International Bullying Prevention Conference Chicago
 
Sarah Adkins
Dean Of Students
Farrington School
Sarah Adkins holds degrees in human ecology and educational leadership, and is pursuing the credentials to be a school counselor. Starting her career as teacher, her professional experiences have progressed into coordinating programming for marginalized youth, developing social emotional trainings for teachers, and addressing ways to support students academically and behaviorally. In her most recent role at the Maine DOE, she provided guidance to schools about Maine’s anti-bullying law, collaborated discussions about student behavior, and tirelessly advocated for all Maine kids. She is now the Dean of Students at Farrington School in Augusta, Maine and continues to advocate for bullying prevention and implementing supports for all students.
 
Amy Jones Anichini
Founder & President
Act Like You Matter
Amy Jones Anichini is a bullying intervention/prevention specialist and youth empowerment mentor. She authors content that teaches children and teens how to build resilience and overcome/combat bullying and equips their parents and teachers to help them. As Founder & President of Act Like You Matter, Inc. and Executive Director & Author of Theatre of Peace, Amy creates and delivers anti-bullying workshops for K-12 in Southern California, packed with solutions and tools students can use immediately.
 
Jasmine Babers
Founder and Creative Director
Love Girl Magazine
Jasmine Babers is a recent graduate from the University of Illinois in Chicago, where she double majored in Gender and Women’s Studies and Political Science. On-campus, Jasmine wore many hats; she was the treasurer and social chair of SISTERS, a member of Woman 2 Woman, and a founding member of the UIC philanthropy group. Jasmine’s most prized accomplishment is being the founder and editor of Love Girls Magazine. She started Love Girls when she was 15 years old, in response to bullying, sexism and other injustices that she saw regarding women and girls.
 
Mary Baird
Mentor Coordinator
Penn State Behrend
Mary Baird serves as Penn State Behrend's Mentor Coordinator. She has over a decade of experience in the field of mentoring and relational aggression. Formerly, she served as the CEO of The Ophelia Project. During her tenure, she traveled throughout the nation working with students on all levels to reduce relational aggression and build a comprehensive mentoring program. She has co-authored anti-bullying and mentoring curriculum, as well as developed video materials for general use.
 
Johnna Baker
Attorney/Retired Educator and Administrator
Johnna Baker Law Firm LLC.
Johnna Baker is a licensed attorney, speaker, and educator in the state of Alabama. She has more than thirty year's in the public school system as an administrator and is now practicing law in the area of domestic relations. Ms. Baker is the author of Please Do Not Bully Me, I Am Just Like You Don't You See.(A Manual for Administrators and Parents) Using a unique combination of poetry, prose and legal statutes she offers a unique combination of the emerging legal aspects of education while providing the laymen's perspective on solutions every parent needs. The author's diverse background and education offers the perfect combination of skills and education from which to address he sensitive and complicated topic of bullying. In addition to being a practicing attorney, Ms. Baker is equally skilled in the field of education obtaining a BS Degree in Secondary Education, a MA in Secondary Education, a MA in Administration, an EDs in Educational leadership. Ms. Baker travels throughout the Southeast speaking to educational groups on such topics as Team Building, Conflict Resolution and How to Document for Success. Ms. Baker was recently invited to be the keynote speaker June Barrett CNP Director for the State of Alabama in November 2019 at Perdido Beach in Orange Beach Alabama.
 
0Miranda Ballesteros
Student
Amanda Forum
Miranda Ballesteros is a senior at Valparaiso High School and a vital member of the Amanda Forum. She will lead a group of other student leaders in facilitating the #LetsStartTalking workshop.
 
Linda Barry
General Manager of Programs
Alannah & Madeline Foundation
Linda Barry is the General Manager of Programs at the Alannah & Madeline Foundation and has been with the Foundation since January 2015. Linda leads the delivery, development and strategic direction of all programs. Linda has extensive experience in leading large teams, operations management as well as HR and stakeholder relationships. Linda’s experience in developing programs to educate and support young people in keeping safe on line ensures that she can deliver the Foundation’s key objectives - to care for children who have experienced or witnessed serious violence, reduce the incidence of bullying, cyber bullying and other cyber risks, and, advocate for the safety and wellbeing of children.
 
Jacqueline Beauchere
Global Digital Safety Advocate
Microsoft
Jacqueline F. Beauchere is the Global Digital Safety Advocate for Microsoft Corp. where she is responsible for numerous aspects of Microsoft's online safety strategy, including policy creation and implementation, and communications and engagement with a variety of external audiences.
 
Jeanette Betancourt, PhD
Senior Vice President for U.S. Social Impact
Sesame Workshop
Dr. Betancourt is the Senior Vice President for U.S. Social Impact at Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit educational organization behind Sesame Street. She directs the development and implementation of community and family engagement initiatives making a difference in the lives of vulnerable children and their families. These research-based initiatives are designed to impact children’s early learning, health and well-being, and provide strategies and resources to counteract the effects of trauma while fostering the critical connections that adults have on children’s lives.
 
Leslie Bond
Independent Consultant
Leslie Mitchel Bond, M.Ed is a child abuse prevention and early childhood development consultant. From 2013-2017, she served as the Founding Director of Bullying/Peer Abuse Prevention Services for Prevent Child Abuse America (PCAA). Prior to that role, Ms. Bond launched and directed PCAA’s Healthy Families America home visitor program. Ms. Bond has lectured extensively across the country on the subject of child abuse prevention, healthy parenting, and has authored numerous articles.
 
