Dr. Adriel Hilton

Adriel A. Hilton, Ph.D. is Dean of Students and Diversity Officer at Seton Hill University in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Recently, he served as director of the Webster University Myrtle Beach Metropolitan Extended Campus. As the chief administrative officer, he worked to implement programs and policies to achieve Webster University’s overall goals and objectives at the extended campus. In the past, Dr. Hilton has served as Chief of Staff and Executive Assistant to the President at Grambling State University, Assistant Professor and Director of the Higher Education Student Affairs program at Western Carolina University, the inaugural Assistant Vice President for Inclusion Initiatives at Grand Valley State University, and Executive Assistant to the President and Assistant Secretary to the Board of Trustees. 

A prolific author and researcher, Dr. Hilton’s research is published in refereed journals, such as Teachers College Record, Journal of College Student Development, Community College Review, Community College Journal of Research and Practice, Journal of Applied Research in the Community College, and the Journal of the Professoriate. His numerous service commitments include membership on the editorial boards of the renowned Journal of Negro Education and the highly acclaimed College Student Affairs Journal.

Dr. Hilton holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in finance from Morehouse College, Atlanta, Georgia; a Master of Applied Social Science degree, with a concentration in public administration from Florida A&M University, Tallahassee, Florida; a Master of Business Administration degree from Webster University, St. Louis, Missouri; and a PhD in Higher Education with a concentration in Administration from Morgan State University, Baltimore, Maryland.

Dr. Theresa Powell​

A highly respected career professional in higher education administration, Dr. Theresa A. Powell currently serves as the Vice President for Student Affairs at Temple University. She is the past president of the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA), where she has been honored as a Legacy of the Profession, a Pillar of the Profession and the recipient of the Fred Turner Award for Outstanding Service to NASPA. In addition, she served as a Team Chair, Consultant Evaluator, and as a member of the Accreditation Review Council for The Higher Learning Commission for the past eleven years.

Dr. Powell received her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania, her Master’s degree from Texas Christian University and her Doctoral degree from The Ohio State University. Before coming to Temple, she served as Vice President for Student Affairs at Western Michigan, where she also was a tenured professor.

She is the recipient of the prestigious Maude Stewart Award, given by the faculty of the higher education graduate program at The Ohio State University to individuals who have made significant contributions to the fields of higher education and student affairs. She has taught, presented, written and consulted widely on a broad range of student affairs issues, including student culture and diversity, career concerns of women administrators, student leadership and campus programming. Dr. Powell is an active member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and The Links, Inc.

Mr. Tramayne Whitney

Tramayne Whitney is an accomplished senior global human resources executive who has led Fortune 500 companies through strategic and operational talent priorities. He is currently Head of Global People Consultants for Google.

Prior to his current role, Tramayne Whitney was Vice President, HR, for Siemens and The Hershey Company. Previously, Mr. Whitney was Senior Director of Human Resources for Hershey’s Delivery Optimization Organization, where he was responsible for providing strategic HR direction and enabling strong business partnering, process improvement, change management and talent attraction and development.

​Whitney holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Central Michigan University and a master’s degree in Management and Organizational Behavior from Benedictine University, where he was honored as a Rising Star Alumni in 2015. He has also been an adjunct professor at DeVry University. He is a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity and has been featured twice in Who’s Who in Black Cincinnati.​

Dr. Rosalind Morgan

Rosalind A. Morgan is a native Chicagoan and received her undergraduate degree from DePaul University, master’s degree from Northeastern Illinois University, and earned a doctor of philosophy degree in Counseling Psychology from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.

Following a thirty six-year career as an educator in public city and state educational institutions, Dr. Morgan retired from Chicago State University in the position of Assistant Vice President in the division of Student Affairs, and tenured professor emeritus in the University Counseling Department. Dr. Morgan is active in a variety of activities, including the American Counseling Association, Phi Delta Kappa International Educational Fraternity, and with the National Association of Student Affairs Professionals as a member on the editorial board for the NASAP professional journal. Dr. Morgan’s academic career included research on women’s coping styles for role conflict management related to their home, career and community responsibilities, with particular interest in black women. Since retirement, her research interests were redirected to genealogy and African American history in the United States.

