Prelims

Stephanie Smith-Durkin, PhD, is an Assistant Professor at Old Dominion University. There, she works to effectively prepare counselors for culturally affirming and antiracist professional practices and ethical behaviors. Stephanie is a former school counselor with nearly two decades of experience working with children and their caregivers. She is also a dedicated member of the Counselors for Social Justice (CSJ) School Counseling Task Force and secretary for the Association of Child and Adolescent Counseling. Stephanie researches and presents on topics surrounding student mental health, social justice, multiculturalism, antiracism, and multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS). She is also a National Certified Counselor.

Jordan Farmer, MEd, is an experienced higher education professional with 8 years of demonstrated history working to support diverse populations of students on college campuses. He has experience working at both private and public institutions in the functional areas of athletics, residence life, academic affairs, graduate admissions, leadership education, and case management. His personal passions are mentorship and building relationships with students and the community.

Marcus Folkes, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Counseling, Internship Coordinator, Licensed Mental Health counselor (FL), Licensed professional counselor (TX), and qualified supervisor. He received his MS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Bethune-Cookman University and his PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision with a specialization in Advance Counseling from the University of the Cumberlands. He has worked with clients across life span, while focusing and specializing in counseling with adolescents and young adults with adjustment or traumatic stress who are involved in the child welfare system. Dr Folkes enjoys advocating for diversity, equity, and inclusion in collaboration with other professionals. He has presented at many state conferences and local conferences on topics such as mental health 101, resiliency in youth, trauma-informed Care, self-care, intergenerational and transgenerational trauma, and mental health stigma.

David Julius Ford Jr., PhD, is a Tenured Associate Professor and Department Chair in the Department of Professional Counseling at Monmouth University, West Long Branch, New Jersey. He also serves as the Past President of the New Jersey Counseling Association. He is a Licensed Counselor in North Carolina, Virginia, and New Jersey, is a Board-Certified Counselor (NCC), and a Board-Certified Supervisor (ACS). His research interests lie in supporting Black male students at PWIs, Black Greek-letter Organizations, counseling LGBTQ+ clients, the intersection of race/ethnicity and sexual/affectional orientation, the intersection of religion/spirituality, race/ethnicity, and sexual/affectional orientation, and those impacted by HIV/AIDS. He is a strong advocate for more Black men in Counseling and Counselor Education.

Donna Y. Ford, PhD, is a Distinguished Professor of Education and Human Ecology and Kirwan Institute Faculty Affiliate at The Ohio State University. She is in the Department of Educational Studies, Special Education Program. She earned all degrees from Cleveland State University. Ford focuses primarily on the underrepresentation of Black and Hispanic students in gifted education and advanced classes. She is a leader in urban education. Dr Ford has authored more than 400 publications and 14 books. She presents in school districts and organizations on opportunity gaps, equity, multicultural curriculum, antiracism, and cultural competence.

Jesse R. Ford, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Higher Education in the Teacher Education and Higher Education department. As a former student affairs administrator, he uses a theory to practice approach to student learning. Dr Ford's research uses culturally responsive frameworks to explore the social and political influences of race and gender. More specifically, he employs qualitative methodologies to tackle inequity in education, particularly within the socialization experiences of underrepresented students, faculty, and administrators across the P-20 pipeline.

Jessica Fort, MA, is a former Secondary Education School Counselor and current full-time PhD student in Virginia Commonwealth's Counselor Education and Supervision Program. Jessica's research examines the barriers of academic achievement for Black males and focuses on determining interventions through a strength-based approach to create positive educational experiences and academic outcomes K-12 and beyond.

Rose-May Frazier, PhD, is an Executive Director of Student Services at Florida Atlantic University. Dr Frazier possesses over 20 years of experience related to college student success. Much of her experience and expertise is related to academic advising and coaching services.

Rickya S. F. Freeman is a senior attending Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University majoring in Psychology with a minor in Sociology. She is a 2022 Cohort Fellow of the PURPOSE Program. Her research is focused on the support of mental health awareness of African American undergraduate College students.

Monique N. Golden, holds a PhD in Leadership and Education Policy with a background in Higher Education and Student Affairs. Monique’s research interests include college student development, leadership, and success.

Scott L. Graves Jr., PhD, is a Professor in the School Psychology program at Ohio State University and the Director of the Positive Youth Development Lab. His research agenda is focused on identifying strengths in African American children that lead to positive social emotional and academic outcomes.

