Schuyler Bailar is the first transgender athlete to compete in any sport on an NCAA Division 1 men’s team. By 15, he was one of the nation’s top-20 15-year-old breast-strokers. By 17, he set a national age-group record. In college, he swam for Harvard University, on the winningest Harvard team in 50 years. Schuyler’s difficult choice – to transition while potentially giving up the prospect of being an NCAA Champion – was historic and timely. His story has appeared everywhere from 60 Minutes to The Ellen Show. Schuyler's tireless advocacy of inclusion through public speaking and social media (@pinkmantaray) has earned him numerous notable honors.
Elizabeth Bartelt, MPH, PhD, is a health educator whose research focuses on sexual and gender minority (i.e., LGBTQIA+) reproductive health access and experiences. She received the highly competitive Society for Family Planning Emerging Fellows research grant to complete her dissertation work. Dr. Bartelt worked for many years in the field of public health before obtaining her PhD, including serving as an AmeriCorps VISTA member and working as a sexuality educator for Planned Parenthood. Dr. Bartelt completed her PhD in health behavior from Indiana University, School of Public Health-Bloomington before joining the faculty at the University at Buffalo, where she now teaches courses in the School of Public Health and Health Professions’ (SPHHP) undergraduate public health program.
Matt Bernstein (he/they) is a creator confronting conservatism online through humor and logic. He began posting political content from his college dorm, noticing a rise in online homophobia after the 2016 election. since then, his posts deconstructing conservative ideas of sexuality, gender, and masculinity have gone viral many times over. Matt has been profiled by MTV and worked with the democratic national convention during the 2020 election, interviewing gay Senator Tammy Baldwin to get out the vote. Matt's goal is to cut through the madness of social media to give people the language and understanding they need to argue against conservative bigotry. They want to help create a future where LGBTQ kids can be themselves without struggle.
Kevin Borneo is the director of training at the Ali Forney Center, an organization dedicated to serving homeless LGBTQ+ youth. Kevin's role is to train all program staff and leadership in standards of care for homeless youth. He also ensures that staff members of every program from case management, mental health, med-clinic, vocational education (voc/ed), housing, and more are all trained on the specific skills their role needs to serve this population. Kevin has over half a decade of career development and education experience, starting as an intern at Brooklyn College in the Magner Career Center, where he majored in psychology, and at AFC for three of those years as a job developer, voc/ed program coordinator, and interim director of the Unity Works Program. He's also worked as a case manager and a youth counselor. Kevin's experience working with college students, with homeless RHY youth, and in the career development field in addition to as a trainer at AFC make him a great resource on how to support and help students in crisis be successful.
Alicia Borns is the director of domestic violence program and prevention at the NYS Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence (OPDV). Borns provides oversight for program and prevention planning and development. She represents OPDV at executive-level meetings and task forces. She also oversees the coordination and development of public awareness, outreach, and educational initiatives related to domestic violence prevention and programs. Prior to working at OPDV, Borns worked at Equinox Domestic Violence Services in Albany, NY for 15 years and has more than 27 years of experience in domestic violence service provision. Borns has extensive experience in individual and systems advocacy, program and policy development, program administration, and community collaboration, outreach, and awareness. Borns earned her Bachelor of Science degree from South Dakota State University in Brooking, South Dakota.
Pauline Bosma is the founder and coordinator of the Rainbow Support Groups, a network of support groups for self-advocates who are members of both the intellectual and developmental disability community as well as the LGBTQ+ community. Bosma identities as a transgender woman who is labeled with an intellectual disability. She has extensive experience offering training and presentations on sex education and issues related to the LGBTQ+ and disability communities. Bosma works for Massachusetts Advocates Standing Strong, where she continues her work with Rainbow; leads sex education webinars; works on the Awareness & Action peer-to-peer training to help people with disabilities recognize, respond to, and report abuse; and works with the Mass Rights for Change project to develop a program to support people with disabilities who have survived sexual abuse. She can be reached at rainbow@wearemass.org.
Amber Briggle (she/her) is an activist, speaker, writer, and self-described "mamabear" of a transgender teen in Texas. Amber is a founding member and former national co-chair of the Human Rights Campaign's "Parents for Transgender Equality Council", and has been previously nominated by the Dallas Morning News as "Texan of the Year" and as LGBTQ Nation’s editorial board as a “Hero Defending the Children”. She has written for the Washington Post, Daily Beast, and TIME Magazine, and has been featured in numerous outlets, including Nightline, NHK-Japan, New York Times, Newsweek, Teen Vogue, The 19th, and People Magazine.