Mr. Gregory S. Roberts

Gregory Roberts is a global leader in student affairs, higher education management, fundraising, and administration. He is currently serving as Vice Provost for Leadership Development and Dean of Students at Hilbert College outside Buffalo, New York.  Prior to Hilbert College he served as Vice President, Institutional Advancement at Saint Joseph’s College. Previously, he served as Executive Director at ACPA – College Student Educators International in Washington, D.C. at the National Center for Higher Education for eleven years, where he expanded international reach and stabilized finances by doubling reserves.

He previously served as Vice President of Student Affairs at Minnesota’s University of St. Thomas. He’s held similar administrative positions at University of Central Missouri, The College of New Jersey, and Indiana University.

He is a Greenleaf Distinguished Alumnus of Indiana University, where he earned a B.Sc. and M.Ed. He also earned his Ed.S. From University of Missouri and a Certificate of Advanced Study from Harvard University Graduate School of Education. The University of St. Thomas (MN) awarded Mr. Roberts with the University’s Distinguished Service Award at the 2004 Commencement.
 
Mr. Roberts has been an advocate for an international education and has supported international student initiative at many college campuses.  His work has carried him around the globe building stronger educational opportunities.  He worked with education professionals from 21 countries to develop stronger partnerships between academic and student affairs.
 
Mr. Roberts, having served higher education for over 40 years and continues service to the profession of Higher Education and Student Development in particular.   He has served on many boards and most recently Capitol Hill Rotary Club working to eradicate polio, One World Education, a literacy program for Washington DC public school children and Washington Internship Institute for college students studying in the Nation’s Capital.  His career has always included the education and mentorship of students of color, especially African American males.  Currently he serves on the Board of Directors of the Dr. Melvin C. Terrell Education Foundation and chairs the Development Committee of the Foundation, providing financial resources for underrepresented graduate students pursuing an advanced degree.​

Dr. Tiffany Fountaine Boykin

Tiffany Fountaine Boykin is the Dean of Student Engagement at Anne Arundel Community College. Dr. Boykin provides leadership, vision, innovation, and strategic direction for programs and activities that support student belonging, development, leadership, and wellness. In addition, Dr. Boykin interprets, articulates, implements, and monitors institutional compliance with appropriate laws, regulations, and policies. She is also an adjunct professor in the Community College Leadership Doctoral Program at Morgan State University where she primarily instructs courses in research methods, student development, and legal aspects of higher education.

Dr. Boykin’s research examines success and participation for Black students in postsecondary settings, the role of Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and legal aspects of higher education. A noted author and presenter, Dr. Boykin has numerous publications and proceedings to her credit including publications in refereed journals such as the Community College Journal of Research and Practice and the Journal of Negro Education. Dr. Boykin is a member of many professional and civic organizations. She currently serves as the Director of Legal Counsel for the Center for African American Research and Policy and as an editorial reviewer for the Journal of College Student Retention and the Journal of Negro Education. Dr. Boykin earned a BA in Communication from the University of Maryland, College Park, an MS in Communications Management from Towson University, a PhD in Higher Education from Morgan State University, and a JD from the University of Baltimore School of Law. She is licensed to practice law in Maryland state courts.

Dr. Fred Bonner II

Dr. Fred Bonner II is Professor and Endowed Chair in Educational Leadership and Counseling at Prairie View A&M University. He is formerly the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Endowed Chair in Education in the Graduate School of Education at Rutgers University and an esteemed expert in the field of diversity in education. Prior to joining Rutgers, he was Professor of Higher Education Administration and Dean of Faculties at Texas A&M University-College Station. He earned a B.A. in Chemistry from the University of North Texas, an M.S. Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction from Baylor University, and an Ed.D. in Higher Education Administration and College Teaching from the University of Arkansas.