Ryan Broll, PhD
Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology
University of Guelph
Ryan Broll, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology. His areas of research interest include bullying and cyberbullying, policing, and victimization. Dr. Broll’s research is particularly focused on using quantitative and qualitative methods to understand the multiple influences on, and outcomes of, youthful deviance and victimization, with an emerging emphasis on resilience.
 
Laurie Campbell
Assistant Professor
University of Central Florida
Laurie O. Campbell, Ed.D., is an Asst. Professor at the University of Central Florida, She is co-director of the Behavioral Indicator Training Program https://ccie.ucf.edu/behavioral-indicator-training/. She pursues research related to STEM curriculum and identity among underserved and underrepresented populations through personalized and active learning. The foundation of her interdisciplinary research includes the desire to improve education for all through instructional design and technology.
 
Nicholas Carlisle
Founder and President
No Bully
Nicholas Carlisle is the President and Founder of No Bully, a nonprofit organization that eradicates bullying and ignites compassion worldwide. Nicholas worked as a barrister in London and served as chairman of the non-profit section of Amnesty International UK. He practiced in California as a child and family psychotherapist and founded No Bully as a non-profit to make childhood bully free. He brought together the collaborative that drives Power of Zero as a global campaign to reshape early learning for a connected world.
 
Sujung Cho
Assistant Professor
Southern Illinois University
Sujung Cho is an Assistant Professor of Criminology & Criminal Justice at Southern Illinois University. Her primary research interest is how family- and peer-relationships influence developmental trajectories of bullying behavior during adolescence, including how being bullies and victims of bullying affects sexual and dating violence as well as aggression at a later time point.
 
Sally Cohen
Clinical Professor
Dr. Cohen’s scholarship focuses on health and social policies for children, with a focus on bullying prevention. She is a nationally recognized leader in advancing health policy and nursing, especially in integrating health policy into nursing education, practice, and research. And she has extensive experienced in national and state health policy. Her interdisciplinary scholarship encompasses nursing, public health, and political science. Among her many honors and leadership roles, Dr. Cohen is Editor-in-Chief of Policy, Politics & Nursing Practice and was elected to the American Academy of Nursing in 1988.
 
Dr. Carol Collum
Executive Director
True Believers Community Connections
Dr. Carol Collum is a community educator & organizer, an education & business consultant, mentor, and an author who takes pride in empowering clients through education and training as a leadership development professional. She posses a Doctorate Degree in Educational Leadership, a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership and Organizational Change, a Master’s Degree in Social Work, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice. Her passion is to encourage others to expand their knowledge base and skill sets to become a viable asset to the contribution of leadership development.
 
Alan Conley
Director of the Office of Faith Based Initiatives
Chicago Public Schools
Reverend Alan B. Conley is a 21st century communicator of the Gospel who happens to know that 90% of ministry is fulfilled outside of the pulpit. Being raised in the Baptist tradition in his youth and the Pentecostal tradition in his teenage years has enabled him to have a greater respect for all denominational distinctions. He believes that we are all a part of God’s Kingdom regardless of color, denomination, or creed. Reverend Alan B. Conley obtained his B.A. in Christian Ministries with a concentration in Pastoral Leadership from Trinity International University in Deerfield, IL and his Masters of Divinity degree from McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago, IL, where he was the recipient of the Presidential Scholar Award. Reverend Conley presently serves as the Director of the Office of Faith Based Initiatives with Chicago Public Schools. Ultimately, as the Director of Faith Based Initiatives, Reverend Conley endeavors to help sustain the relevancy of Faith and Community.
 
Jessica Covarrubias
Be Internet Awesome Lead
Google
Jessica Covarrubias leads Google's Be Internet Awesome program, a multifaceted digital citizenship and online safety program designed to teach students how to navigate the Internet safely and confidently. Jessica holds an MBA and MA in Education with a focus on K-12 from the University of Michigan. Prior to graduate school, she worked in a number of marketing and strategy roles for PepsiCo and Nike. Jessica is originally from Chicago and earned her bachelor's degree from Stanford University.
 
Michelle Demaray
Professor
Northern Illinois University
Michelle Demaray is a Professor in the School Psychology Program in the Psychology Department at Northern Illinois University. She is also the Editor of the Journal of School Psychology. Her research interests focus on bullying and victimization in schools, including cyber-bullying and the role of bystanders in the bullying situation.
 
Rodger Dinwiddie
CEO
STARS Nashville
Rodger Dinwiddie has been the CEO of STARS-Nashville, an evidenced-based Student Assistance Program, since 1986. Prior to joining STARS, Rodger served as the Executive Director of a nonprofit organization working with juvenile court referrals. He also was a classroom teacher in the Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools for 7 years. Rodger is a certified trainer and Olweus Technical Assistance Consultant for the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program and Safe Dates Program, and he serves as the Tennessee State Olweus Coordinator in partnership with the Tennessee Department of Education and Clemson University. He currently provides consultation in the areas of best practices in bullying prevention and intervention, school climate improvement, bullying in the workplace, improving workplace relationships and culture as well as the development of social emotional competencies. Rodger is also a Past-President of the International Bullying Prevention Association and former president of the National Student Assistance Association.
 
Suzanne Dinwiddie, M.Ed
Educational Consultant
Tennessee DeafBlind Project
Suzanne Dinwiddie, M.Ed., COMS, CTVI, CEIM is an Educational Consultant for the Tennessee DeafBlind Project, a federal grant associated with Vanderbilt’s Children Hospital in Nashville, Tennessee. Previously, Suzanne worked with the Metropolitan Nashville Public School System for 38 years as an early childhood assessment specialist, vision teacher, and orientation and mobility instructor.
 
