Welcome Address
Dr. Melissa Vito is a nationally recognized leader in the field of student affairs and university administration, Dr. Melissa Vito, a Tucson native and lifelong Wildcat, has enjoyed a distinguished career at the University of Arizona and currently serves as Senior Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management and Senior Vice Provost for Academic Initiatives and Student Success. This unique structure spans both the traditional areas of student affairs and enrollment and also includes the academic areas of a branch campus, distance and online education. Under her leadership, the University of Arizona was one of the first major universities to blend more intentionally online education with traditional enrollment to maximize access and success for students. Her vision also led to the launch of the University’s 100% Engagement initiative which ensures that all undergraduate students receive meaningful curricular and co-curricular experiences (internships, volunteer, research, travel), including a notation on their academic transcript. Dr. Vito’s leadership impacts the success of every UA student through pipeline focus, enrollment, retention, graduation and career success. She stresses innovation and excellence, and under her leadership most of the areas she oversees are viewed as national leaders. Dr. Vito has received national recognition for her leadership and innovation. In 2012, she received the American College Personnel Association (ACPA) Excellence in Practice Award and the Pi Kappa Alpha University Administrator of the Year Award. She was recognized by Tucson’s 40 Under 40 award program as Mentor of the Year in January 2013. In May 2014, she testified before the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity of the US House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs on the University of Arizona’s nationally recognized Veterans support programs. In 2015, she was named a “Pillar of the Profession” by the NASPA Foundation (Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education,) for her professional distinction and extraordinary service to the profession. Dr. Vito holds a bachelor’s degree in Journalism and English and two master’s degrees in Higher Education Administration and Counseling from the University of Arizona, along with a doctorate in educational leadership from Northern Arizona University. An active member of the Tucson community, currently serving on the Rialto Board and a long-time member of Arizona Academy and Greater Tucson Leadership. Dr. Vito has two sons who are both UA grads. In her “spare” time, she loves the road cycling opportunities in Tucson.
*** Dr. Vito is also a Panelist on Building Collaborating Efforts at the UA to Eradicate Gender-Based Violence
*** Dr. Vito is also a Panelist on Building Collaborating Efforts at the UA to Eradicate Gender-Based Violence
Keynote
Brooke Axtell is the Founder and Director of She is Rising, a healing community for women and girls overcoming rape, abuse and sex-trafficking. Through her mentorship programs, retreats and workshops, Brooke helps survivors become leaders. She is passionate about inspiring young women to reclaim their worth and express their power to create a more compassionate world. Her work as a human rights activist led her to speak at The 2015 Grammy Awards, The United Nations and the U.S. Institute for Peace. She is a member of the Speaker’s Bureau for Rape, Abuse, Incest, National Network (R.A.I.N.N.), the largest anti-sexual assault organization in the U.S., and an Advisor for Freedom United, global initiative to end human trafficking. Her work as a writer, speaker, performing artist and activist has been featured in many media outlets, including the New York Times, LA Times, Rolling Stone, Time Magazine, Wall Street Journal and CNN. Brooke has published several award-winning poetry books and released three CDs of original music to critical acclaim.
Closing Presentation
Dr. Elise Lopez, DrPH, MPH, is the Assistant Director of Relationship Violence Programs at The University of Arizona’s College of Public Health. She has worked in public health research and practice since 2004, specializing in restorative justice, adolescent health, substance abuse, trauma, and prevention of and response to sexual violence. Dr. Lopez received the 2007 Family and Community Evidence Based Practice Award from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) for her work on adolescent substance abuse treatment in under-resourced communities. In 2016, she was awarded the Abstract of the Year honor from the Law Section of the American Public Health Association for a co-authored paper on restorative justice responses to campus sexual misconduct. Dr. Lopez has been an invited speaker on sexual violence prevention and response in local, national, and international venues. She recently served as one of two non-attorney liaisons to the American Bar Association’s Criminal Justice Section Task Force on College Due Process Rights and Victim Protections.
*** Dr. Lopez is also a Panelist on Building Collaborating Efforts at the UA to Eradicate Gender-Based Violence
*** Dr. Lopez is also a Panelist on Building Collaborating Efforts at the UA to Eradicate Gender-Based Violence
Artists
Manuel Abril has worked on social creativity projects with Hey Baby | Art Against Sexual Violence and ACT OUT sexual violence prevention program youth film. Manuel has a Master of Arts in Performance Studies as well as a Master of Fine Art in Performance/Video/Computer Arts. Manuel is an artist and researches social creativity and the relationships between organizational performance, technical performance, cultural performance and social performativity. Manuel is on the board of Stop Street Harassment, an international organization working to end street harassment worldwide. And serves on the Pima County Library Restorative Practices for Youth (LRPY).
