two new projects that extend this research in productive ways: the first examines representations of Caribbean Women of Color produced in Europe and England between 1780 and 1840. And the second explores relationships between narratives of black lives and the rise of the novel in Europe and the Americas in the 18th century.
Mary Jo Ondrechen
Mary Jo Ondrechen
Conference Co-Chair | Professor, Chemistry and Chemical Biology, College of Science, Northeastern University
Prof. Ondrechen’s research group specializes in theoretical and computational chemistry and computational biology. Areas of interest include: 1) Understanding the fundamental basis for enzyme catalysis; 2) Functional genomics – prediction of the functional roles of gene products (proteins); 3) Modeling of enzyme-substrate interactions; 4) Drug discovery; and 5) Bioinformatics.
Prof. Ondrechen’s group is developing methods to predict protein function from structure and is helping to design drugs to treat infections by “brain-eating” amoebas. Another current project deals with missense mutations and why they cause disease. She is also active in promoting STEM careers to students from underserved groups.
Toyoko Orimoto
Toyoko Orimoto
Conference Co-Chair | Professor of Physics, College of Science, Northeastern University
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Prof. Toyoko Orimoto is an Professor of Physics at Northeastern University. She is an experimental particle physicist who studies the smallest constituents of nature using one of the world’s largest science experiments–the CMS Experiment at the CERN Large Hadron Collider in Geneva, Switzerland. As part of the CMS Collaboration, Prof. Orimoto is interested in using the recently discovered Higgs boson particle as a probe for new beyond-the-Standard-Model physics, such as supersymmetry and extra dimensions. Moreover, she works on the CMS electromagnetic calorimeter and the new CMS MIP timing detector.
Prior to joining the Northeastern faculty, Prof. Orimoto was a fellow at CERN (2009-2012) and the Robert A. Millikan fellow at the California Institute of Technology (2006-2009). For her PhD at the University of California, Berkeley, she studied charge-parity asymmetry with the Babar Experiment at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center.
In addition to her passion for elementary particles, Prof. Orimoto advocates for diversity, equity, and inclusion in all spheres–in her collaborations, in physics, at the University, and in society at large.
Tracy Robinson-Wood
Tracy Robinson-Wood
Conference Co-Chair | Professor, Applied Psychology, Bouvé College of Health Sciences, Northeastern University
Dr. Tracy Robinson-Wood is Professor of Applied Psychology at Northeastern University. She and her Intersectionality research team have examined microaggressions among BIPOC and White people who identify as LGBTQ, racial socialization among adult Biracials, and police-civilian interactions. In 2022, she co-authored, Sister Resisters: Mentoring Black women on campus with Dr. Janie Victoria Ward. A native of Sacramento, CA, Dr. Robinson-Wood earned her BA degree in Psychology from Azusa Pacific University. Her graduate degrees are in Human Development and Psychology from Harvard. Dr. Robinson-Wood is a licensed clinician in MA and NH. She lives in NH with her family.
2026 Plenary Session Speakers
Our keynote speakers, panelists, and workshop leaders were carefully selected for their varied experience and expertise to reflect these themes. We look forward to hearing their perspectives. The goal is for participants to walk away with strategies and best practices that will set the stage for their individual action plans.
Evelynn M. Hammonds
Evelynn M. Hammonds
The Barbara Gutmann Rosenkrantz Professor of the History of Science and Professor of African and African-American Studies at Harvard University, and former Dean of Harvard College
Professor Hammonds is the Barbara Gutmann Rosenkrantz Professor of the History of Science and Professor of African and African American Studies in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, and Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health at Harvard University. She was the first Senior Vice Provost for Faculty Development and Diversity at Harvard University (2005-2008). From 2008 to 2013, she served as Dean of Harvard College, and served as Chair of the Department of History of Science from 2017 to 2022.
Professor Hammonds’ areas of research include the histories of science, medicine, and public health in the United States; race, gender, and sexuality in science studies; feminist theory; and African American history. She has published articles on the history of disease, race and science, African American feminism, African American women and the epidemic of HIV/AIDS; analyses of gender and race in science, medicine and public health, and the history of health disparities in the U.S. Professor Hammonds’ current work focuses on the history of the intersection of scientific, medical, and socio-political concepts of race in the United States. She is currently director of the Project on Race & Gender in Science & Medicine at the Hutchins Center for African and African American Research at Harvard.