Mostly, though, she’s “just a mom” who loves both her kids unconditionally.
Frances Bronet is president of Pratt Institute in New York City. An educator and leader at the forefront of interdisciplinary learning, Bronet previously served as senior vice president and provost at Illinois Institute of Technology, as acting provost of the University of Oregon (UO), and as dean of the School of Architecture and Allied Arts (UO), as Architecture Professor at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, continuing on to associate and acting dean. She has developed, published and been extensively funded on multidisciplinary design curricula, connecting architecture, engineering, science, humanities and social sciences, dance, disability, fine and electronic arts. Her work with internationally acclaimed artists in her own action-based installations has been highly recognized. Bronet holds professional degrees from McGill University in architecture and civil engineering; she received her graduate degree from Columbia University. She was licensed by the Ordre des Architectes du Quebec and has practiced in multiple award-winning offices in New York and Canada, including her own in Montreal.
Deborah F. Stanley began serving as interim chancellor of The State University of New York, the largest comprehensive system of higher education in the United States, on January 15, 2022.
Chancellor Stanley previously served for 25 years as president of the State University of New York at Oswego... (Read full bio)
Anta Cissé-Green is Senior Vice Chancellor & General Counsel for The State University of New York Office of General Counsel. As General Counsel, Anta serves as the chief legal officer to the SUNY Board of Trustees, the Chancellor, System Administration and the presidents of the state-operated campuses... (Read full bio)
Rosanna Cuttone earned her associate of science degree in general studies from York College of Pennsylvania before transferring to The State University of New York College at Old Westbury where she is now a senior obtaining a bachelor's degree in psychology with a minor in social work. Her roles on campus include being a student-athlete on the softball and cross-country team, manager of the women's soccer team, president and founder of Old Westbury Rainbow, president of SAAC (Student Athletic Association Committee), vice president of Peer Educators, and member of Tau Sigma National Honor Society. Currently, she volunteers her time at SUNY Old Westbury athletic events and for SUNY as a student representative for Old Westbury as a planner for SUNY Pride events and the SUNY SPECTRUM conference. Cuttone serves as an intern at Pride for Youth in addition to being a student ambassador, TRIO ambassador, and peer mentor for SUNY Old Westbury as well as a Northwell rehabilitation aide in the orthopedic and neurology unit at STARS Rehabilitation.
Crissi Dalfonzo is a polyamorous, biqueer woman with over six years of experience in diversity education and currently serves as assistant director of the LGBT Resource Center at Cornell University. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Hartford and a Master of Higher Education with a concentration in social justice from the University of Maine. A lifelong educator and self-defined "professional queer," Dalfonzo is passionate about queer sex and relationships, racial and social justice, and creating community. A voice on the national stage, Dalfonzo has spoken at many conferences and provides presentations, workshops, and consultation about LGBTQ+ experiences, allyship, and advocacy. Dalfonzo loves all things rainbow, sparkle, and unicorns and is an avid knitter and foodie.
John Dias is a 2x Emmy Award-Winning Reporter at CBS New York. He joined the team in 2017. He currently serves as the morning reporter, covering anything from local breaking news to domestic and foreign affairs.
John graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University at Albany with dual majors in journalism and communication. He also minored in political science. During his senior year, he juggled both classes and a full-time job as a web producer for News10 ABC in Albany, New York.
He landed his first on-air job as a multimedia journalist at KREX-TV in Grand Junction, Colorado. There, he chased wildfires, reported on politics and stories that made history, like the Aurora Theater shooting. He shot, wrote and edited his own stories.
Prior to joining CBS2, he was an anchor/reporter at News 12 Networks for almost five years. He covered breaking news and crime. He was the first to uncover the story about a deadly Legionaries outbreak in the Bronx, and the biggest gang takedown New York City has ever seen.
When John is not pursuing news stories, he loves to travel with his family and friends. Montauk, New York, and Telluride, Colorado, are his two favorite places in the world. He's an avid runner and completed his first marathon in 2019.