Dr. Bonner has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the American Association for Higher Education Black Caucus Dissertation Award and the Educational Leadership, Counseling and Foundation's Dissertation of the Year Award from the University of Arkansas College of Education. His work has been featured nationally and internationally. He is the author of the recently released book Building on Resilience: Models and Frameworks of Black Male Success Across the P-20 Pipeline.​

Dr. Wanda Davis

Dr. Wanda Davis is a professor emeritus in the Higher Education Administration department at Buffalo State, where she previously taught since 1994. Her research interests include the history of American higher education and the study of social movements. Professor Davis serves on several national editorial boards and has numerous publications. Not only has she excelled in the area of scholarship, she also served in just about every level of management in Student Affairs.

She also served in academic administration as Assistant Vice Provost; as Associate Vice President for Undergraduate Studies and as Project Director for our year long distinguished lecture series (after obtaining a major grant from the New York Council of the Humanities Grant and procurement of over $100,000.00). Her honors are numerous and include being a National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Fellow at Harvard University. Davis has completed extensive travel abroad.

Dr. Tierney J. Bates

Dr. Tierney J. Bates has established himself as student focused leader, speaker, fundraiser, networker, and leading voice on student success!  He has worked in higher education providing leadership, vision, and responsibility for strategic initiatives/solutions in student affairs/services diversity & inclusion, career services, enrollment, and fundraising. He has worked at UNC Chapel Hill, Virginia Union University, North Carolina Central University, University of Louisville, and University of Tennessee.

Dr. Bates has worked in many roles supporting student success, leadership, diversity, equity, and inclusion practices at institutions of higher learning and corporate America in the Knoxville, TN, Nashville, TN, Louisville, KY, and Durham, NC communities. He is the founder of the University of Tennessee Black Issues Conference going on 15 years and funded.  He is a sought-after speaker on Leadership development, Diversity and Inclusion or becoming culturally fluent, Fundraising for Diversity, and Students of Color success. Dr. Bates is also a co-author in two different publications on Fundraising for Diversity. Dr. Bates currently is a 2018 Higher Education Leadership Foundation Cohort Fellow and the Center for Minority Serving Institutions 2017- 2019 Aspiring Leaders Presidential Fellow Program at the University of Pennsylvania.
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Dr. Bates is from Cleveland, Ohio and received his Bachelor of Arts in Mass Media Communications with a minor in African-American History from the University of Akron, his Master of Arts in Higher -Education Administration from the University of Akron, and his MBA from Bryan College, and a Doctorate degree from Spalding University. Dr. Bates is a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., The National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA), the American College Personnel Association (ACPA), the National Black MBA Association (NMMBAA), Southern Association of College Student Affairs (SACSA), National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) 100 Black Men of Triangle East and a Prince Hall Mason.

Dr. Santos Rivera

Dr. Irvin Clark

Irvin R. Clark, EdD joined Radford University in October 2013 as the Associate Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students. In this capacity he serves five primary roles: supervisor for six departments; SGA advisor; senior judicial officer for conduct/ appeals; emergency/ threat assessment coordinator; and student resource/advocate. Dr. Clark received his Bachelor of Science in Political Science from Florida A&M University (1991), his Masters of Public Administration from Savannah State University (1999) and the Doctorate of Education (Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership and Change from The Fielding Graduate University (2003).

Dr. Elizabeth A. Dooley

Elizabeth A. Dooley serves as Professor in the College of Community Innovation and Education at the University of Central Florida (UCF). She is currently on sabbatical and will return to campus in January 2021. Previously, she served as Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. She was UCF’s chief academic officer, providing leadership for 13 colleges, including a college of medicine, along with multiple campuses, research centers, and institutes. Her responsibilities included curriculum, faculty development, academic support services, student services, and oversight of UCF’s $1.8 billion operating budget.
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Dr. Dooley is a champion of student and faculty success. She collaborates across UCF to foster a culture of teaching and learning that engages faculty and students in creating knowledge, promoting scholarship and developing cutting-edge teaching and learning practices. Before joining UCF in 2015, Dr. Dooley was the associate provost for Undergraduate Academic Affairs at West Virginia University, where her leadership roles also included being the founding dean of the University College and department chair of Curriculum Instruction/Literacy Studies and Special Education. A native of Fairmont, West Virginia, Dr. Dooley holds a doctorate in Education (Special Education with a minor in Higher Education Administration) and a master’s degree in Special Education from WVU. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education with a specialization in Special Education from Alderson Broaddus College.