Mike Donlin
Program Supervisor
OSPI / IBPA
Mike Donlin is currently the Program Supervisor for the School Safety Center of the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, Olympia, WA. In that capacity, Mike helps ensure development, implementation and compliance with high quality district and school emergency operations/safety plans. Over time, he has taught at all levels and in different locations around the country and the world. Mike was with Seattle Public Schools for many years as a classroom teacher and program administrator, overseeing a variety of programs from ELL to educational and community technology, and bullying and harassment prevention and intervention. He oversaw the development of the Seattle Public Schools Middle School Cyberbullying Curriculum and wrote a series of cyberbullying prevention modules for the Committee for Children’s Steps to Respect program.
 
Ximena Durán, Ph.D.
Scientific Researcher and Development Manager
Ximena holds a Ph.D. in Psychology and Health from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). During 2012 she participated in the research group of the Catholic University of Milan and at The Auxological Institute of Milan working in Human Computer Confluence and Virtual Reality. From 2007 to 2014 she was a staff member of the Virtual Training and Cyberpsychology Laboratory at UNAM. There she collaborated in the development and assessment of training protocols, research projects using technologies in psychological treatments, training of psychologists to deliver online psychological treatments and by providing treatment using virtual reality for anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, agoraphobia, fear of flying and post-traumatic stress disorder. She has collaborated with other research centers and universities such as the Autonomous University of Hidalgo in the development of virtual reality environments for social anxiety therapy and social skills development. Currently she is director of the research and development department at Yeltic “Virtual Trainings”. She leads the use of technologies such as virtual reality, augmented reality and artificial intelligence for clinical treatments, trainings and skills development. Among the social projects she has directed “Mission School Peace” stands out. Developed in collaboration with Facebook, Fundación en Movimiento, and Yeltic. The program focuses on helping teenagers developing social emotional skills through virtual reality experiences.
 
Jessica Elliot
School Counselor
Prince William County Public Schools
Jessica Elliot earned her MEd. in School Counseling PreK-12 from George Mason University. She is currently a middle school counselor for Fairfax County Public Schools in Chantilly, VA. She has been a counselor for the past 15 years working in an elementary, middle and high school setting. In addition, she has training as a Restorative Justice and Peer Mediation facilitator. She is a Payton’s Peers’ Group leader and supervisor both within schools and private settings.
 
Maya Enista Smith
Executive Director
Lady Gaga's Born This Way Foundation
Maya Smith is the Executive Director of Lady Gaga's Born This Way Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting the wellness of young people and working with them to build a kinder and braver world.
 
Andrea Fallick
Director, School Based Programs
Student Assistance Services Corporation
Andrea Fallick, LCSW, CASAC, CPP is the Director, School Based Programs of Student Assistance Services Corp. She provides training to alcohol and other drug prevention and treatment professionals throughout the country, and frequently speaks to school personnel, mental health professionals, and parents about alcohol and other drugs and bullying prevention and intervention. Ms. Fallick has been a Certified Olweus Bullying Prevention Trainer since 2005 and an Olweus Technical Assistance Consultant since 2009. She provides bullying prevention training to professionals and parents in educational, substance abuse and mental health agencies. She is currently providing consultation to several Westchester County and surrounding county schools. Ms. Fallick has presented over 300 workshops for mental health and education professionals, community members and parents including presentations at county wide, statewide and national conferences on bullying and substance abuse and other youth related issues. Ms. Fallick is an approved provider for the NYS Education Department for the six hour training required for all NYS professionals seeking certification to work in any NYS schools, “Harassment, Bullying and Discrimination: Prevention and Intervention in Schools”. She has provided this training at several universities including Columbia University Teachers College and the New York State Medical College.
 
Christine Feller
Cyber Crime Specialist
IL Office of the Attorney General
Christine Feller is a Cyber Crime Specialist with the Illinois Attorney General’s Office – High Tech Crimes Bureau in the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC). Within the ICAC, Christine manages the CyberTips received from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC). Additionally, she has developed and delivered online safety training to over 300,000 individuals throughout Illinois, primarily youth – but also educators and community members. Christine’s career in online crimes against children began in 2001 at NCMEC where she spent ten years primarily in the Child Victim Identification Program. While at NCMEC, she also trained law enforcement throughout the US on victim identification and participated in INTERPOL’s Specialist group on Crimes Against Children.
 
Carlos Figueiredo
Director of Community Trust & Safety/Co-founder
Two Hat Security/Fair Play Alliance
Carlos Figueiredo, Director of Community Trust & Safety at Two Hat, Co-Founder of the Fair Play Alliance. Committed to cultivating industry collaboration and fostering strong communities around digital citizenship and online safety, Carlos spent the last 10+ years (including 6 years at Disney Interactive Studios) keeping online communities healthy. He currently works alongside partners across industries and government to tackle the big online behavior challenges of our times. Carlos has moderated and participated in panels as well as spoken in several conferences, including Game Developers Conference 2018 and 2019, LA Games Conference 2018, RovioCon 2018, Game UX Summit 2018, FOSI Conference and IAPP Content Moderation Workshop 2019.
 