He lives on the Upper West Side with his husband and their two dogs, Belle and Finn. John is a Long Island native and graduated from Sachem High School. He says their radio program, WSHR, got him interested in broadcast journalism.
Following an academic year (September 2019 to June 2020) as interim president of York College, CUNY, Dr. Berenecea Johnson Eanes was appointed president of the institution. This appointment marks Dr. Eanes' return to CUNY, having served for six years as Vice President for Student Affairs at John Jay College (2006-20012). President Eanes immediately began assessing the needs of the college and devising a strategy to grow the college as "One York," where everyone feels valued for their contribution to the academic enterprise. To this end, she embarked upon a "listening tour" of the college community as well as meetings with external stakeholders whose support York has always depended upon to survive and thrive.
During the interim appointment at York, Dr. Eanes accomplished several long and short-term goals including: the completion of York’s Strategic Plan, establishing three main pillars to support... Read full bio
Shay Gauthier (they/she) (GO-tee-ay) is a 2021 SUNY Brockport graduate with expertise in the fields of journalism, communications, and social media with a focus on gender-based violence and queer issues. Their education centered around highlighting the voices of queer people and marginalized communities as well as propelling conversations on racial injustice, mental health, and institutional corruption. During their accelerated three-year undergraduate career as a journalism and broadcasting major with a concentration in multimedia journalism and a minor in political science, they won 15 state and national awards for excellence in journalism and academics, spanning radio and television, were granted the Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence and the highly distinguished SUNY Brockport President’s Citation, and earned the SUNY Chancellor’s communications fellowship in 2021.
While serving as news reporter, operations manager, on-air personality, and programming director for the student-run, Brockport-based radio station WBSU 89.1 The Point, serving seven counties and into Canada, Gauthier ran a 12-part series on gender-based violence that led to the station collecting almost 3,000 donated goods for five domestic violence shelters throughout Western New York and winning the George Rich Philanthropy Award, which they also donated to Willow Domestic Violence Center.
They presently act as social media coordinator for the SUNY System, spearheading its groundbreakingly successful social media campaign for SUNY Pride, and have served as one of three principal planners for the SPECTRUM conference. They were instrumental in the passing of the Chosen Name and Pronoun Policy in June 2022, ensuring that transgender, gender non-conforming, and non-binary students’ identities are fully reflected and represented in campus systems across all 64 campuses. An avid music lover and saxophonist, they currently live in Albany with their partner, their three cats, Howl, Leo, and Poppy, and their snake, Zuki.
Kathy Grant, LCSW, is the equity & inclusion administrator for the NYS Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence. Grant’s role is to work with communities most impacted by gender-based violence and ensure that the agency's work is done through an intersectional lens. Grant has a background in social work and was previously the director of anti-violence services for In Our Own Voices, Inc., a LGBT, POC, culturally specific agency.
Ian Grugan works as a community corrections representative with the NYS Division of Criminal Justice Services (NYS DCJS) Office of Probation and Correctional Alternatives (OPCA) in Albany, New York. He is also an adjunct professor with SUNY Empire State College and a Doctor of Criminal Justice candidate with North Central University (NCU). Grugan has focused his studies and research on the history of interactions between Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Queer/Gender Expansive, & Transgender (LGBQ/GET) individuals, and the criminal justice system. He is the author of “Being Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Queer/Gender Non-Conforming, & Transgender (LGBQ/GNCT) in the United States Criminal Justice System: Reforming and Informing Criminal Justice Policy to Reduce Disparities and Increase Supports for LGBQ/GNCT Youth in the United States,” published in the Journal of Engaged Research in 2022. Grugan has a Master of Social and Public Policy from SUNY Empire State College and has since been working toward a doctorate in criminal justice with a focus on policing. Ian plans to continue his research on LGBQ/GET individuals and criminal justice professionals in his dissertation. Grugan has been employed with the NYS DCJS OPCA Juvenile Probation Operations Unit for eight years. In this capacity, he ensures local probation policies and practices stay in regulatory compliance by providing technical assistance and training to law enforcement officers. Grugan hopes to move into a full-time role as a higher-education professor of criminal justice after completing his doctorate degree.