Manuel has exhibited at the New York Museum of Modern Art, Los Angeles County Museum and Harvard Divinity School, Boston, MA.
Manuel has exhibited at the New York Museum of Modern Art, Los Angeles County Museum and Harvard Divinity School, Boston, MA.
Dr. Marcela Molina has been affiliated with the Tucson Girls Chorus since 2006, first serving as Artistic Director and taking the helm as Executive Director in 2011. Under Dr. Molina’s guidance, the Tucson Girls Chorus has grown significantly in both program and outreach. Dr. Molina feels passionate about the social impact TGC is doing in our community and is committed to change lives through music. In 2011 she was an honoree in Tucson's 40 under 40 for her significant achievements and contributions in her profession and community. In 2014, Dr. Molina was one of eight in the state of Arizona chosen as a Cox Hispanic Heritage Month honoree and in 2016 she was selected as finalist for the Woman of Influence Awards in the category Arts and Culture Champion. Born in Bogotá, Colombia Dr. Marcela Molina holds a degree in Theory and Composition from Westminster Choir College and a doctorate in Choral Conducting from the University of Arizona. As a member of the Westminster Symphonic Choir (1998-2001), Dr. Molina sang under the batons of Joseph Flummerfelt, Kurt Masur, Wolfgang Sawallisch, Zdenek Macal, and Sir Colin Davis with such esteemed orchestras as the New York Philharmonic, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the New Jersey Symphony and the Orchestra of St. Luke’s. In 2002 Dr. Molina joined the theory faculty for the Select Young Artist Certificate Program at the Westminster Conservatory. From 2003-2006, as a graduate student at the University of Arizona, Dr. Molina served as assistant conductor of the Tucson Arizona Boys Chorus. She has enjoyed podium time with the professional choir True Concord Voices and Orchestra, The Arizona Choir, University Community Chorus, and The Women's Choir of The Vocal Arts Festival among other undergraduate ensembles at the University of Arizona. From 2008-2012 Molina served as the Artistic Director and Conductor of the Tucson Masterworks Chorale. Dr. Molina serves on the board of the AZ American Choral Association as the chair for Women's Choir Repertoire and Standards. She contributed four articles to the book Teaching through Performance in Choir, Volume 2. and often serves as a clinician and guest conductor at choral festivals and All-State Choirs.
Panelists
Institutional Responses to Gender-Based Violence
- Dr. Kiera Ladner joined the University of Arizona Department of American Indian Studies this fall as a Fulbright fellow. She is Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Politics and Governance and an Associate Professor in the Department of Political Studies at the University of Manitoba. Her research focuses on self-determination, treaty constitutionalism, rights and responsibilities within multiple contexts (Indigenous and settler - in Canada, Australia and New Zealand), Indigenous political thought, federalism and gender diversity. In 2010 she edited a collection on Oka @ 20 with Leanne Simpson entitled This is an Honour Song: Twenty Years Since the Blockades (Arbeiter Ring Press) and is currently writing a book on Indigenous constitutions and constitutional politics tentatively entitled This is Not a New Book. Kiera's current projects include: the Indigenous Leadership Initiative; the comparative Indigenous Constitutional politics project which examines constitutional renewal, Indigenous constitutional visions and Indigenous rights debates in Canada, Australia and New Zealand; and, a project with Dr. Shawna Ferris (Women's and Gender Studies) on a community centered digital archives project which is compiling three archives - the Sex Work Database, the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Database, and the Post-apology Indian Residential School Database.