Kasey Franco
Director of Training & Education
NAMI
Kasey Franco oversees and executes mental health training with law enforcement, corporations, faith and community based organizations, and other entities. Kasey joined NAMI in February of 2017. She earned a Master of Arts degree specializing in Forensic Psychology from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology, and a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice and Psychology from Northern Arizona University. Kasey has experience working with individuals who have experienced trauma and mental illness in the criminal justice system, residential settings, inpatient psychiatric hospitals, outpatient centers, and community mental health
 
Taryn Fuchs
Communication Specialist and Social Norming Program Coordinator
The Conflict Center
Taryn leans into tough conversations with humility. With refined insight, she pinpoints intricacies of individual and systemic communication patterns that hinder authentic connection across generations. She combines strategies from multiple fields to create a comprehensive, strengths-based approach to macro work with young people. Currently, she directs The Conflict Center’s communication strategy and Social Norming Program engaging students in dialogue around healthy relationship norms.
 
Hannah Gaffney
PhD Candidate
Institute of Criminology, University of Cambridge
Hannah Gaffney is a PhD candidate in Criminology at the Institute of Criminology, University of Cambridge, currently in her final year of her doctoral programme. Hannah’s doctoral research is concerned with ‘what works’ in school- and cyber-bullying intervention and prevention programs.
 
Kerry Gallagher
Assistant Principal
St. John’s Prep
Kerry Gallagher is the Assistant Principal for Teaching and Learning at St. John’s Prep in Danvers, Massachusetts. She’s also the Director of K-12 Education for ConnectSafely.org, an EdSurge Columnist, and an active blogger. Her multi-award winning blog can be found at www.KerryHawk02.com and she is on social media @KerryHawk02. Prior to moving into administration, Kerry served as a middle school teacher, high school teacher, and then digital learning specialist for over 15 years. Kerry received the 2014 Yale-Lynn Hall Teacher Action Research Prize for her submission on the use of mobile devices for a paperless public school classroom. In 2015, she was a PBS LearningMedia Digital Innovator, the Family Online Safety Institute recognized her with the Outstanding Achievement Award, and she was a MassCUE Featured Educator. In 2016, she was an ASCD Emerging Leader and received the MassCUE Pathfinder Award. In 2017, Kerry was selected as a Future Ready Instructional Coaches Thought Leader. In 2018, she received SmartBrief’s Annual Educator Content Award for her EdSurge column. Kerry is a TEDx and keynote speaker and also shares her expertise by designing professional learning for school districts around the country.
 
Carrie Goldman
Co-Founder
Pop Culture Hero Coalition
Carrie Goldman is the award-winning author of Bullied: What Every Parent, Teacher, and Kid Needs to Know About Ending the Cycle of Fear (Harper Collins). Carrie Goldman is Co-Founder of the Pop Culture Hero Coalition and oversaw the development of the Heroic Journey, a comprehensive bullying prevention and SEL curriculum for middle school students.
 
Nicolette Granata
Communications Coordinator
International Bullying Prevention Association
Nicolette Grace Granata is an incoming, first-year Ph.D. student in Developmental Science at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN. Nicolette has always been extremely passionate about the social inclusion of students with disabilities and differences, and is motivated to create change by the research showing that more than 50% of children with disabilities are bullied or victimized. In her graduate studies, Nicolette plans on continuing her undergraduate research investigating young children's concepts of norm violations, disability, and empathy from a developmental perspective in order to foster more meaningful social inclusion and acceptance for children with disabilities and differences in and out of the classroom. Nicolette feels incredibly lucky that a semester-long Independent Study on evidence-based bullying literature, response, and prevention lead her to find IBPA. She feels truly blessed and grateful to be working with such an impactful, kind, giving, and gifted group of individuals as IBPA's Communications Coordinator.
 
Christopher Graves
Doctoral Candidate and Elementary School Principal
Illinois State University
Mr. Graves is a doctoral candidate at Illinois State University, as we all an elementary principal in a Chicago school. His research is focused on social and emotional learning, as it relates to diverse and majority-minority communities, as well as how stress and anxiety manifest in youth and strategies that can be used to support their development.
 
Laura Grunin
PhD Student
Meyers New York University
Laura Grunin is a PhD student NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing. She is currently a member of several research teams working on different studies including the perspectives and experiences of school personnel regarding bullying and students with chronic health conditions, habitual physical activity patterns in a nationally representative sample of US adults, and the associations of genetic expressions in breast cancer patients with morning/evening fatigue patterns. Laura’s dissertation research will focus on mental health of children and youth in school settings. After earning a bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science from Rutgers University, she gave birth to three children before deciding to return back to school to pursue her passion of nursing. Laura earned the Francis Velardi Award by graduating at the top of her class and went straight to work as a registered nurse at Saint Peter’s University Hospital in New Brunswick, NJ. While developing her clinical expertise at the bedside in the Labor and Delivery Department, she simultaneously returned to school once again to earn a BSN, broadening her perspective on the field. A family relocation interrupted her career in the acute care setting but opened up the chance for the lifelong learner to go back to school yet again, earning an MSN from Kean University, where her work mainly focused on the importance of a bachelor level education for all RNs. Laura quickly identified her love of teaching and was able to fuse her two passions by becoming an adjunct faculty member at the very same university, teaching core courses to the bachelor’s level registered nurses. Laura’s career trajectory has allowed her to increase her impact exponentially - first at the bedside treating one patient at a time, then teaching the next generation of nurses, thereby impacting each of their patients, and now in her doctoral work, conducting and disseminating her research to even more practitioners.
 