Jerrod A. Henderson, PhD, (“Dr J”) is an Assistant Professor in the William A. Brookshire Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the University of Houston. Henderson's work focuses on the lived experiences of Black male engineering students and K-20 student engagement. He is a Cofounder of the St. Elmo Brady STEM Academy (SEBA), an intervention aimed at exposing underrepresented fourth- and fifth-grade students and their families to hands-on STEM experiences. Career Communications Group has most recently recognized him with a Black Engineer of the Year Award for college-level promotion of education.

Paul C. Harris, PhD, is the Founder of Integrity Matters, LLC, which exists to build a just world. He previously served as an Associate Professor of Education at The Pennsylvania State University and the University of Virginia, and as a High School Counselor in Newport News and Loudoun County, Virginia. Dr Harris’ work focuses on enhancing the academic, emotional, and career development of Black youth and empowering the identity development of Black male student-athletes. His contributions have been acknowledged by the American School Counselor Association, American Educational Research Association, Southern Association of Counselor Education and Supervision, and Education Trust.

Christian M. Hines, PhD, is an Assistant Professor at Texas State University. She is a comics and young adult literature in education scholar-practitioner. Her research highlights the representation of Black youth and adolescence in literature, particularly their visual narratives in comics and graphic novels. As self-proclaimed “Blerd” (Black nerd), and former high school English teacher, she is interested in visual narratives as a way for students and education practitioners to understand the lived experiences of Black youth and various ethnic groups to be re-storied as heroes in their own communities through the enacting resistance and highlighting inequity and injustice for students within society and schooling spaces.

Mia R. Hines, EdD, is the Associate Director of the Early Identification Program (E.I.P.) at George Mason University. She served as an Academic Advisor in the College of Education's Office of Academic Services and Intern Support for students enrolled in the Bachelor's/Master's Teacher Preparation Programs. In this role one of her priority goals is to increase the number of teachers of color going into the classroom. Prior to working at FSU, Mia worked in the Neag School of Education at the University of Connecticut where she participated on the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education's (AACTE) Networked Improvement Committee for the recruitment and retention of Black and Latino males. Mia also worked as a high school counselor in Maryland and North Carolina where she gained an extensive background in developing college and career readiness programs that assist students with matriculating through college. In addition, Mia has her school administrator license and has worked on school administration teams in an effort to support classroom teachers.

Marcel Jacobs, MA, is a fourth-year doctoral student in the school psychology program at Ohio State University. His research interests include understanding how constructs such as motivation and academic self-efficacy improve outcomes for Black youth.

David H. Kenton, JD, EdD, is an experienced higher education administrator and student advocate with experiences at varying types of postsecondary institutions. His work has most notably improved education for former foster youth and first-generation students.

Hyunhee Kim, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the counseling program. She has professional counseling experiences to work with children, adolescents, college students, and adults in different settings. Her primary research interest is the role of relationships in educational settings. As a school counselor educator, she is interested in facilitating students' positive development and creating a supportive environment where every student feels included and thrives.

Deepika Nantha Kumar (pronouns: she/her/hers) is in the second year of her Master's program in Counselor Education with an emphasis on Clinical Mental Health Counseling at The Pennsylvania State University. She is Indian by origin. She is passionate about her research interest of assessing systemic barriers and their impact on mental health in Black and Brown communities. She is also the Vice President of community development for the international honor society Chi Sigma Iota Rho Alpha Mu chapter and served as a Cochair for the chapter's multicultural committee in the past.

Chance W. Lewis, PhD, is the Carol Grotnes Belk Distinguished Professor of Urban Education and former Provost Faculty Fellow for Diversity, Inclusion, and Access at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Additionally, Dr Lewis is the Executive Director of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte's Urban Education Collaborative which is publishing a new generation of research on improving urban schools.

Clifford H. Mack, Jr., PhD, has been a High School Counselor in the private school sector since 2007. He has served on the Florida School Counselor Board (FSCA) and North American Christian College Admissions Professionals (NACCAP) board. Dr Mack completed his undergraduate studies at Washington Bible College (Maryland), Master’s in Counseling Psychology at Trinity International University (Florida), and PhD in Counselor Education at Florida Atlantic University. Currently he serves as a School Counselor at Calvary Christian Academy (Fort Lauderdale, FL). In addition to his practitioner role, Dr Mack serves as an Adjunct Professor for Florida Atlantic University, FSU, Lancaster Bible College, and Trinity International University.