Cody Nicholls is the Assistant Dean of Students for Military and Veteran Engagement at the University of Arizona. Cody is a nine and a half year veteran of the Army Reserves and Wyoming National Guard. During his tenure in the Reserves he completed two deployments to the Middle East, Iraq (2004-2005) & Kuwait (2008-2009) and one state side mobilization, in the National Guard, immediately following 9/11 (2001-2002). Cody is currently ABD in Higher Education with a major concentration in Organization & Administration in the College of Education and a minor concentration in Entrepreneurship from the Eller College of Management at the University of Arizona. He currently serves as a member of the steering committee for the Southern Arizona Military/Veteran Community Network. He serves as an executive board member of the Association of the United States Army Tucson Chapter and is a member of the Tucson Committee on Foreign Relations. Cody is a founder and investor of POST.BID.SHIP headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Dr. Michelle Téllez is an Assistant Professor in Mexican American Studies at the University of Arizona. She is an interdisciplinary scholar trained in Community Studies, Sociology, Chicana/o Studies and Education, writes about identity, transnational community formation, cross-border labor organizing, gendered migration, autonomy and resistance along the U.S./Mexico border. Dr. Téllez has published in several book anthologies, and in journals such as Gender & Society, Feminist Formations, Aztlán, Chicana/Latina Studies, Violence Against Women and the The Feminist Wire. She also uses public performance and visual media to engage and share these stories, her most recent video Workers on the Rise (2012) documents labor struggles in Maricopa county, AZ. A former board member of the Phoenix based Arizona Workers Rights Center and the National Association of Chicana/o Studies, Dr. Téllez is a founding member of the Arizona Ethnic Studies Network, the Entre NosOtr@s Collective, the Chicana M(other)work Collective and is on the editorial review board for Chicana/Latina Studies: The Journal of Mujeres Activas en Letras y Cambio Social. A graduate of UCLA (B.A, 1996), Teachers College, Columbia University (M.A, 2000) and Claremont Graduate University (Ph.D., 2005), Dr. Téllez was a dissertation fellow in the department of Chicana/o Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara (2004-2005) and a Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Fellow in the Latina/o Studies Program at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (2007-2008). The recipient of various national fellowships, teaching and research awards, she most recently was awarded an Arizona Humanities mini-grant in the Spring of 2016. Dr. Téllez taught at Arizona State University for nine years and Northern Arizona University for two; while at NAU she created and directed the Beyond Boundaries Initiative - a campus-community collaboration rooted in decolonial praxis, identity, and community formations across multiple borderlands. You can find out more about her work at: www.michelletellez.com
Cycles of Violence and Harm
Anna Harper-Guerrero, LMSW, is Executive Vice President & Chief Strategy Officer at Emerge! Center Against Domestic Abuse in Tucson and is a Faculty Associate at the Arizona State University School of Social Work in Tucson. Anna led the team at Emerge! responsible for design and implementation of the Men’s Education Program and is responsible for oversight of the project. She is also a current board member of Borderlinks. Prior to joining the Emerge! team, Anna was a Special Staff Assistant to Pima County Board of Supervisors Chairman Richard Elías. Prior to her work with Chairman Elías, Anna served as Volunteer Coordinator and then Crisis Services Director at the Southern Arizona Center Against Sexual Assault. Anna has also worked as a staff member or intern for several other entities, including with the Pima County Community Services Department, the Arizona Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Empact Suicide Prevention Services, Cholla Magnet High School, and Aviva Children’s Services. Her past volunteer work includes co-chairing the Pima County Crime Victim Compensation Board, serving as a Commissioner with the Pima County/Tucson Women’s Commission, and she is a past board member of Skrappy’s Youth Program.She has been in the field of social work for 18 years and has extensive clinical and program development experience in domestic abuse and sexual assault services. Anna is a graduate of the University of Arizona and Arizona State University and received her licensure from the Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners in 2004 and was named Tucson’s 40 Under 40 Woman of the Year in 2009.
Rebekah Laursen is an undergraduate student at the University of Arizona pursuing a degree in Public Health with a minor in Gender and Women's Studies. She interns through the university's Women's Resource Center as a peer educator with Students Promoting Empowerment and Consent (SPEAC). SPEAC is a student group dedicated to raising awareness about sexual violence and its prevention. She is very passionate about educating people about consent and is a strong supporter of reforming the way cases of sexual assault are handled in the campus setting and beyond. When she grows up, Rebekah hopes to reform the nation’s sexual education program to promote the topic of consent and body empowerment.
Jesus "Chuco" Ruiz – Calpolli Teoxicalli
Over the past 15 years, Chucho has transformed the lives of countless youth through a La Cultura Cura approach through the Youth Leadership Programs with Chicanos Por La Causa. Additionally, through his affirmation and maintenance of Nahua cultural practices and way of life, commitment to social justice, and obligation to the Tucson community, Chucho has served as a central facilitator of latradición Nahua within the Calpolli Teoxicalli, a constellation of Nahua familias in Tlamanalco. Chucho has always answered the call to meet the needs in of the Chicana/o community as cultural advisor, authentic community leader, and “barrio intellectual”.