Guadalupe Gutierrez
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
I received my B.A. and M.A. degree in psychology from California State University, Los Angeles. I am currently looking forward to completing a Ph. D program in School Psychology at the University of Nebraska - Lincoln. My research interests focus on early school-age experiences, specifically bullying and the impact on children's short- and long-term social, behavioral, and mental health outcomes among ethnic minority students. I am also interested in the development of prevention or intervention programs for underrepresented youths from a strength-based perspective. I would like to identify protective and resilient factors that promote ethnic minority students’ mental health and coping skills that will enhance students’ abilities to succeed in school and that will help them face adversity.
 
Molly-Gloria Harper
PhD Candidate
Western University
Molly is a PhD Candidate at the University of Western Ontario. She graduated in 2017 with an MA in the field of criminology. Molly's research interests include cyberbullying, youth and youth culture, deviance, cultural criminology, digital media, and self-presentation online.
 
Laurie-ann Hellsten
Professor
University of Saskatchewan
Laurie-ann Hellsten is a Professor in Educational Psychology and Special Education in the College of Education at the University of Saskatchewan (Ph: 306-966-7723; email: laurie.hellsten@usask.ca). She is the team leader of a number of funded cyberbullying research studies including a national grant entitled ‘Why Do Youth Cyberbully? Exploring Instigating Triggers, Impelling Factors, and Inhibitors in Cyberbullying’ funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.
 
Sanna Herkama
Senior Researcher
INVEST Flagship, University of Turku
Sanna Herkama, PhD, is a Senior Researcher at the flagship Inequalities, Interventions, and New Welfare State (INVEST), University of Turku, Finland. Currently, her research focuses on school bullying, student well-being, and the implementation of school-based intervention programs. In addition, Herkama has been involved with the development, refinement, and implementation of national school-based student welfare programs in Finland and the pilot trials of the KiVa antibullying program in various countries. She is also a certified KiVa trainer and experienced in training and consulting the implementation of KiVa.
 
Ashley Hernandez
Graduate Student
University of Minnesota
Ashley is currently a doctoral candidate at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health in Environmental Health Sciences. Her work has involved investigating experiences with and the effects of bullying and cyberbullying among children and their parents. Her current work in anti-bullying efforts focuses on investigating the impact of anti-bullying policies on bullying in schools within the state of Maine.
 
Laura Higgins
Director of Community Safety & Digital Civility
Roblox
Laura Higgins is Director of Community Safety and Digital Civility for Roblox, an online entertainment platform for kids and teens. She has more than 20 years of experience creating safety and digital civility programs, most recently with the UK Safer Internet Centre. She founded several award-winning services including the Professionals Online Safety Helpline and the world’s first helpline dedicated to supporting victims of image-based abuse.
 
Sameer Hinduja, PhD
Dr. Sameer Hinduja is Co-Director of the Cyberbullying Research Center (cyberbullying.org) and Professor in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Florida Atlantic University. He is recognized internationally for his groundbreaking work on the subjects of cyberbullying and safe social media use, concerns that have paralleled the exponential growth in online communication by young people. He works with the U.S. Department of Education and many state departments of education to improve their policies and programming related to the prevention and response of teen technology misuse.
 
Jessica Hoffmann
Associate Research Scientist
Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence
Jessica Hoffmann, Ph.D., is an associate research scientist at the Yale Child Study Center, and project director for high school initiatives at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence. She is a licensed clinical psychologist, who received her M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from Case Western Reserve University. Jessica’s research focuses on school climate, creativity, and adolescent emotion regulation, and the translation of her findings into novel interventions for school settings.
 
Alex Holmes
Deputy CEO
The Diana Award
Alex is Deputy CEO at The Diana Award. He is also the founder of peer support programme 'Anti-Bullying Ambassadors' whose job it is to stand up to bullying online and offline in their schools and communities. His own experience of bullying when younger has helped him to shape the programme at non-profit The Diana Award where he has been a driving force behind empowering over 28,000 young Ambassadors in over 3,000 schools across UK/Ireland and internationally introducing programmes to tackle bullying online and offline. 2017 saw Alex receive a Queen’s Young Leader Award from Her Majesty at Buckingham Palace for his work and most recently he received the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award in Kentucky, Louisville.
 
Stacey Horn
Professor and Chair
University of Illinois at Chicago
Stacey S. Horn, (Ph.D. 2000, University of Maryland) is a Professor of Educational and Developmental Psychology and Chair of the Department of Educational Psychology and an affiliate faculty member in Community Psychology and Prevention Research at University of Illinois at Chicago. Her research focuses on issues of sexual prejudice among adolescents and adolescents’ reasoning about peer harassment. Stacey is a former high school English teacher and has worked with young people for over 30 years.
 
Shelley Hymel, Ph.D.
Lando Professor in Social and Emotional Learning, Head, Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology and Special Education
University of British Columbia
Shelley Hymel holds the Lando Professorship in Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) in the Faculty of Education at the University of British Columbia, where she has established both Teacher Education and Masters concentrations in SEL, and an online resource for educators, the SEL Resource Finder (www.selresources.ca). She is also co-founder of the international Bullying Research Network (www.brnet), linking over 250 researchers from 20+ countries.
 
Reese Hyzer
Associate Research Specialist
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Reese Hyzer is an Associate Research Specialist with the Social Media and Adolescent Health Research Team at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a Bachelor’s of Science in Psychology and certificates in Global Health and Gender and Women’s Studies. Her work includes a NIH funded project aimed at evaluating news media related to bullying and cyberbullying and its impact on youth and parents.
 