Prof. Hammonds earned her PhD in the history of science from Harvard University and was a post-doctoral fellow at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton. She holds a BS in physics from Spelman College, a BEE in electrical engineering from Georgia Tech, and an SM in Physics from MIT. Hammonds was a member of the faculty at MIT from 1992 to 2002.
In 2010, she was appointed to President Barack Obama’s Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and in 2014 to the President’s Advisory Committee on Excellence in Higher Education for African Americans. She served as a member of the Committee on Equal Opportunity in Science and Engineering (CEOSE), the congressionally mandated oversight committee of the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Advisory Committee of the EHR directorate of the NSF, and the Advisory Committee on the Merit Review Process of the NSF. Professor Hammonds is the current vice president/president-elect of the History of Science Society. She currently serves on the Board of the Arcus Foundation and the Board of Trustees of Bates College.
At Harvard, she served on the President’s Initiative on Harvard and the Legacy of Slavery, the Faculty Executive Committee of the Peabody Museum, and she chaired the University-wide Steering Committee on Human Remains in the Harvard Museum Collections. She also works on projects to increase the participation of men and women of color in STEM fields. Prof. Hammonds is the co-author of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) 2021 report “Transforming Technologies: Women of Color in Tech.” She is a member of the Committee on Women in Science, Engineering, and Medicine (CWSEM) of the NAS and the NAS Roundtable on Black Men and Black Women in Science, Engineering, and Medicine. She is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She holds honorary degrees from Spelman College and Bates College.
Chinyere Oparah
Chinyere Oparah
Founder and CEO of the Center for Liberated Leadership and Professor, Sociology and Leadership Studies, University of San Francisco
Dr. Chinyere Oparah is Founder and CEO of the Center for Liberated Leadership (C4LL), where she supports leaders navigating complexity, pressure, and rapid institutional change. A scholar-activist with over two decades as a professor of Ethnic Studies and Sociology & Leadership Studies, she has held senior leadership roles, including Provost, Dean, and Vice President for Academic Affairs. She is co-founder of both Black Women Birthing Justice and Critical Resistance, and author and editor of numerous books, including Activist Scholarship: Antiracism, Feminism, and Social Change. Her work bridges scholarship, organizing, and leadership practice, advancing equity and collective transformation in higher education and beyond. Through her Liberated Leadership framework, she helps leaders align strategy, courage, and sustainability in challenging times.
Rachel Moo
Rachel Moo
Assistant Dean of Engagement & Impact, College of Arts, Media and Design, Northeastern University
A career athlete turned educator, Rachel Moo combines her passion for sports and peace education to empower young people toward social justice. She developed a peace studies curriculum rooted in the principles of Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. and holds a master’s degree in Sports Leadership and an MBA, both from Northeastern University. With experience in curriculum design, high school athletics administration, and nonprofit work supporting underserved youth, Moo is committed to redefining education’s role in restoring and empowering communities.
Sabrina Kwist
Sabrina Kwist
Associate Vice Provost for Antiracism, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the University of San Francisco
Sabrina T. Kwist serves as the Associate Vice Provost for Antiracism, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the University of San Francisco. She brings more than two decades of experience supporting equity, access, and student success across California higher-education institutions. Before joining USF, Sabrina held leadership roles at Los Medanos College and Mills College, where she developed campus-wide equity initiatives, expanded professional development for faculty and staff, and strengthened academic and retention pathways for first-generation, transfer, and undocumented students. A first-generation college graduate, Sabrina earned her B.A. in Sociology from UC Santa Barbara, her M.Ed. from the University of Vermont, and her Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from Mills College. Her work is grounded in building community, fostering trust, and centering healing and joy in educational spaces.
Tara L. Parker
Tara L. Parker
Professor of Higher Education, Dean of College of Education and Human Development, University of Massachusetts Boston
Tara L. Parker’s research focuses on race, equity, and success in higher education, including three interrelated areas: The application of critical race theory to higher education; the experiences and contributions of faculty of color; and the influence of public policy on developmental education.