Over the past 15 years, Chucho has transformed the lives of countless youth through a La Cultura Cura approach through the Youth Leadership Programs with Chicanos Por La Causa. Additionally, through his affirmation and maintenance of Nahua cultural practices and way of life, commitment to social justice, and obligation to the Tucson community, Chucho has served as a central facilitator of latradición Nahua within the Calpolli Teoxicalli, a constellation of Nahua familias in Tlamanalco. Chucho has always answered the call to meet the needs in of the Chicana/o community as cultural advisor, authentic community leader, and “barrio intellectual”.
Timoteio Padilla works within the community as a public health educator, organizer, and activist working within the anti-violence movement, both on a grassroots and professional level. Timoteio organizes and engages men in grassroots community settings to end violence against women, and build solidarity with LGBTQIA+ identified folks in dismantling systems of oppression, while considering intersections of privilege and power as they relate to masculinity. Timoteio has worked professionally with survivors of domestic violence, providing domestic violence education and safety planning, in addition to facilitating men’s groups with both men who have been arrested for Domestic Violence and men within the community. Timoteio has experience in working within the anti-violence curriculum, addressing dating violence and sexual violence with adolescent youth of all genders, and facilitates trainings and groups that engage men to challenge patriarchal male supremacy. Timoteio currently serves on the TUSD Comprehensive Family Life Committee working in revising TUSD’s comprehensive sexual health curriculum, as well as serves as Co-Chair for Tucson’s Community Take Back The Night.
The Politics of Disclosure and Intersectionality
Originally from the suburbs of New York City, Dr. Amanda Kraus has lived in Tucson, AZ and worked at the University of Arizona (UA) for fifteen years. She completed her B.A. at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA and earned her M.A. and Ph. D. in Higher Education from the University of Arizona (UA) in Tucson, AZ. Dr. Kraus currently serves as Director of UA’s Disability Resource Center. One the largest in the nation, the Center is an international model of progressive service delivery, uniquely positioned to approach campus access systemically. Through strategic outreach, the goal is to design campus environments and experiences to be usable and welcoming for a diverse range of individuals, thereby reducing the need for individual accommodations or modifications. Dr. Kraus is highly involved in collaborative efforts with University personnel to foster the development of a seamlessly accessible campus environment and infuse disability into campus initiatives and specifically consults on campus events, policy, and behavioral intervention. As Assistant Professor of Practice in the Center for the Study of Higher Education at the UA, she coordinates the M.A. program and instructs courses on student services, student development and disability in higher education. Borrowing from disability studies, Dr. Kraus studies disability identity, disability dynamics in the student veteran community, and disability-related biases and microaggressions. Through her research and teaching, she challenges the dominant deficit or tragedy narrative on disability and promotes models and tools to increase access and equity and ultimately reframe concepts of difference in higher education. Dr. Kraus serves on the board of directors for the Association of Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD) and has chaired its standing committee for diversity. She has had the privilege of delivering keynote addresses and facilitating workshops at campuses such as Singapore Management University, Duke University, Wake Forest University, University of Vermont and Western Illinois University, and was recently invited to join a delegation convened by the US Department of State to engage in dialogue on disability access in education and employment in Beijing, China. Outside of work, Dr. Kraus is an avid wheelchair tennis player. As the President of the United States Tennis Association Southern Arizona District board, she works to grow opportunities for disabled players and increase the national visibility of wheelchair tennis. She was recently recognized as one of Tucson’s Top 40 Under 40 by the Arizona Daily Star and Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Dr. Kraus is passionate about social justice and access; this is reflected in her work on campus, teaching and community involvement.