Decoteau Irby, PhD
Associate Professor
University of Chicago
Decoteau Irby is an associate professor at the University of Illinois Chicago in the Department of Educational Policy Studies where he teaches and advises in the College's Urban Education Leadership program area. He researches equity-focused school leadership as a lever to improve Black children's academic and socio-emotional experiences and outcomes.
 
June Jenkins
Training Coordinator
Clemson University
June Jenkins, M.Ed., is Training Coordinator for the Olweus Program, Safe & Humane Schools at Clemson. With more than 25 years of experience in education as teacher and administrator, she holds a Postgraduate Professional License from VA and SC Departments of Education in PK-12 administration and supervision. She completed a postgraduate certification in PBIS. She serves on the Leadership Board of the SC-APBS Network and Co-Leader for the SC-Olweus Network.
 
Pam Kidder-Ashley
Professor
Appalachian State University
Pam Kidder-Ashley joined the Psychology Department faculty at Appalachian State University in 1993, directing their specialist-level School Psychology program from 2006-2018. Her research interests include mental health factors and coping strategies associated with late adolescent bullying, early childhood temperament and social competence, and teaching stress. She frequently presents at the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) convention and serves as a reviewer for the NASP Program Accreditation Board and the journal Psychology in the Schools.
 
Denise Koebcke
Student Leadership Coordinator
Valparaiso Community Schools
Denise Koebcke is the Valparaiso Community School Corporation’s K-12 Student Leadership Coordinator. She is an educational consultant and Noontime Kiwanian. As the Youth Outreach Coordinator and a cabinet member for The Caring Place, a nonprofit domestic violence shelter and advocacy center, Denise designed and coordinates The Amanda Forum, a youth dating violence prevention program led by her county-wide youth task force. A Purdue and Indiana State University grad, she has earned a Masters of Science in Education and has been inducted into the Northwest Indiana Society of Innovators twice. Denise has been honored with several community impact awards, including the Prevent Child Abuse Hero for Children Award, Porter Starke Services Foundation Community Impact Award, and the Chamber of Commerce Celebrating Our Every Day Heroes Award. Denise is also a contributing author to the new Handbook of Pro-Social Education, Vol. II.
 
Michael Kyobe
Professor
University of Cape Town
Michael Kyobe is a Professor of Information Systems at the University of Cape Town. He was the Deputy Dean for Research and Internationalization in the Commerce Faculty (2014-2017), and Acting Deputy Vice Chancellor for Research and Internationalisation, University of Cape Town in 2018. He is the principal investigator for a grant project on mobile bullying in schools in South Africa, funded by the South African National Research Foundation. He is also the coordinator of an initiative that will promote cooperation among African researchers engaged in bullying prevention and intervention in Africa
 
Noam Lapidot-Lefler
NOAM LAPIDOT-LEFLER, PhD, is a Researcher and Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Education, Oranim College for Education, Israel. She is a researcher at the Action Research Center for Social Justice at the Max Stern Yezreel Valley College, Israel. Her main research topic has centered on social-emotional learning, primarily inter-personal relationships and acceptance of the other.
 
Jin Lee
Doctoral Student
Michigan State University
Jin R. Lee (leejin26@msu.edu) is a doctoral student at the School of Criminal Justice at Michigan State University. His research interests are in cybercrime, cybersecurity, and online interpersonal violence. Jin is a member of the Center for Cybercrime Investigation & Cybersecurity (CIC) and the International Interdisciplinary Research Consortium on Cybercrime (IIRCC). His recent work has appeared in Journal of Interpersonal Violence, Computers in Human Behavior, International Journal of Cyber Criminology, and Information, Communication & Society.
 
Susan Limber
Professor
Clemson University
Susan Limber, PhD., MLS, is a professor in the Department of Psychology at Clemson University. She is a developmental psychologist who also holds a Masters of Legal Studies. Dr. Limber’s research and writing have focused on psychological and legal issues related to bullying among children, as well as youth participation and children’s rights. Dr. Limber has published numerous articles and chapters on the topic of bullying. She has co-authored key resource materials for the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program and co-authored the book, Cyberbullying: Bullying in the Digital Age. In 2011, she received the Distinguished Career Award for Outstanding Contributions to Public Service Psychology, awarded by the American Psychological Association’s Division of Psychologists in Public Service, and in 2012, she received the Nicholas Hobbs Award, awarded by the Society for Child and Family Policy and Practice. She is past chair of APA’s Committee on Children, Youth, and Families, and is a Fellow of APA.
 
Magnus Loftsson
Head of Research and Development
Friends
Magnus Loftsson, certified psychologist, Head of Research and Development at the foundation Friends and the chair of the World Anti-Bullying Forum. For three decades he has been working with gender equality, harassment, bullying and violence prevention. He is a doctoral student researching about parents and school violence, in the Department of Child and Youth studies at Stockholm University. He loves to bike and spend time in nature and is a proud father of two daughters.
 
Christine Malecki
Northern Illinois University
Christine Malecki, Michelle Demaray, and Julia Ogg are faculty at Northern Illinois University in the School Psychology Program. Drs. Malecki and Demaray conduct research on bullying including measurement of bullying (e.g. the Bully Participant Behavior Questionnaire (BPBQ; Summers & Demaray, 2008) and the Cyberbullying and Victimization Scale (CBVS; Brown & Demaray)) and how bullying role behavior are associated with positive and negative outcomes. They also present and write to lay audiences about topics such as sibling bullying, social support, bullying involving students with disabilities, parenting a child with autism, and monitoring and encouraging positive online behavior. Drs. Malecki, Demaray, and Ogg are co-directing a U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs personnel preparation grant aimed at training future school psychologists through "Project Prevent and Address Bullying in Schools: PPAB".
 