Dr. Parker’s scholarship has been published in the Review of Higher Education, Teachers College Record, the Journal of College Student Development, and the Community College Journal of Research and Practice. She has presented her work in Canada, China, Mexico, Thailand, and throughout the United States. Dr. Parker is co-author of The State of Developmental Education: Higher Education and Public Policy Priorities (Palgrave MacMillan, 2014) with Leticia Bustillos and Michelle Sterk Barrett, and Racism and Racial Equity in Higher Education (Jossey-Bass, 2015) with Samuel Museus and María Ledesma. She is also co-author of The Community’s Colleges: The Pursuit of Democracy, Economic Development, and Success (Stylus Publishing, 2022) with Robert Pura.
Dr. Parker was awarded Honorable Mention for the 2020 Presidential Medal by the Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE) for her influence as a local change agent. She currently serves on the editorial board for the Review of Higher Education and the American Educational Research Journal.
Prior to joining the faculty at the University of Massachusetts Boston, Dr. Parker earned her PhD in Higher Education from New York University, her MA in Higher Education Administration from the University of Minnesota, and her BA in Communications from Marist College.
Speakers are listed alphabetically by first name.
Alexis Lawton
Alexis Lawton
Speech-Language Pathologist, Doctoral Student and Adjunct Professor, Clemson University
Alexis Lawton is a speech-language pathologist in Walterboro, South Carolina. She is a 2nd year PhD student in the literacy, language, and culture program at Clemson University. She is also an adjunct professor in the speech-language pathology program at West Coast University. Her research interests are culturally sustaining literacy pedagogies, multimodality and semiotic forms, and working with culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) individuals.
Alta Mauro
Alta Mauro
Associate Dean of Students for Culture & Community, Dean of Students Office, Harvard College
Alta Mauro is the Associate Dean of Students for Culture & Community at Harvard College, where she leads efforts to cultivate a campus environment in which students from all backgrounds can thrive. She has navigated institutional reorganizations and shifting public discourse around DEI while remaining anchored in best practice and the phenomenological expertise of students, staff, and faculty at the margins. A scholar-practitioner with over 20 years in higher education, Mauro is committed to building structures that leverage broad institutional partnerships to translate values of equity and justice into everyday practice. She brings to this work a deep belief that women of color in the academy are not only culture bearers but critical architects of institutional excellence.
Ashley Sharpe-Porter
Ashley Sharpe-Porter
Educational Consultant and Researcher, Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
Dr. Ashley Sharpe-Porter is an educational leader and scholar-practitioner with the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, where she advances research-informed approaches to school and district systems, equity, and inclusive design. Her work draws on interdisciplinary perspectives in education policy and culturally responsive pedagogy to examine how institutional practices shape outcomes for historically marginalized students. Sharpe-Porter’s scholarship centers Black girls’ and women’s identity development, voice, and belonging in academic spaces, as she has elevated in her research, “For Us, By Us: An Examination of the Unique Experiences of Black Women Educators in K-12 Schools.” Her work is collaborative and community-engaged, bridging research, policy, and practice. She recently received the Boston University Young Alumni Award for her impact and leadership.
Camille Powell
Camille Powell
Assistant Clinical Professor and Director of Clinical Education, Bouvé College of Health Sciences, Northeastern University
Camille Powell is an Assistant Clinical Professor and the Director of Clinical Education in Northeastern University’s Physical Therapy Program. As a Board-Certified Neurologic Clinical Specialist, she bridges clinical expertise with a deep commitment to equity, belonging, and transformational leadership in health sciences education. As the Chair of the DEI Committee for the Massachusetts Chapter of the American Physical Therapy Association, Powell has invested in culturally responsive education and practice. Her scholarship and advocacy center health literacy, trauma-informed education, and research to better understand and support minoritized students. Powell believes that sustained activism is most powerful when rooted in joy, community, and collective care.