Dr. Dawn Person

​Dawn Person is a Professor in the Educational Leadership Department at California State University, Fullerton. She served as Coordinator of the Community College, Higher Education Specialization for the Educational Doctorate. She serves as the Director of the Center for Research on Educational Access and Leadership (C-REAL), a solution-focused, data-driven research center that serves community partners in Los Angeles and Orange county as well as national and international associates committed to issues of educational leadership and student achievement. Prior to her decade of college teaching, Dawn served as a counselor, advisor, and administrator in student affairs, coordinator of programs and services in support of students of color, international students, first-year students, and student athletes. She serves as a consultant to colleges and universities on program evaluation, student retention, organizational change, and multicultural issues. Dr. Person has co-authored books and written numerous articles and book chapters on student retention for African American men, women, and women and student athletes of color. Among her many honors and awards, Dawn received the American College Personnel Association’s Diamond Honoree Award, a lifetime achievement award and the Most Valuable Professor Award. She remains active with the ACPA, NASPA, and other professional associations.

Dr. Terrell Strayhorn

​Dr. Terrell Strayhorn is the Associate Provost for Research, Innovation, and Graduation; Director of the Center for the Study of HBCUs; and tenured Professor of Urban Education at Virginia Union University. A renowned student success scholar, highly acclaimed public speaker and thought leader, Strayhorn is author of 10 books including College Students’ Sense of Belonging, over 50 book chapters, and over 200 journal articles and other scholarly publications. He has presented over 300 keynotes and invited lectures across the globe, including a TEDtalk in 2011. He’s been quoted in Huffington Post, Business First, Chronicle of Higher Education, Ebony, and others, generating more than 5000 citations worldwide. He’s a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated. Known for using the hashtag #DoGoodWork on social media, Strayhorn was named one of the country’s top diversity scholars by Diverse: Issues and became the youngest full professor in Ohio State’s history in 2014.

Dr. Mary Howard-Hamilton

Dr. Mary F. Howard-Hamilton is a Distinguished Research Professor and Chair of the Department of Educational Leadership in the Bayh College of Education at Indiana State University. She was a recipient of the Contribution to Knowledge Award from the American College Personnel Association in 2017, the Indiana State University Presidential Medal for Exemplary Teaching and Scholarship and the Theodore Dreiser Distinguished Research and Creativity Award in 2015. She also received the Bayh College of
Education Holmstedt Distinguished Professorship Award for 2012-2013. Dr. Howard-Hamilton received her Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees from The University of Iowa and a Doctorate of Education, Ed.D., from North Carolina State University. Dr. Howard-Hamilton has served as a higher education student affairs administrator for 15 years and a full time faculty member for 24 years. She has spent her entire professional career in higher education for a total of 37 years working at eight institutions.

As a researcher, Dr. Howard-Hamilton has published more than 90 articles and book chapters. The most recent co-authored books are Diverse Millennial Students in College, Multiculturalism on Campus: Theories, Models, and Practices for Understanding Diversity and Creating Inclusion, Unleashing Suppressed Voices on College Campuses: Diversity Issues in Higher Education and Standing on the Outside Looking In: Underrepresented Students’ Experiences in Advanced Degree Programs. Dr. Howard-Hamilton has been a presenter at the Oxford Roundtable in Oxford, England. She has also served as a consultant and instructor for the Student Housing Training Institute in Cape Town, Pretoria, and Johannesburg, South Africa.

Currently, Dr. Howard-Hamilton is a member of the Editorial Boards for the Journal of College Student Development, The Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice, and The Journal for the Study of Sports and Athletes in Education.