Dr. Stephanie Troutman is a Black feminist scholar and first-generation college student. An advanced junior faculty member, she joins the RCTE program as Assistant Professor of Emerging Literacies. A former high school and middle grades public school teacher, Stephanie is a scholar-activist who has been recognized with numerous awards for teaching, mentorship/student advocacy, and social justice leadership. Dr. Troutman is also the co-director of Wildcat Writers and The Southern Arizona Writing Project (SAWP.) Both of these programs are outreach partnerships between The University of Arizona English Department and the larger Tucson (schooling/ educational) community. Active across multiple fields, Stephanie serves on the Strategic Planning Committee of the National Women’s Studies Association and on their Women of Color Leadership Project Advisory Board. Dr. Troutman’s research interests are inter and cross disciplinary. Much of her work takes an intersectional approach to understanding issues of race, gender, and sexuality in relation to both popular culture and schooling. Specifically, Dr. Troutman focuses on educational policies, curriculum and pedagogy, film, media and youth discourses on issues of identity. Her work has appeared in several edited collections and academic journals including, The Sexuality Curriculum & Youth Culture (Peter Lang, 2011) and Interrogating Critical Pedagogy: The voices of People of Color in the movement. (Routledge, 2015) and the Journal of Girlhood Studies (GHS.) Her most recent article is forthcoming (2016) in the Journal of Race Ethnicity & Education (REE). Her public scholarship appears online at The Feminist Wire. She is in the process of writing a book that uses an intersectional approach to link the politics of ‘the war on women’ to discourses of the U.S. as a ‘post-race’ society through critical, feminist analysis of several contemporary popular films. In addition to her single-author project, she is currently co-editing the forthcoming book Race and Ethnicity in American Television: The Complete Resource (ABC-CLIO/Greenwood).
Marcos Guerrero Trujillo is a Latinx gender non-binary queer living in Tucson, working at the Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation. They studied sociology, feminist theory, and queer theory at Northern Arizona University where they helped to organize student art and activist groups and taught Introduction to Queer Studies. Marcos is one of the lead organizers of Queer Trans People of Color (QTPOC) Fest Tucson which aims to center and create art and activist space that uplifts the voices and experiences of queer people of color here in Arizona. At the Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation Marcos is the Senior Health Education Specialist for a collaborative project between SAAF and Pima Community College (AP3) that provides substance abuse, HIV, and Hepatitis C prevention education and testing to students.
We are pleased to welcome two members of the Sex Worker Outreach Project (SWOP), a national grassroots movement which focuses on improving the lives of sex industry workers by promoting safety, dignity and diversity in sex work, and fosters an environment that affirms individual choices and occupational rights. SWOP-Tucson is the Tucson, Arizona chapter of SWOP-USA. Tucson has been one of the nation’s foremost cities in the Sex Worker Rights Movement, hosting international events and festivals since 2001, and raising the awareness of the fight for equal protection under the law.
Building Collaborative Efforts at the UA to Eradicate Gender-Based Violence
Carrie Shumway is a philanthropist. She began her career in brokerage sales at Donaldson, Lufkin and Jenrette and then in advertising sales at Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia LLC.
Carrie sits on the board of The Shumway Foundation, which focuses on education and youth development. Additionally, she is on the Board of the Joyful Heart Foundation, a national organization whose mission is to “transform society’s response to sexual assault, domestic violence, and child abuse, support survivors’ healing and end this (sexual) violence forever.” Carrie is married and has three children.
Carrie sits on the board of The Shumway Foundation, which focuses on education and youth development. Additionally, she is on the Board of the Joyful Heart Foundation, a national organization whose mission is to “transform society’s response to sexual assault, domestic violence, and child abuse, support survivors’ healing and end this (sexual) violence forever.” Carrie is married and has three children.
Stephanie Zamora is a Mexico-born, Phoenix-raised first generation UA graduate with a Bachelor's in Linguistics and Anthropology. Through her degree program, she conducted research and taught on the topic of Critical Race Theory. During her undergraduate career at UA, Stephanie became involved with student-lead efforts that tackled the issues of institutional racism and the marginalization of minority students and stood as an ally to other student organizations. She was a member of MEChA, a Chicanx student activist organization where she helped plan demonstrations, a national conference and got to speak to other women about Chicana Feminism. Stephanie also worked as a Student Coordinator or the Masculinity Initiatives Project at the Office of Early Academic Outreach.This program connected with young men of color to discuss and break down the different intersections of masculinity and how these can oftentimes be toxic and how they can hinder young men from seeking higher education. During her time helping and engaging young men through outreach, conference workshops, panels and activities, Stephanie gathered the right tools to be able to help young women in the Tucson community as well. In May of 2017 she planned and hosted Reclaim Your Power, a young women's empowerment conference at Pueblo High with the help of other UA women leaders. Today, she works in the non-profit sector providing training and coaching to early childhood educators and parents. She continues to engage in feminist and anti-racist efforts within the community as well.