Mathew (Mat) Hall, MEd, has worked at SUNY Brockport since September of 2020. His professional background is primarily in the field of violence prevention and health promotion; however, he has worked to open the first LGBTQIA+ Center at SUNY Brockport. Mat will be starting the Global Gender Studies PhD program at the University at Buffalo in Fall 2022. His areas of research include sexual and reproductive health, violence prevention, institutional betrayal, and LGBTQIA+ student experiences.
Cheryl Hamilton has been appointed student advocate and executive director of Educational Opportunity Programs at SUNY. This senior position is designed to elevate and lead the Chancellor's more student-centric priorities for his administration... (Read full bio)
Rebecca Harrington, MA, is the health educator at SUNY Oneonta, where she provides leadership to both the Know Violence interpersonal violence prevention committee and the Alcohol & Other Drug committee. Harrington has contributed many hours to the SUNY system's initiatives, including the development of the Sexual and Interpersonal Violence Prevention & Response Course (SPARC) program and the inaugural SPECTRUM conference. She is a 2018 SUNY Chancellor’s Award winner for Professional Service.
Kelly Hendricken, JD, is the managing counsel for Student Affairs at SUNY. She currently provides legal support to SUNY New Paltz and Potsdam Colleges along with leading the Student Affairs Practice Unit as managing counsel at System Administration. Prior to joining SUNY, Kelly served as director and counsel of the New York State Senate Higher Education Committee for Senator Kenneth P. LaValle, the chairman of the committee. Her portfolio included matters relating to all colleges and universities in the public and private sectors of higher education as well as all licensed professions under Title VIII of the Education Law. Prior to that, she was a legislative fellow in the New York State Senate Graduate Fellowship Program. Hendricken also interned at the New York State Office of the Attorney General in the Litigation Bureau and the New York State Office of the Inspector General. She is a SUNY alumnus who received her undergraduate degree from SUNY College at Geneseo in 2011. Hendricken majored in English (creative writing track) and psychology. Hendricken completed her JD at Albany Law School in 2014 and was a member of the Albany Government Law Review. Hendricken is admitted to practice in New York State.
Oscar E. Hughes, MEd, started his career as a special education teacher for high school and transition-aged students with intellectual and developmental disabilities, where he sought to create a classroom and school environment that was inclusive to trans and gender-diverse students. He also advised the high school’s Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA), which included students with and without disabilities. Hughes is now pursuing a PhD in special education at Boston University, where his research focuses on supporting LGBTQ+ adults with intellectual/developmental disabilities (I/DD) to express their gender and sexuality. He works part-time as the assistant to the Rainbow Support Groups, leads healthy relationships groups for autistic adults, and is a sexuality education trainer for Elevatus Training.
Jinx Lioi, MD, was a member of the Medical Student Pride Alliance National Leadership Team and served as director of financial affairs for two years. Locally, Lioi was a Fellow in social justice, equity administration, and leadership at the Jacobs School of Medicine. Motivated by their own experiences as a queer and nonbinary person, their focus was on improving the learning and social environment for LGBTQIA+ students and patients. Partnering with Dr. Bartelt, they created the workshop "How Providers Can Stop Antagonizing Queer and Gender Diverse Patients" as a part of this work. Now, as a resident, they are continuing their work to ensure quality and culturally safe health care in Tucson, Arizona.
Meegs Longacre is a genderqueer social work and student affairs administration graduate student at Binghamton University. They were born in Philly, raised throughout upstate New York, and lived in Portland, OR, for several years while earning a bachelor’s in social work before returning to Binghamton. Longacre is the graduate assistant for 20:1 and graduate intern for the university’s Q Center. Longacre is passionate about creating inclusive environments for students and supporting them in overcoming educational barriers. When not working or at school, they enjoy spending time with their pugs and reading/drawing comics!
Aaron Maracle (Mohawk/Wolf Clan) is a licensed master social worker and has been working in the field of sexual violence prevention and response for over 16 years. He is currently the violence prevention specialist at the University at Buffalo, where he has been a part of Health Promotion’s nationally recognized, award-winning Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Unit for the past 7 years. In addition to being part of an award-winning program, Aaron was most recently recognized with the Distinguished UB Alumni Award for Excellence in Supporting UB Indigenous Students and an honorary membership in Pi Alphi Social Work Honors Society. Previous to his time as UB's violence prevention specialist, Aaron worked as a sexual health educator at Native American Community Services, a hotline counselor for the New York State Domestic and Sexual Violence Hotline, and a sexual violence hospital advocate at Crisis Services in Erie County. Aaron has presented at the local, state, and national levels to audiences ranging from incoming freshman students to Air Force sexual assault response coordinators on a variety of topics related to sexual violence prevention and response. These topics include but are not limited to: preparing peer educators for sexual violence prevention work, men's role in sexual violence, masculinity, trauma-informed leadership, responding to sexual assault survivors, university and community partnerships in sexual violence prevention, and bystander intervention.