Dr. Howard-Hamilton served on the Executive Board for the Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE) as the Member-at- Large from 2014-2016. She also served on the Board for the Association of College and University Housing Officer International (ACUHOI) as the Knowledge Enhancement Director from 2011-2014. Her other honors include being selected by the American College Student Personnel Association to serve as a Senior Scholar from 2013-2018, the Diverse Issues in Higher Education Top 25 Women in Higher Education and Beyond in 2018, the Champion of Diversity Award from the Indiana Minority Business Magazine in January 2013, The Terre Haute Human Rights Commission Diversity Award in October, 2013, The Garcia Exemplary Scholarship Award from the Council on Ethic Participation – Association for the Study of Higher Education, in 2011, “Robert S. Shaffer Award” for Academic Excellence as a Graduate Faculty Member and the The University of Iowa, Albert Hood Distinguished Alumni Award. She also received The Monroe County (Indiana) Big Brothers Big Sisters Mentor of the Year Award for 2006.

Dr. Howard-Hamilton is a lifetime member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. and is the President of the Bloomington Alumnae Chapter as well as the Secondary Advisor for Zeta Nu Chapter at Indiana State University. She serves on the Delta Sigma Theta National Institutional Research Committee and the Sister Scholars Research Task Force. Serving the Terre Haute community, she is a member of the United Campus Ministry Board, a member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, was a clarinetist for the inaugural New Horizons Community Band at Indiana State University, and former member of 100+ Women Who Care Vigo County. Her primary avocation is gardening in which she is a Bronze Certified Master Gardener and member of the Wabash Valley Master Gardener’s Association.

Dr. Bettina C. Shuford

Dr. Bettina C. Shuford currently serves as an Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She previously served as an Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs at Bowling Green State University and held positions in the Office of the Provost and the Center for Multicultural and Academic Initiatives on the same campus. Other professional experiences have included positions in Residence Life, the Dean of Students Office and Multicultural Affairs at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She received her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from North Carolina Central University, her master’s in Guidance and Counseling from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and her doctorate in Higher Education Administration from Bowling Green State University.

Her research interests, publications, and presentations have focused on functions in multicultural affairs offices, assessment of multicultural affairs programs, minority student development, retention of students of color, affirmative action, and African American women in student affairs. She is a member of the coordinating faculty for the long standing NASPA Preconference Session – The African American Women’s Summit.

Dr. Robert T. Palmer

Robert T. Palmer, Ph.D. is Associate Professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at Howard University. His research examines issues of access, equity, retention, persistence, and the college experience of racial and ethnic minorities, particularly within the context of historically Black colleges and universities. Dr. Palmer’s work has been published in leading journals in higher education, such as The Journal of College Student Development, Teachers College Record, Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, Journal of Negro Education, College Student Affairs Journal, Journal of College Student Retention, The Negro Educational Review, and Journal of Black Studies, among others.

Since earning his PhD in 2007, Dr. Palmer has authored/co-authored well over 100 academic publications. His books include Racial and Ethnic Minority Students’ Success in STEM Education (2011, Jossey-Bass), Black Men in College: Implications for HBCUs and Beyond (2012, Routledge), Black Graduate Education at HBCUs: Trends, Experiences, and Outcomes (2012, Information Age Publishing), Fostering Success of Ethnic and Racial Minorities in STEM: The Role of Minority Serving Institutions (2012, Routledge), Community Colleges and STEM: Examining Underrepresented Racial and Ethnic Minorities (2013, Routledge), STEM Models of Success: Programs, Policies, and Practices (2014, Information Age Press), Black Male Collegians: Increasing Access, Retention, and Persistence in Higher Education (2014, Jossey-Bass), Understanding HIV and STI Prevention for College Students (2014, Routledge), Black Men in Higher Education: A Guide to Ensuring Success (2014, Routledge), Exploring Diversity at Historically Black Colleges and Universities: Implications for Policy and Practice (2015, Jossey-Bass), Hispanic Serving Institutions: Their Origins, and Present and Future challenges (2015, Stylus), the African American Students’ Guide to STEM Careers (forthcoming, Greenwood Publishing), and Black Men in the Academy: Stories of Resiliency, Inspiration, and Success (2015, Palgrave Macmillan).