Testimonials on Survivor-Driven Care and Activism
Alba Jaramillo, JD, holds a B.A. theater arts and anthropology from the University of Arizona, and a law degree from the University of Arizona. Alba has over 20 years of experience in the gender violence field. Ms. Jaramillo served as Co-Executive Director of the Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance, the Virginia’s statewide coalition for sexual and domestic violence services and umbrella organization for over 70 sexual and domestic programs. She was the youngest executive director in the country serving as a statewide director for sexual and domestic violence services. Some of Alba’s has included in assisting with the negotiations for the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act. At an international level, she worked in Kenya with the Federation of Women Lawyers and advised parliament on the inclusion of women’s rights in the Revised Constitution. Currently Alba is the Director of the YWCA’s Latina Leadership Institute and Women Out of Poverty Initiative, and oversees 12 empowerment programs for immigrant women and women living in poverty. Almost 1,000 women per year receive services through the programs Alba oversees. As an Artist she has included the arts, including theater, in the curriculum of these programs as a tool for empowerment, self-esteem building and identity. Alba joins the Testimonials presentation as Director of the YWCA’s Promotora’s Rompiendo Cadenas, which is an example of the work that goes into the Latina Leadership Institute. The Promotoras are:
Judith Pereida
Imelda Esquer
Ana Valdez
Rosa Robledo
Lydia Reyes
Frannia Skrriga
Karina Sanchez
Imelda Esquer
Ana Valdez
Rosa Robledo
Lydia Reyes
Frannia Skrriga
Karina Sanchez
For the past thirteen years Stephanie Noriega-Barrios has been working towards the collective liberation of humanity primarily through the gender based violence and reproductive justice movements. Stephanie has dedicated her life to leading these movements from an anti-oppression framework necessary to bring justice to those who experience multiple layers of violence and trauma. Most recently, Stephanie held the position of Director of Domestic Abuse Services at Emerge! Center Against Domestic Abuse, where she spent eight years providing trauma informed support to individuals who have or are experiencing abuse. During her time at Emerge! Stephanie prioritized education, community engagement and coalition building with all sectors to forge Pima County’s coordinated community response to end domestic violence. In 2016 Stephanie was a National Crime Victims’ Rights Week Honoree presented by the Pima County Attorney’s Office. Stephanie is also a trained full spectrum doula based in culturally relevant and intersectional practices. She has served as a community doula for low resourced women of color. Recently, she joined the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health as an Arizona representative to advocate for comprehensive reproductive healthcare. Stephanie is currently an adjunct instructor in Pima Community College’s Social Service Department. She holds a Master’s degree in Social Work from City University of New York Hunter College with a specialization in community organizing and development.
Alison Sutton-Ryan LCSW, LISAC, is currently the Mental Health Counselor in the Program for Mental Health Wellness at University of Arizona Health Sciences Office of Diversity and Inclusion. She has maintained a private practice for over 10 years with a special focus on addictions, trauma, and perinatal mood disorders. She is an Adjunct Instructor for the MSW program at ASU School of Social Work Tucson.
She has over two decades of clinical and advocacy work experience with survivors of sexual trauma. She received her MSW in Clinical Social Work from Smith College School for Social Work.
She has over two decades of clinical and advocacy work experience with survivors of sexual trauma. She received her MSW in Clinical Social Work from Smith College School for Social Work.
Workshop for Young Women and Girls
Kim Dominguez is the Coordinator of Feminist Engagement at the University of Arizona's Women's Resource Center. Born and raised in Tucson, Arizona, she holds her B.A. in Mexican American Studies and Gender and Women Studies from University of Arizona. Her passions include ethnic studies, Xicanx feminism, social justice education, creating and transforming spaces for women of color in their communities and organizing with young folks.
Najima Rainey is an activist with Black Lives Matter. Bio Coming Soon.
Workshop on Rape Culture and Patriarchy for Young Men and Boys
Born and raised in Western Colorado, Jamie Utt has had a commitment to truth seeking and justice from an early age. He earned his Bachelor’s of Arts in Peace and Global Studies from Earlham College where he dedicated his studies to conflict resolution and Middle Eastern Peace Studies. While at Earlham, Jamie spearheaded and supported many social justice efforts and worked as a sexual assault survivor’s advocate in a nationally-recognized sexual violence response, awareness, and prevention program. Education, though, has always been his passion, and Jamie knows first hand that education is truly the key civil rights issue of the 21st century. He spent years teaching social studies on Chicago’s west side, working within a committed team to empower young people to unleash their brilliance on the world that often overlooks them. Now Jamie is pursuing his Ph.D. in Education at the University of Arizona. Jamie teaches that this nation's knowledge-based economy demands that we provide young people from all backgrounds and circumstances with the education and skills necessary to become groundbreaking advocates for change. His consulting and training offers educators and students tools for transforming educational environments to ensure that every student realizes their full potential, for if we fail to help all young people develop their brilliance, the United States runs the risk of creating an even larger gap between the rich and the poor, which in turn, threatens our democracy, our society, and our economic future.