Kellen Montanye is a graduate student at University at Buffalo in the Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health. His research at Roswell Park Cancer Research Institute focuses on HPV predictors and transmission among LGBTQ+ individuals. During his undergraduate career at Morrisville State College, he was affiliated as a member of Mo'Pride for two years and was elected president for one year. He also hosted a gender and sexual orientation panel to educate and inform faculty and staff about gender identity, pronouns, hormone therapy, and sexual orientation, as well as providing safe spaces for students to learn.
After beginning graduate school at the University at Buffalo, Montanye co-hosted an episode of the Buffalo Healthcast that focused on transgender health, which featured life and transitioning coach Landon McNee. Montanye also gave a guest lecture to the undergraduate social and behavioral health class about transgender health as an emerging health topic within current events.
Erin Morris is an associate professor in the Sport Management Department at the State University of New York at Cortland. Dr. Morris's main area of research focuses on women's and girls' participation in sports and recreation. She is particularly interested in participation in nontraditional sports such as women's ice hockey, rugby, and roller derby. Recently, her research has focused on sexual harassment and sexual violence in different areas of the leisure industry, including study abroad and adventure recreation. Additionally, Dr. Morris has served as the co-chair of the Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Expression (SOGIE) Committee at Cortland for the past four years. In this role, she has helped implement multiple initiatives to make Cortland's campus more welcoming to LGBTQIAP+ students, faculty, and staff. These initiatives have included a campus-wide pronoun training, a Rainbow Reception, and TransAction, a one-day conference around issues concerning transgender and gender-nonconforming individuals on college campuses. In her free time, Dr. Morris likes to play ice hockey, hike, bike, sew, and bake.
Robyn Ochs—a graduate of Purchase College—is an educator, speaker, grassroots activist, and editor of Bi Women Quarterly and two anthologies: the 42-country collection, Getting Bi: Voices of Bisexuals Around the World and RECOGNIZE: The Voices of Bisexual Men. An advocate for the rights of people of ALL orientations and genders to live safely, openly, and with full access and opportunity, Ochs’ work focuses on increasing awareness and understanding of complex identities and mobilizing people to be powerful allies to one another within and across identities and social movements. So far, Ochs has spoken in 49 U.S. states and 19 additional countries. She was named by Teen Vogue as one of "9 Bisexual Women Who Are Making History."
Dr. Milagros (Milly) Peña is the sixth president of Purchase College, SUNY and the first Latina president in the SUNY System. She is the daughter of Dominican immigrants, who was the first in her family to graduate from college. An accomplished scholar who has published widely in her field, she received her doctorate and master’s degree in Sociology from the State University of New York at Stony Brook.
Sandra Pérez is a non-profit executive with experience in nonprofit management, resource development and special events. A native New Yorker grounded in the Bronx and Puerto Rico, Sandra brings a wealth of lived experience to the work of NYC Pride. In prior roles, she has served as an advocate for Latino/e arts and culture and has deep roots in the philanthropic sector, serving in multiple development roles for the Ms. Foundation for Women and as a consultant to the public and the private sector. Sandra has also served as a program auditor and grant panelist for a variety of entities in the arts and social justice sectors such as the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Council on the Humanities. As a volunteer, Sandra brings an intersectional lens to her work and has proudly served on the LGBTQ+ Giving Circle with the Chicago Foundation for Women and the YMCA Young Achievers Program, where her efforts centered support to and training of BIPOC youth and leaders. As she begins her journey as executive director for NYC Pride Sandra looks forward to collaborating creatively with other advocates on the issues confronting our diverse communities and mentoring the next generation of young leaders.