Carmen Capó Lugo
Carmen Capó Lugo
Associate Professor, Physical Therapy, Universidad Ana G. Méndez
Dr. Carmen E. Capó Lugo, PT, PhD, is Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Physical Therapy at Universidad Ana G. Méndez, Puerto Rico. A neuroscientist and health services researcher, her work transcends biological disability to address social determinants of health and equitable recovery. As a Fellow in Higher Education Leadership, she champions health systems science as a vehicle for equity, inclusion, and social justice in rehabilitation education. Dr. Capó Lugo’s leadership centers on transforming the academy through knowledge translation, collective resilience, and sustainable activism, fostering community impact while centering joy and faculty well-being.
Charlyn Okigbo
Charlyn Okigbo
Chief Marketing Officer, Bolden Beauty
Charlyn Okigbo is a growth and marketing executive with 15 plus years of experience scaling consumer and digital businesses across Uber, Amazon, American Express, and Saks Fifth Avenue. She has launched new ventures, unlocked high-margin revenue streams, and built high-performing teams at the intersection of commerce, community, and creativity.
She currently serves as Chief Marketing Officer at Bolden Beauty. Previously, she was GM of Growth Bets at Uber Advertising, helping establish its ads business and pioneer new monetization formats. At Amazon, she led multiple GM roles, including launching the Black Business Accelerator and scaling health and payments initiatives.
An Ad Age 40 Under 40 honoree, she blends data-driven strategy with creative execution to drive measurable growth.
Christina Silva
Christina Silva
STEM Education Researcher, TERC
Christina B. Silva, BSW, is a Filipina American STEM Education Researcher at TERC. She is trained in arts-informed research and synthesis methods and has researched and evaluated the experiences, persistence, and retention of members of underrepresented groups in STEM higher education and careers. In utilizing arts-informed research methods, she is committed to uplifting the stories of marginalized groups and sharing them with broader communities. As a member of the Institute for Meta-Synthesis (IMS) team, she co-authored the IMS user guide and co-teaches workshop participants. Christina holds a Bachelor of Social Work degree from Simmons University.
Denise Brown
Denise Brown
Founder and Executive Director of The Brown Academy of Educational Equity and Innovation, LLC
Denise Brown, MS, is a former Assistant Professor in the College of Business at Framingham State University, where she served for over four years, and an EdD candidate in Leadership and Innovation at Arizona State University. She is the founder and executive director of The Brown Academy of Educational Equity and Innovation, LLC (BAEEI), an educational consulting and leadership development organization. Under BAEEI, she leads ElevatEd Academy and the nationally recognized, award-winning Corporate Readiness 101 Academy (CR1A), programs designed to prepare students for academic success, leadership, and workforce readiness. Denise brings leadership experience from both Fortune 500 corporations and higher education, specializing in student success and leadership development.
Destini A. Hall
Destini A. Hall
Tobacco and Youth Program Supervisor, Larimer County Department of Health and Environment
Destini A. Hall is deeply rooted in the power of community and its power to support, expand, educate, encourage, and nourish Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. She serves as an educator, community builder, and yoga instructor to create more equitable, accessible, and representative spaces for BIPOC communities to connect back to their breath and bodies. She is an advocate for deep healing through the elements of nature and strives to build more sacred spaces for BIPOC communities to experience themselves and connect with movement in those elements. She’d love to be in community with you.
Destini is a sister, daughter, granddaughter, and homegirl. Her roots run deep through the coast of Oregon, Idaho, California, and she now resides amongst the Aspen trees of Arapahoe, Cheyanne, and Ute Nations, also known as Colorado.
Juana Parillon
Juana Parillon
Assistant Vice President of Campus and Community Engagement, Brown University
Juana L. Parillon, PhD, MBA (she/her/ella), is an acclaimed leader with over 20 years of proven leadership experience helping executives understand how to frame and scale diversity and inclusion-focused initiatives within organizations. She is a United States Marine Corps veteran, an industrial and organizational psychologist, and a current Assistant Vice President at Brown University.
Karen Okigbo
Karen Okigbo
Assistant Professor, Sociology, University of Massachusetts-Boston
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Karen Okigbo is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at the University of Massachusetts-Boston. Prior to this role, she was a Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Chicago’s Harris School of Public Policy. Broadly speaking, her research is on the areas of immigration, race, ethnicity, and sociology of the family. Her current work focuses on intermarriage and endogamy among second-generation Nigerian Americans and explores their marital decision-making processes. She holds a doctorate in sociology from the CUNY Graduate Center, a master’s in social policy from the University of Pennsylvania, a master’s in sociology from North Dakota State University, and a bachelor’s in politics from Princeton University.