In 2009, the American College Personnel Association’s (ACPA) Standing Committee for Men recognized his excellent research on Black men with its Outstanding Research Award. In 2011, Dr. Palmer was named an ACPA Emerging Scholar and in 2012, he received the Carlos J. Vallejo Award of Emerging Scholarship from the American Education Research Association (AERA). In 2012, he was awarded the Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE)-Mildred García Junior Exemplary Scholarship Award. In 2015, Diverse Issues in Higher Education recognized Dr. Palmer as an Emerging Scholar. Later that year, he also received the SUNY Chancellor’s award for Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activities. This prestigious award is normally given to a full professor.

Dr. Palmer is on the editorial boards of the Journal of College Student Development, Journal of Negro Education, Journal of African American Males in Education, ASHE Monograph Series, and Spectrum: A Journal on Black Men. He also serves as an occasional reviewer for a variety of journals in higher education. Dr. Palmer earned his Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from Morgan State University in 2007, M.S. in Counseling with an emphasis on Higher Education at West Chester University of Pennsylvania in 2003, and B.S. in History at Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania in 2001.​

Dr. Jamal Watson

Dr. Jamal Watson is an award winning writer and lecturer. He is the author of the forthcoming book The Evolution of Al Sharpton: The Provocative Politics of the People’s Preacher, a biography about the civil rights leader and MSNBC host.

Watson is currently Editor-at-Large for Diverse: Issues in Higher Education, the country’s leading periodical that focuses on minorities and diversity related issues in higher education. His writings have also appeared in a variety of publications including The Baltimore Sun, The New York Sun, USA Today, and The Washington City Paper. He is a Lecturer at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst where he teaches a variety of writing and history courses.

A Philadelphia native, Watson earned his bachelor’s degree in English and Theology from Georgetown University, a masters degree from the Graduate School of Journalism at Columbia University, a masters degree in higher education from the University of Delaware, and a masters and doctoral degree in Afro-American Studies from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

Watson is the author of two essays featured in the anthology Writers of the Black Chicago Renaissance published by University of Illinois Press and edited by Steven C. Tracy, and is on the board of the Black Doctoral Network and active with the National Association of Black Journalists, the Education Writer’s Association and the Association for the Study of African American Life and History.
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He currently resides in the Washington, D.C. area with his wife and son.

​Dr. Rivera is head of Perez, Rivera & Associates, a consulting practice specializing in the development, management and assessment of initiatives for diversification in higher education leadership and administration and policy related issues.  

A specialist in Latino higher education and educational leadership, Dr. Rivera has written and lectured nationally and internationally in this area as well as in culturally integrated leadership thoughts, and practices that promote innovation and the development of initiatives that integrate the campus and the community for a collective purpose.  
Dr. Rivera has more than 30 years in higher education.

​In 2009, Dr. Rivera retired from Northeastern Illinois University with the honorary distinction of Emeritus Senior Executive. His leadership experience at NEIU was broadly-based. He held a number of senior-level administrative positions as well as teaching in the graduate program in educational leadership and development.

Dr. Marco Barker

Dr. Barker is a diversity professional and scholar with 12+ years of experience providing expertise, training and development, and program design for diversity and inclusion.

Barker is the inaugural Vice Chancellor for will lead the Office of Diversity and Inclusion and works with campus partners and allies to shape the university’s vision, strategic planning and advocacy toward fostering an inclusive, equitable and welcoming campus. Prior to his role at Nebraska, he served as Associate Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Westminster College, was senior director for education, operation and initiatives for diversity and multicultural affairs and clinical professor of education at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. At Louisiana State University, he was director of educational equity and assistant to the vice provost.

His trainings and consultations have included both higher education and corporate organizations interested in building capacity for bolstering diversity and inclusion, developing diversity-minded teams, and/or developing a more inclusive work environment.