Emily Phelps, MSW, is the director of the Gender and Sexuality Resource Center (GSRC) at SUNY Oneonta, where she serves the LGBTQIA+ campus community through campus-wide programming and training, systemic advocacy, classroom education, and bridge-building with local stakeholders. She manages the GSRC on campus with the belief that all voices deserve to be included and heard, especially those from multiply marginalized groups. She has a Bachelor of Sociology and Psychology from SUNY Geneseo in addition to a Master of Social Work from the University at Buffalo and has been dedicated to advocating for women, survivors of sexual/intimate partner violence, and the LGBTQIA+ population for over a decade.
Dr. Erika Pichardo is the program director for Prevention Education at the College of Mount Saint Vincent and works in higher education within student affairs. The college is located in New York and serves a diverse group of undergraduate and graduate students. As an ally to the LGBTQIA+, neurodivergent, and underserved communities, she prides herself on increasing education, prevention, and awareness around victim-centered and trauma-informed approaches. In her role, Pichardo focuses on prevention, education, and awareness on sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. She coordinates various workshops and events related to these topics while also training student leaders, faculty, and staff. Her goal is to improve the education and awareness around these issues to normalize the topics of consent and healthy relationships and to disrupt gender stereotypes. As such, Pichardo takes an informative but exciting approach when discussing these issues with her campus community and those around her.
Pichardo earned her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and English from the College of Mount Saint Vincent, her Master of Arts in Criminology and Justice from St. John’s University, and her PhD in criminal justice with a specialization in law and public policy from Walden University. Her dissertation focused on understanding community members’ perceptions of opioid abuse treatment programs for women in Westchester County. Her research interests include criminal justice policy and administration; sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking (SDDVS) policies and education; the intersection of gender and criminal justice; and drug abuse through a social-labeling lens.
Dara Raboy is co-founder of the 20:1 Prevention Program. Her areas of expertise include sexual trauma, trauma-informed care, sexual assault prevention, bystander intervention, and bereavement. In addition, she is a field instructor and adjunct professor within the School of Social Work at Binghamton University. Raboy has done extensive training in the area of sexual assault prevention with both staff and students at Binghamton University, having designed and implemented the 20:1 Program, which is nationally recognized. She has extensive experience presenting and consulting nationally with higher ed institutions. Raboy also co-created The Consent Game©, which has been utilized throughout the U.S., Canada, and in The Republic of the Congo, Africa. She has presented for the California Coalition Against Sexual Assault (CALCASA) in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women, as well as Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education (NASPA), College Student Educators International (ACPA), SUNY, and the Department of Defense Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Team (DoDSAPR). Raboy was also invited to sit on professional focus panels on interpersonal partner violence by the New York State Assembly and the New York State Senate. Raboy and the 20:1 Prevention Program have been highlighted in both the Chronicle of Higher Education and Academic Impressions as well as received a NASPA Excellence Award in 2014. Raboy has served on committees for the State University of New York and was also on the New York State Team for the Center for Disease Control's Action Planning Committee as part of the White House's task force on sexual assault prevention on college campuses.
Jah'leal Savage holds a Master of Counseling from the University of Bridgeport. He is currently the Unity Works program director at the Ali Forney Center creating work and educational opportunities for LGBTQ+ runaway and homeless youth (RHY). He has worked as the resident life coordinator for Bridgeport University and the resident director at Hofstra University. He has spent six years providing a home environment to his students and has brought all of his experience as a leader and counselor to the residents of the Ali Forney Center.
Catherine Shugrue dos Santos is the president and CEO of Shugrue dos Santos Consulting and currently serves as the deputy executive director for programs at the New York City Anti-Violence Project (AVP). Shugrue dos Santos identifies as an anti-racist liberation social worker, queer/bi activist, and an educator with over 35 years in the intersecting movements working to end violence and build racial, gender, reproductive, and economic justice. She teaches at Columbia University School of Social Work, speaks locally and nationally at conferences, has contributed articles to the Domestic Violence Report and Huffington Post, and is a leading voice in many local and statewide coalitions, including serving as chair of the Coalition on Working with Abusive Partners (CoWAP) and founder of Justice Speaks, a language-access initiative for immigrant survivors of trauma. Shugrue dos Santos is also a member of the Task Force on Domestic Violence and Economic Justice (DVEJ) and holds membership in key coalitions and advisory bodies, including the Advisory Council to the New York State Office of Victim Services, the Mayor’s Domestic Violence Fatality Review Committee, the New York State LGBTQ Domestic Violence Network, and the Mayor’s Task Force on Domestic Violence.