Keshrie Naidoo
Keshrie Naidoo
Associate Professor and Department Chair, Physical Therapy, MGH Institute of Health Professions
Dr. Keshrie Naidoo PT, DPT, EdD, is the Chair and Distinguished Teaching Associate Professor in the Physical Therapy Department and the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs for the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences at the MGH Institute of Health Professions. Dr. Naidoo earned her Physiotherapy degree from the University of Cape Town, Transitional Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from the MGH Institute, and Doctorate in Education from Johns Hopkins School of Education, with a focus on entrepreneurial leadership in education. Her research focuses on equity in education. Dr. Naidoo is the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Physical Therapy Education.
Lakisha Coppedge
Lakisha Coppedge
Founder & Principal, Coppedge Consulting, LLC
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Lakisha Coppedge is Founder and Principal of Coppedge Consulting, a Springfield, MA–based firm advancing equity across education and business. She holds BS and MS degrees in Human Services from Springfield College and is a graduate of Leadership Pioneer Valley and LIPPI. A radically inclusive leader and educator, she partners with institutions to address systemic inequities, strengthen pedagogy, and improve outcomes. Her work centers trauma-informed, culturally humble practices that build bridges among educators, advocates, and communities. Lakisha serves on multiple regional boards and, as an adjunct professor, remains committed to closing opportunity gaps and advancing success for all learners.
LaShawna McCoy
LaShawna McCoy
Assistant Director for Education, Nonprofit & Social Impact, Smith College
LaShawna McCoy leads the Education, Nonprofit & Social Impact Career Community at Smith College and serves as Director of Research, Assessment, and Impact with Corporate Readiness 101 Academy (CR1A). With more than 25 years of experience, her work spans education, nonprofit leadership, and consulting, where she focuses on program development, evaluation, and advancing equitable outcomes. She has led initiatives supporting social-emotional learning at a national level and provides strategic guidance to improve educational practice and impact. McCoy is also the founder of an educational consulting company dedicated to inclusive practices and program evaluation. She holds National Board Certification, an MS in Education, and an EdS in Educational Leadership.
Machienvee V. Lammey
Machienvee V. Lammey
Senior Researcher, TERC
Machienvee V. Lammey, PhD, is an applied sociologist and Senior Researcher at TERC whose work advances equity in STEM education. Using an intersectional lens, she examines how race, gender, class, and culture shape minoritized students’ experiences and opportunities. A scholar of embodied learning, she currently studies how community-based dance centers function as resources within arts and learning ecologies and support the development and well-being of youth of color. She earned her PhD in sociology from the University of New Mexico, where her research explored the racialized emotions, mentoring relationships, and ethical commitments of women of color graduate students in STEM.
Monique Holsey-Hyman
Monique Holsey-Hyman
Associate Professor and Director of TSTM Mentorship Program, North Carolina Central University
Dr. Monique E. Holsey-Hyman is a tenured Associate Professor of Social Work at North Carolina Central University and a dynamic leader in higher education and public service. With over 25 years of experience in social work and more than 20 years in academic leadership, she is deeply committed to student success, retention, and mentorship. Dr. Holsey-Hyman has held key leadership roles in both university and community settings, including service on the Durham City Council and advisory boards. A champion of mentorship, she founded and leads initiatives that support student development and professional growth. Her leadership is collaborative, data-informed, and student-centered, focused on empowering individuals, strengthening communities, and driving meaningful institutional change. Dr. Holsey-Hyman holds an EdD from Walden University and an MSW from Columbia University. She is a licensed clinical social worker in New York State (LCSW-R), holds ACUE certification, and is a certified social work manager.
Pamela Zabala Ortiz
Pamela Zabala Ortiz
Assistant Professor of Sociology, Boston University
Pamela Zabala Ortiz is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at Boston University and a scholar-comedian whose interests include race making and belonging; inter- and intra-community solidarity; and transnational, diasporic negotiations of ethnoracial identities, especially regarding Blackness and latinidad. Her work can be found in Sociology of Race and Ethnicity, Ethnic and Racial Studies, and Identities. She has also brought these topics to the stage, performing at venues like Carolines on Broadway, Goodnights Comedy Club, and the North Carolina Comedy Festival. Pamela received a BA in sociology from Bowdoin College and an MA and PhD in sociology from Duke University.