Rebecca Malinski
Doctoral Candidate
Michigan State University
Rebecca Malinski (raffer32@msu.edu) is a doctoral candidate in the School of Criminal Justice at Michigan State University. Her research is in the areas of youth violence and victimization, bullying, and cyberbullying. She is the president of the School’s Graduate Student Association, and a member of the American Society of Criminology. Her work has appeared in Deviant Behavior, Trauma, Violence, and Abuse, and the Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice.
 
Angela Mazzone
PhD
National Anti-Bullying Research and Resource Centre, Dublin City University
Angela Mazzone is a Post-Doctoral Researcher in the National Anti-Bullying Research and Resource Centre at Dublin City University, Ireland. Her research interests include bullying at school and in the workplace. She is also interested in discriminatory behaviours towards immigrant youth. She has published in the field of school-bullying and adolescent development.
 
Julie McDaniel-Muldoon
Consultant, Student Safety and Well-Being
Oakland Schools
Julie McDaniel-Muldoon, PhD is a Student Safety and Well-Being Consultant at Oakland Schools, an educational service agency for Oakland County, Michigan. Her work focuses on bullying prevention, restorative practices, and trauma-informed schools. She is a certified trainer for Bully-Free Schools and the International Institute for Restorative Practices. Additionally, Julie is an Advanced Certified Trauma Practitioner and Trainer for the National Institute for Trauma and Loss in Children.
 
Julie McGarry, M.A.
Program Manager, InspirED
Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence
Julie McGarry, M.A., is a Program Manager at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence. In this capacity, she manages inspirED, working with Facebook to elevate high school student voice and empower students to take an active role in improving the social and emotional climate of their schools. She earned her B.S. in English Education and her M.A. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Connecticut Neag School of Education.
 
Dan Mills
Training & Technical Assistance Manager
U.S. Center for SafeSport
Dan Mills is the Training & Technical Assistance Manager for the U.S. Center for SafeSport where he is responsible for managing and facilitating the Center’s abuse prevention training programs across the country for all ages, skill level and sport. Prior to this role, Mr. Mills spent nine years at the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, starting as an analyst who successfully recovered several missing children and ending his time at NCMEC as the Training Program Manager where he developed and conducted training for law enforcement and child-serving professionals.
 
Jenny Mischel
Doctoral Candidate
George Mason University
Jenny Mischel is a PhD candidate at George Mason University in the College of Education and Human Development. Her primary area of specialization is Educational Psychology with a secondary emphasis in Teaching and Teacher Education. Currently, her primary area of research is focused on perceptual definitions of bullying/cyberbullying behavior and how coping strategies, and self-efficacy beliefs, can help victims achieve resiliency. She currently teaches two undergraduate level courses at George Mason University.
 
Kim Montaque, MN
Saskatchewan Polytechnic
Saskatchewan Polytechnic faculty and researcher. Registered Nurse for 18 years. Her passion is the well being of individuals and communities. Kim's research centres around patient safety, and more recently, working building awareness around bullying and identifying resources to support youth in our communities.
 
Yoon-Sung Nam
PhD Student
University of Minnesota School of Public Health
I am a second-year doctoral student in the Occupational Injury Prevention Research program at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health. My research work has focused on how anti-bullying laws and policies are implemented throughout the state of Maine through qualitative interviews of superintendents, administrators, counselors, and teachers. I also go by Teddy.
 
Bessie Newkirk
Assistant Youth Outreach Coordinator
The Caring Place
Bessie resides in Valparaiso, IN with her husband and son and she is a sponsor for the Team Lead bullying intervention program at an elementary school in Valparaiso as well as the Youth Outreach Coordinator assistant for The Amanda Forum, which is a teen dating violence prevention and awareness program. She is working towards her Master's degree in urban secondary education and prior to working with the Amanda Forum, she taught English and was program manager for a dropout prevention and college readiness program in the East Chicago school district.
 
Karina Newton
Head of Public Policy
Instagram
Karina Newton is the Head of Public Policy at Instagram. In her role, Karina works with a number of teams across Instagram to ensure Instagram’s products uphold the safety, integrity, security and privacy of our community. Karina also leads the development of policies which govern Instagram, to ensure it is a safe and open space for people to express themselves. Lastly, Karina leads Instagram's global policy programs team, responsible for creating programs and initiatives which celebrate the diversity of opinion and culture across Instagram's community of one billion; from campaigns that celebrate body positivity on Instagram, to working with non-profit organizations to create tools and resources for those seeking support around a range of issues.
 
Charisse Nixon
Professor
Penn State Behrend
Charisse Nixon received her Ph.D. from West Virginia University and is currently a Full Professor of Psychology at Penn State Behrend. Her primary research interest focuses on all forms of peer mistreatment, including both relational and physical mistreatment. Charisse is currently studying protective factors related to effective prevention and intervention efforts designed to reduce the harm associated with peer mistreatment. Building students’ resilience through mentoring is a core tenet of her work.
 
Gabriel Paez
Assistant Professor
University of Tampa
Gabriel Paez served as a police officer for the New York City Police Department. During his more than 13 year career with the NYPD, Paez served as a research/crime analyst and held various field assignments. His research interests include victimization, criminal justice policy, and law enforcement policy and procedures.
 