Since 2004, Jamie has worked as a consultant, educator, and trainer across the United States to build safer, more inclusive, and more justice-centered communities. One of the most dynamic new voices for change and inclusion today, his workshops and presentations have empowered thousands to take personal accountability for making this world a better place. As the Founder and Director of Education at CivilSchools: Building Bullying-Free Culture, Jamie has designed a comprehensive, research-based program for actually preventing and responding to bullying behavior in 6-12 schools. CivilSchools is currently being implemented in schools all around the United States to empower every member of school communities with the tools necessary to build positive school culture where bullying no longer takes place.
*** Jamie is also the Panel Moderator for Cycles of Violence and Harm
Since 2004, Jamie has worked as a consultant, educator, and trainer across the United States to build safer, more inclusive, and more justice-centered communities. One of the most dynamic new voices for change and inclusion today, his workshops and presentations have empowered thousands to take personal accountability for making this world a better place. As the Founder and Director of Education at CivilSchools: Building Bullying-Free Culture, Jamie has designed a comprehensive, research-based program for actually preventing and responding to bullying behavior in 6-12 schools. CivilSchools is currently being implemented in schools all around the United States to empower every member of school communities with the tools necessary to build positive school culture where bullying no longer takes place.
*** Jamie is also the Panel Moderator for Cycles of Violence and Harm
Hamilton (April Hamilton) is a Masters Student in the School Counseling Program within the College of Education. Their work with SPEAC focuses on Sexual Assault and Violence Prevention, Social Justice, and Feminist Engagement. When outside of campus they enjoy being with their partner, spending time in nature, practicing yoga, and playing roller derby.
Panel Moderators
Dr. Monica J. Casper, Moderator for Building Collaborative Efforts on Campus to Eradicate Gender-Based Violence.
Monica J. Casper, Co-Founder of the UA Consortium on Gender-Based Violence, is a sociologist whose scholarly and teaching interests include gender, bodies, health, sexuality, disability, and trauma, with a particular emphasis on reproductive health and politics. She is currently Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Inclusion in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences. She has published several books including the award-winning The Making of the Unborn Patient: A Social Anatomy of Fetal Surgery; is co-editor of TRIVIA: Voices of Feminism; and is a managing editor of The Feminist Wire. She is founding co-editor, with Lisa Jean Moore, of the Biopolitics series at NYU Press. Dr. Casper is currently involved in several research projects: 1) the biopolitics of maternal/child health and infant mortality in the United States; 2) social and biomedical consequences of traumatic brain injury, with Dan Morrison; and 3) a study of social aspects of parental child abduction. She also writes fiction and creative nonfiction, and has been published in a number of literary journals. Dr. Casper received her B.A. in sociology from the University of Chicago in 1988 and Ph.D. in sociology from the University of California, San Francisco in 1995. In 1996 she was a Fellow in Biomedical Ethics at Stanford University and then joined the sociology faculty at UC Santa Cruz, where she taught for several years. In 2003, she served as Executive Director of the Intersex Society of North America and from 2004-2008 directed the Women’s and Gender Studies Program at Vanderbilt University. Prior to joining the University of Arizona faculty, she taught at Arizona State University where, from 2008-2011, she directed Humanities, Arts, and Cultural Studies.
Monica J. Casper, Co-Founder of the UA Consortium on Gender-Based Violence, is a sociologist whose scholarly and teaching interests include gender, bodies, health, sexuality, disability, and trauma, with a particular emphasis on reproductive health and politics. She is currently Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Inclusion in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences. She has published several books including the award-winning The Making of the Unborn Patient: A Social Anatomy of Fetal Surgery; is co-editor of TRIVIA: Voices of Feminism; and is a managing editor of The Feminist Wire. She is founding co-editor, with Lisa Jean Moore, of the Biopolitics series at NYU Press. Dr. Casper is currently involved in several research projects: 1) the biopolitics of maternal/child health and infant mortality in the United States; 2) social and biomedical consequences of traumatic brain injury, with Dan Morrison; and 3) a study of social aspects of parental child abduction. She also writes fiction and creative nonfiction, and has been published in a number of literary journals. Dr. Casper received her B.A. in sociology from the University of Chicago in 1988 and Ph.D. in sociology from the University of California, San Francisco in 1995. In 1996 she was a Fellow in Biomedical Ethics at Stanford University and then joined the sociology faculty at UC Santa Cruz, where she taught for several years. In 2003, she served as Executive Director of the Intersex Society of North America and from 2004-2008 directed the Women’s and Gender Studies Program at Vanderbilt University. Prior to joining the University of Arizona faculty, she taught at Arizona State University where, from 2008-2011, she directed Humanities, Arts, and Cultural Studies.