Renae D. Mayes, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Disability and Psychoeducational Studies. She is a licensed school counselor and national certified counselor with experience in K-12 schools along with specialized educational settings. Informed by Critical Race Theory, Critical Race Feminism, DisCrit, and bioecological systems theories, her research agenda centers around the academic success and college readiness for gifted Black students with dis/abilities and Black girls. Mayes' research details the experience of students and families navigating schools, while also providing recommendations for dismantling systems of oppression through policy and practice.

Alagammai Meyyappan is a second year MEd student in Counselor Education at The Pennsylvania State University. Her emphasis is secondary school counseling. Alagammai is currently interning at the State College Area High School.

Dejanell C. Mittman, MS/EdS, is a doctoral student in the Counseling and Counselor Education Program at North Carolina State University. She has also been a practicing school counselor for 9 years and serves on the Guilford County (North Carolina) School Counseling Leadership Team. Dejanell's research is focused on the lived experiences of school counselors, school counselor advocacy, and school-based practicum experiences.

James L. Moore, III, PhD, is the Executive Director for the Todd Anthony Bell National Resource Center on the African American Male and the EHE Distinguished Professor of Urban Education in the Department of Education Studies at The Ohio State University. His research agenda focuses on school counseling, gifted education, urban education, higher education, multicultural education/counseling, and STEM education, and Dr Moore is often quoted, featured, and mentioned in popular publications, such as the New York Magazine, New York Times, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Columbus Dispatch, Spartanburg Herald, Cincinnati Enquirer, Journal of Blacks in Higher Education, Chronicle of Higher Education, and Diverse: Issues in Higher Education. Since 2018, he has been cited annually by Education Week as one of the 200 most influential scholars and researchers in the United States.

Tia Nickens is a second year MEd student in School Counseling at The Pennsylvania State University. She earned her BS in Secondary Education at the University of South Alabama. Tia has a passion for education, working to create adequate resources for all students. She is an active volunteer for the international honor society of Chi Sigma Iota and is currently serving as the President for the Rho Alpha Mu chapter. Tia hopes to continue this necessary research to help bring applicable information forward about marginalized identities.

Ezekiel Peebles, III, MS, is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor supervisor by the state of Ohio since 2011. Ezekiel is a National Certified Counselor by the National Board of Certified Counselors. He is the Founder and Clinical Director of Key Counseling & Consultation LLC, which is a private practice in Gahanna, Ohio. He specializes in psychotherapy that focuses on the wellness of the whole individual, not just sustaining mental/emotional health, but also managing their life and relationships. Additionally, he is a third-year doctoral student in the college of Education and Human Ecology, Counselor Education and Supervision program at The Ohio State University. His current research interests include masculinity, men's issues, mental health, counselor identity, cultural competence, and social justice.

Derrick Pollock, PhD, has higher education experience in foreign language instruction and support of international students. In addition to foreign language education, Dr Pollock's research interests include Black student motivation.

Michael Reid, Jr., MA, is a second year doctoral student in the Educational Policy and Planning program at the University of Texas at Austin. He is a Graduate Research Assistant at The Center for Community College Student Engagement. Michael's research interests include income segregation, education philosophy, poverty and education policy, basic needs insecurity, and educational opportunity on P-16 levels.

Darius A. Robinson, EdM, (he/him/his) is a doctoral student in the Higher Education program at FSU. He also is a graduate teaching assistant at the Leadership Learning Research Center. His research interests revolve around the examination of leadership experiences of students of color, with a focus on Black males. Additionally, he is also a teaching associate with the Program of Instructional Excellence, using his experience to help other graduate teaching assistants at FSU. Prior to his doctoral journey, Darius has had professional experiences working in residential life, K-12 education and service activism with disaster rebuilding projects.

Miray D. Seward, PhD, is a research scientist at Search Institute. Her research primarily focuses on the identity development, socialization, and schooling experiences of Black women and girls.

E. Mackenzie (Ken) Shell, PhD, LPC, CPCS, CAADC, is an Assistant Professor of Counselor Education. He is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Georgia, a Certified Professional Counselor Supervisor (CPCS) in Georgia, and a Certified Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CAADC). Prior to working at Central Connecticut State University, Ken worked at Clark Atlanta University where he served as a counselor educator and clinical mental health program coordinator. Dr Shell has worked in many counseling settings, such as school-based mental health, high school counseling, college career centers, and private agencies. He has worked with children, adolescents, and adults.