Rhicka-Joyce Crudo
Rhicka-Joyce Crudo
Director of People, Culture, and Belonging, Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco
Rhicka-Joyce Crudo is an organizational leader committed to reimagining workplace culture through inclusion, authenticity, and care. As Director of People, Culture & Belonging at the Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco, she leads organization-wide strategies that center identity, connection, and well-being. With a background in social impact, facilitation, and equity-driven leadership, Crudo creates reflective spaces that invite authenticity and courageous dialogue. Her work integrates research, lived experience, and relational practices to challenge traditional norms of professionalism. She is passionate about helping professionals reconnect with themselves and others to build sustainable, hope and human-centered environments.
Sabrina Debrosse
Sabrina Debrosse
Director of Digital Strategy & Communications, Dean of Students Office, Harvard College
Sabrina is a communications professional of 12 years, having spent almost 10 years at Harvard. As the current Director of Digital Strategy & Communications for the Dean of Students Office, she helps the DSO tell stories about its students, campus life, and DSO-driven initiatives. Sabrina works with the DSO senior leadership team to establish communication goals and priorities that advance the work of the department and illuminate the richly complex and multifaceted undergraduate experience at Harvard. Working closely with Residential Life and the First-Year Experience, Office of Culture & Community, and Student Engagement, she determines the most effective and strategic means and methods to share their messages with a variety of audiences, including students, parents, alumni, staff, and faculty.
Soljane Martinez
Soljane Martinez
Director of Library Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Brown University
Soljane Martinez, EdD, brings over 25 years of expertise in higher education and organizational change. As a strategic leader, she advances inclusive workplace cultures and directs programmatic initiatives that foster belonging across campus and wider communities.
Dr. Martinez previously served as Brown’s Education Coordinator, where she launched College Day at Brown and led the university’s partnership with the National Education Equity Lab, providing credit-bearing courses to Title I high school students nationwide. Her background includes nearly two decades as an award-winning K-12 teacher and a career as a reporter for The Providence Journal and The Wall Street Journal Sunday.
A first-generation college graduate, Dr. Martinez currently teaches culturally responsive pedagogy at Johnson & Wales University and College Unbound. She combines empathy with rigor, championing education as a vital tool for sustaining democracy and equipping future leaders to thrive.
Stefany Breton
Stefany Breton
Adjunct Professor, Education, Northeastern University
Dr. Stefany Breton is an advocate, educator, and researcher committed to transforming education for historically resilient communities. As Director of Advocacy Engagement at TNTP, she leads efforts to build and sustain a high-quality educator workforce. A former teacher, school leader, and state policy director, she has influenced policy across 400+ schools. Her research centers on the RISE framework, which reimagines how institutions support Black women in education. Dr. Breton also teaches education policy and leadership at Northeastern and Boston University. She holds degrees from Spelman College, UMass Amherst, and Northeastern University. Rooted in community, storytelling, and systemic change, Dr. Breton brings both strategy and heart to her work.
Tiffany Bailey
Tiffany Bailey
Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Black Feminism, Africana Studies, Northeastern University
Tiffany Bailey is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Africana Studies Program at Northeastern University. Her research interests include Black girlhood studies, Black feminist studies, French & Francophone studies, contemporary film and literature, and popular culture. Her work is published or is forthcoming in The Black Scholar, Girlhood Studies, and Meridians.
Tori Bowser
Tori Bowser
Graduate Student Services Coordinator, Khoury College, Northeastern University
Tori Bowser is a higher education professional and organizational learning practitioner whose work sits at the intersection of people, systems, and data. As a Graduate Student Services Coordinator at Northeastern University’s Khoury College of Computer Sciences, she leads student engagement and cross-campus initiatives that translate data and lived experience into meaningful action. Bowser holds a BA in Communication Studies from San José State University and an MS in Organizational Performance and Workplace Learning from Boise State University. She believes institutions are strongest when their work is shaped by the voices of the communities they serve.