Anna Sotelo-Peryea is a nationally credentialed advocate at the advanced level and trained public health planner serving as associate director of health promotion and violence prevention coordinator for the University at Buffalo. She has developed and coordinated its award-winning Sexual Violence Prevention Program since its inception in 2006. This year, Sotelo-Peryea was awarded the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Professional Service. Additionally, her program received the 2019 SUNY Outstanding Program Award for Violence Prevention and ranked in the top 6% of sexual assault prevention programs nationally. Sotelo-Peryea has been formally recognized as a “Friend and Supporter of the Students of the State University of New York” by the SUNY Student Assembly, was awarded a letter of commendation from the U.S. Navy in 2019 for “translating science into action” in her work in the SUNY/NAVY collaboration to address sexual assault and sexual harassment, and received the 2017 Students’ Choice Award from the University at Buffalo Undergraduate Student Association for "dedication and commitment to making sure that all students on campus feel safe mentally, physically, and emotionally" and modeling "how to approach issues gracefully and find solutions tenaciously."
Dr. Marion A. Terenzio is the president of the State University of New York College of Agriculture and Technology at Cobleskill. She has been a champion for the ensuring of dignity and equity, both on campus and across communities, evidenced by her work in expanding SUNY Cobleskill's role as an economic engine to uplift rural society and her role as a member of the Board of Directors of the Bassett Healthcare Network. She has been recognized by the Society for Community Research and Action as a trailblazer in promoting social well-being.
Dr. Terenzio's leadership at the college, system, and state levels has advanced transformative vitalization efforts through the formation of new academic pathways in response to community workforce needs. These include nation's first Bachelor's Degree program in Canine Training and Management and the first accredited Histotechnician program in the State University of New York system.
Her forward-thinking vision led to the creation of The Institute for Rural Vitality at SUNY Cobleskill; a model program supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and receiving national attention for its unique approach to merging experiential learning with regional development initiatives. She has published and presented at numerous venues, including the United Nations, on the role of effective higher education practices in community and economic sustainability.
Dr. Terenzio continues her work for equity and inclusion as co-chair of SUNY's Empowering Students with Disabilities Task Force, co-chair of the Mohawk Valley Regional Economic Development Council, and vice-chair of the NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics. She has also served and consulted with national organizations such as the College Board and The Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP).
Dr. Terenzio holds a Ph.D. in Community Psychology from Michigan State University, a Master's Degree in Music Therapy from Texas Women's University, a second Master's in Community Psychology from The Sage Colleges, and a Bachelor's Degree in Music from Vassar College.
Jade Gabrielle-Amanda Watts is an organizer and researcher in the field of queer studies and communications. In their paper titled "It’s Just a Feeling: Exploring the Queer Liberation Movement Through the Televisual Archive," Watts creates space to question high-theories’ hold over the "academics of gender/sex/sexuality" and incorporates low-theories to attempt to find truth. Examining affect in two different forms of queer televisual media through the public access show Forward and Out and YouTube series Maddy in the Morning, Watts details how each encourages specific emotional reactions from the viewer and calls to action toward queer liberation.
Mishka Woodley joined the State University of New York Office of General Counsel in December 2021 as assistant counsel for Student Affairs. She provides legal counsel for various SUNY campuses and the Student Conduct Institute with a special focus on student affairs, health care, and compliance. Prior to SUNY, Woodley held roles in private law firms providing legal, regulatory, government-affairs, and business counsel to solve complex legal and policy issues. Woodley also has several years of interdisciplinary experience in practitioner and administrative roles working for nonprofit entities focused on education and health care. During law school, Woodley interned in private and public sectors, including the New York State Office of the Attorney General, the U.S. Attorney's Office of the Northern District of New York, the Chambers of the Honorable Mae D'Agostino, and the Health Care Association of New York State (HANYS). Woodley earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia in biology and bioethics with additional post-graduate studies at the UVA McIntire School of Business and the UVA Curry School of Education and Human Development. Woodley holds a JD from Albany Law School with a specialization in health and bioethics through joint graduate studies with Clarkson University and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She also earned an LLM from Loyola University Chicago School of Law, specializing in health care and compliance. Woodley is admitted to practice in New York State and the Northern District of New York.