Paul Singleton, II, PhD, serves as a school counselor and DEI coordinator at The Potomac School in McLean, Virginia. His research interests surround African American male academic achievement, social and emotional well-being, and college and career readiness for African American males. Paul has had various educational experiences in low-income, culturally diverse communities (Hartford, Connecticut; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Washington, D.C.; Orangeburg, South Carolina; Abington, Pennsylvania) and schools identified as being at high levels of risk or underserved.

Tyron Slack, MSW, LCSW, is a fourth-year doctoral candidate in the Combined Counseling Psychology and School Psychology program at FSU. His clinical and research interests focus on the impact of racial microaggressions on Black and other underrepresented students, their academic success, resilience, and mental health.

Christopher L. Small, PhD, is a Teaching Faculty Professor in the Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Department at Florida State University. Dr Small serves as the Director of the Educational Leadership and Administration Master's/Specialist Program and teaches courses toward Florida Educational Leadership certification. Dr Small has over 11 years of Title I school principalship experience and conducts research on leadership preparation. Dr Small's research foci includes exploring the intersections of gender and race in leadership preparation programs, leadership learning for justice, equity, diversity and inclusion on K-12 campuses, and implications of leading for literacy instruction for Black male students.

Marcus L. Smith, MS, is a graduate student at the University of Cincinnati. His research and teachings focus on the intersection of Black masculinities, sports, and social and academic achievement. More specifically, his current research analyzes how the racial mindsets of college basketball coaches impact the mentoring they provide to Black student-athletes and the holistic development of Black student-athletes. Prior to this role, Smith worked as a high school and college basketball coach where he supported the social, academic, and athletic development of Black male student-athletes.

Jasmin Spain, MEd, has two decades of higher education experience, currently serving as the Assistant Vice President of Student Support at Pitt Community College (North Carolina). Jasmin serves as an Equity Coach for the Lumina Foundation associated R.E.A.C.H. Collaborative (Racial Equity for Adult Credentials in Higher Education). Jasmin is the Founder and Chief Visionary Officer of the consulting agency, The M.A.I.N. Initiative LLC, as well as the Founder and President of the registered nonprofit, U Good Bro, Incorporated. Jasmin is an active member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and is also a Campaign for Black Male Achievement American Express Leadership Fellow.

Sam Steen, PhD, is a Professor, Licensed Professional School Counselor, and Director of the Diversity Research Action Consortium, who specializes in school counseling, group work and cultivating Black students' academic identity development. He was a school counselor for 10 years. Two objectives guide his scholarship: (1) to further develop creative and culturally sustaining school-based counseling interventions that improve student achievement including The Achieving Success Everyday Group Model (ASE Group Model) designed to promote social emotional and academic development for students of color and (2) to explore issues related to the training and preparation of preservice counselors and school counselors.

Nicholas T. Vick, EdD, is the current Associate Dean of Communications and Humanities and Director of the Honors Program at Tallahassee Community College. He is a seasoned administrator and instructor dedicated to student success. Nick has received numerous awards for his work in academic support including the North Carolina Tutoring and Learning Association Center of the Year, the Frank L. Christ Outstanding Center recognition from the National College Learning Center Association, and, most recently, the Association of Florida Colleges' Technology Commission Award.

Bobbi-Jo Wathen, PhD, serves as Director of School Counseling for Middleton Public Schools. She has also been a practicing school counselor for 11 years and is currently serving Middletown High School in Connecticut as Director of School Counseling. Bobbi-Jo is researching counselors' readiness to offer comprehensive career counseling to Black Boys and postsecondary transitions for Black Boys. She is also an education consultant for the National Center for Women in Information Technology, where she works with Counselors for Computing (C4C) to expand computer science access to women and people of color.

Ryan Wright, MEd, is a current doctoral student in Western Michigan's Counseling Psychology program. Prior to pursuing his doctoral degree Ryan obtained his Master's degree in rehabilitation counseling from the University of the District of Columbia. As a native of Washington, DC Ryan has served as a community mental health therapist and student support staff in Washington, DC schools prior to pursuing training as a therapist.