Thea Cola, Moderator for Testimonials on Survivor-Driven Care and Activism
Thea Cola is the Coordinator for Sexual Assault and Violence Prevention at the University of Arizona's Women's Resource Center. She is a double Indiana University graduate with a Bachelor's degree in Classical Studies and Latin and Master's degree in Health Promotion. Thea enjoys working closely with students and has had extensive experience in developing and supporting student leaders on a college campus. Additionally she is deeply passionate in creating meaningful campus sexual violence prevention programs and Indiana University basketball.
Thea Cola is the Coordinator for Sexual Assault and Violence Prevention at the University of Arizona's Women's Resource Center. She is a double Indiana University graduate with a Bachelor's degree in Classical Studies and Latin and Master's degree in Health Promotion. Thea enjoys working closely with students and has had extensive experience in developing and supporting student leaders on a college campus. Additionally she is deeply passionate in creating meaningful campus sexual violence prevention programs and Indiana University basketball.
Dr. Amália Clarice Mora, Moderator for Institutional Responses to Gender-Based Violence
Amália Clarice Mora is the Program Coordinator for the UA Consortium on Gender-Based Violence, as well as a Research Fellow for the UA's Southwest Folklife Alliance. Amália has dedicated herself to the fight against gender violence in her research, activism, and creative pursuits. She recently received her Ph.D. in ethnomusicology from UCLA, conducting dissertation research on the relationship between sexual violence, racialized narratives on dancers and their bodies, and women who perform for tourists in Goa, India. Her background in and passion for music, dance, and writing has inspired her to participate in programs aimed at employing the arts and humanities in the pursuit of gender justice for a wide-variety of organizations. Since moving to Tucson in 2016, Amália has served as a Visiting Folklorist and Evaluator for the Southwest Folklife Alliance's annual Tucson Meet Yourself festival, as well as a researcher and writer for the Tucson Museum of Art (folk art collection). Being mixed-race has deeply influenced both her professional and personal life; her current area of interest is the intersection between hegemonic beauty standards, interracial attraction, and the tensions and violences inherent within multiracial corporeality.
Amália Clarice Mora is the Program Coordinator for the UA Consortium on Gender-Based Violence, as well as a Research Fellow for the UA's Southwest Folklife Alliance. Amália has dedicated herself to the fight against gender violence in her research, activism, and creative pursuits. She recently received her Ph.D. in ethnomusicology from UCLA, conducting dissertation research on the relationship between sexual violence, racialized narratives on dancers and their bodies, and women who perform for tourists in Goa, India. Her background in and passion for music, dance, and writing has inspired her to participate in programs aimed at employing the arts and humanities in the pursuit of gender justice for a wide-variety of organizations. Since moving to Tucson in 2016, Amália has served as a Visiting Folklorist and Evaluator for the Southwest Folklife Alliance's annual Tucson Meet Yourself festival, as well as a researcher and writer for the Tucson Museum of Art (folk art collection). Being mixed-race has deeply influenced both her professional and personal life; her current area of interest is the intersection between hegemonic beauty standards, interracial attraction, and the tensions and violences inherent within multiracial corporeality.
Abraham Weil, Moderator for The Politics of Disclosure and Intersectionality
Abraham Weil is a PhD candidate in Gender and Women’s Studies at the University of Arizona whose research focuses on radical geographies, anti-blackness, poststructuralism, continental philosophy and trans-theory. He earned a Master of Arts from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey in 2012 and a Bachelor of Arts from University of Redlands in 2009. His current project focuses on radical political formations, anti-black racism, and trans* theory.
Abraham Weil is a PhD candidate in Gender and Women’s Studies at the University of Arizona whose research focuses on radical geographies, anti-blackness, poststructuralism, continental philosophy and trans-theory. He earned a Master of Arts from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey in 2012 and a Bachelor of Arts from University of Redlands in 2009. His current project focuses on radical political formations, anti-black racism, and trans* theory.