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Student Focus Groups (Invitation only) |
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To Be Announced |
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OMG Center for Collaborative Learning: SAAB Data System Update |
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Howard
Walters has a background in data analysis,
program/project evaluation and policy analysis. His
work has focused primarily on homelessness,
neighborhood development, and academic achievement
of minority students. |
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Advisor/Professional Sessions |
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Alicia Baird serves as a program officer for USA Funds in Indianapolis. Mrs. Baird makes grants to nonprofit organizations that are working to enhance preparation for, access to and success in postsecondary education specifically for underserved, low-income middle and high school students; students of color; and first-generation postsecondary students. In her role, she identifies prospects for funding opportunities and possible partnerships; reviews funding requests; conducts site visits; meets with prospective grantees and partners; and monitors existing grant relationships. Her grant portfolio focuses on increasing student and family awareness of and preparation for postsecondary education opportunities. She also manages a grant portfolio that seeks to increase success rates for African-American males in middle and high school. She has been with USA Funds for seven years. Ms. Baird holds a master’s degree in philanthropic studies from the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University and a bachelor’s degree in economics from Manchester College. She currently serves as the vice president for Indiana Blacks in Philanthropy. She is a member of the Association of Black Foundation Executives 2011- 2012 Connecting Leaders Fellowship class and is a graduate of Leadership United Ardath Burkhart Governance and Management Series through the United Way of Central Indiana. Previously, she served on the Board of Trustees for Manchester College and was a founding member of the Indianapolis Urban League’s Young Professionals. |
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Ryan J. Davis is the Manager for Outreach for the Gates Millennium Scholars (GMS) Program—a $1.6 billion initiative funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation designed to provide comprehensive financial, academic, and social support to high achieving low-income students of color to and through undergraduate and graduate school. Ryan leads outreach efforts to increase the number of GMS applications from eligible students and manages the process of evaluating African American GMS applicants. Ryan also manages the GMS male initiative aimed at increasing college knowledge in general and preparation for the GMS application in particular among males of color. In addition to his work with preparing students for college, Ryan remains actively engaged in the production of scholarly research. His work has enhanced knowledge about the factors that influence access to and success in higher education for underrepresented students. He co-authored the monograph, "College Access and Success among Racial Ethnic Minorities in STEM," in press at Jossey-Bass. Ryan’s scholarship also has been published in top-tier education journals and other academic spaces, including the Journal of College Student Development, Journal of College Student Retention, Journal of Negro Education, and the Negro Educational Review. His research has been featured in the Chronicle of Higher Education and Inside Higher Ed. Best known for his work on underrepresented male students of color, Ryan was awarded the "Outstanding Research Award" by the American College Personal Association’s Standing Committee for Men. A recipient of numerous accolades, such as 93.9 WKYS’ "Top 30 under 30 in the DMV," Ryan is a dynamic leader and speaker in the communities with which he is affiliated. He was named a Graduate Fellow at the Institute for Higher Education Policy, a Fellow at the Association for the Study of Higher Education’s Institute for Critical Policy Research, a "TRIO Achiever" by the Connecticut Association for Educational Opportunity Programs, and is a lifetime member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Ryan holds a Master of Science degree in Education from Old Dominion University where he was awarded the "Outstanding Graduate Student in Higher Education Award" and the "Emerging Professional Award" and a Bachelor of Science degree in Business from Eastern Connecticut State University where he was bestowed with the "Dr. Martin Luther King Distinguished Service Award." |
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Tina Gridiron Smith serves as a Senior Program Officer for Lumina Foundation for Education in Indianapolis, IN. Mrs. Gridiron-Smith actively seeks to remove the postsecondary access and success barriers facing students of color, low-income students, and other underserved student populations.
Her current grant
portfolio includes over 50 projects designed to
improve the postsecondary preparation, access and
attainment of all students, with a specific emphasis
on highlighting the models of success at
minority-serving institutions, improving the policy
and practice of developmental education and
increasing the postsecondary success of Latino
students, African American males and other
underserved populations.
As a California native,
Tina’s career has included positions at the
University of California, Berkeley; California State
University, Chico; California State University, San
Luis Obispo; and Stanford University. She holds a
bachelor’s degree from the University of California,
Berkeley and two master’s degrees from Stanford
University. |
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Lasana Omar Hotep is a consultant, educator and researcher committed to providing insight and practical strategies in the arenas of community development, student engagement and organizational efficiency. He uses the mediums of public speaking, workshop facilitation, panel discussions, writing and one-on-one consultation to communicate his erudition, ideas and techniques. Lasana’s fact-based, witty, multi-media presentations inform and inspire individuals to think critically about society. He leverages his combined experience in media, business and education to provide a refreshingly informed perspective on history, culture and politics. Professionally, Lasana has served as an associate producer in television news, vice-president of a wireless phone franchise, an elementary school teacher and a program coordinator at the university level. One of his most notable achievements is developing the nationally recognized African-American Men of Arizona State University (AAMASU) program. AAMASU is a college readiness program targeting high school students in the Phoenix Metropolitan area and a college organization. The program has been the subject of doctoral dissertations and serves as a model for several institutions with initiatives targeting Black males. He shared his programmatic insights with the Turning the Tassel Symposium at Morehouse College and has consulted several colleges and universities on their Black male enrichment programs. Lasana also serves as a faculty member of the Student African-American Brotherhood (SAAB). Authors of edited volumes have solicited his unique perspective and analysis. Lasana has contributed chapters to several publications including African-American Men in College (Jossey-Bass 2006), The State of Black Arizona (ASU 2008), Be A Father to Your Child: Real Talk from Black Men of the Hip Hop Generation (Soft Skull 2008) and The Black Male Handbook: A Blueprint for Life (Atria 2008). Lasana is currently the Lead Consultant of Hotep Consultants and a graduate student in the department of History at Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona. |
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