Raul Palacios
Try A Little Kindness: Evaluating Altruism and Bully Perpetration Among Youth and Young Adults
University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Raul Palacios is a doctoral candidate in the school psychology program at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a member of the Nebraska Bullying Prevention and Intervention Initiative, led by Dr. Susan Swearer. He was a project director for the Born Brave Experiences Study and was a primary organizer for #HackUNL, a hackathon aimed at making the internet a kinder and braver space for all individuals.
 
Chad Parke
Education Account Manager
Second Step, Committee for Children
With more than 18 years of experience dealing with the IT needs of school districts during his time in the telecommunications and IT industry, in 2017 Chad Parke brought us a unique perspective on the challenges many school districts face using technology. Concerned for the difficulties that today’s youth face in both school and their daily lives, Chad finds satisfaction in introducing and talking about the Second Step curriculum with educators in the northeastern US. He’s proud to have a positive impact on students’ lives and fully believes that social-emotional learning is the key to their success.
 
Kortney Peagram
Connection and Kindness: The Solution to Eradicating Bullying
Kortney Peagram
Dr. Kortney Peagram is the President and Owner of Bulldog Solution. Bulldog Solution provides schools with social emotional learning (SEL) curriculum, professional development trainings, and student programs to eliminate bullying, violence, and cyberbullying. Dr. Peagram works with organizations to provide programs on leadership, conflict management, team building, group management, diversity, compassion, bullying, and cyberbullying. Dr. Peagram’s speaking engagements and workshops are engaging with applicable strategies for her audience. Dr. Peagram consults, writes, facilitates, and presents on topics that focus on the emotional and behavioral development. Dr. Peagram is in the process of gathering data on social emotional learning skills, bullying, and motivational interviewing. She will be presenting her research at APA in 2019. Dr. Peagram is also an Adjunct Professor at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. Due to her experience in the field, Dr. Peagram was featured as an expert on NPN Chicago, CBS, NPR, Fox News, PBS, and Chicago Parent. She has presented at the World Anti-Bullying Forum in Sweden in 2017. By blending her education, teaching, and passion, she delivers professional and effective programs. Dr. Peagram’s mission is to eradicate bullying through social boldness, kindness, and connection.
 
Susan Raisch
Founder
Tangled Ball.com
Susan Raisch is the founder of Tangled Ball.com, a digital resource that shares high-quality bullying prevention, leadership and online safety information from nationally recognized experts for parents and teachers. She is the author of Superheroes Wear Mom Jeans: The Tangled Ball® Guide to Anti-Bullying for Parents of Young Children. Ms. Raisch was a public affairs consultant for more than 25 years for a variety of publishing and television companies, including ABC News, HBO, MTV, Nickelodeon, Sesame Street, Scholastic and HISTORY Channel among others, specializing in issues that impact the home, such as parenting, education and health. She believes in the power of the Go-To Trusted Adult and is a major fan of parents and teachers.
 
Marizen Ramirez
University of Minnesota
Dr. Ramirez is Associate Professor at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health, and Director of the Midwest Center for Occupational Health and Safety. She holds a degree in Epidemiology from the University of California at Los Angeles. She studies the most prevalent injury and violence problems of today to identify evidence-based solutions to prevent trauma and its adverse impacts. Her work has a special focus on society’s most vulnerable population at risk for violence (especially bullying) and injuries: children, persons with disabilities, agricultural workers, minorities, and rural populations.
 
Mia A. Ray, M.S., M.A., NCC
School Intelligence Officer
IL State Police
Mia A. Ray, M.S., M.A., NCC, was hired to create and manage the School Safety Information program shortly after Sandy Hook in March 2013 by the State of Illinois’ Fusion Center. This is the first program of its kind in the country that is able to share intelligence information with administrators and those who need to know in schools and campuses that was previously unavailable to anyone outside of first responders. The School Safety Information Sharing program’s goal is to share information with those assisting in safety in educational facilities from local, state, and federal agencies about current threats and trends that could affect students, staff, faculty, and facilities. Mia is constantly working on bridging the communication gap and improving education to those in public safety and education to help all involved improve safety decisions. Mia’s background includes over fifteen years of experience in research and large data management, over ten years teaching at the college level, and over six years of managing the School Safety and Information Sharing program.
 
Brandy Rocheleau
Brandy Rocheleau is an Assistant Teaching Professor at Ball State University in the Dept of Criminal Justice and Criminology and graduated from Case Western Reserve University School of Law in 2010. Her research focuses on bullying and food allergies
 
Gregory Rocheleau
Dr. Gregory Rocheleau is an Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice and Criminology at Ball State University. His research interests include juvenile delinquency, work and deviance, bullying victimization, and criminological theory.
 
Jose Rene Sansait
University of the Philippines Visayas
Mr. Jose Rene M. Sansait holds a master’s degree in Anthropology and currently a faculty member of the Division of Social Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences of the University of the Philippines Visayas, Philippines. He teaches courses in Anthropology, Philippine History, and Philosophy.
 
Janina Scarlet
Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Founder of Superhero Therapy, Advisor to Pop Culture Hero Coalition
Pop Culture Hero Coalition
Dr. Janina Scarlet is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist, a scientist, and a full-time geek. A Ukrainian-born refugee, she survived Chernobyl radiation and persecution. She immigrated to the United States at the age of 12 with her family and later, inspired by the X-Men, developed Superhero Therapy to help patients with anxiety, depression, and PTSD. She has written multiple publications on this topic and has given talks domestically and internationally. She is also a member of Pop Culture Hero Coalition. Her book, “Superhero Therapy” released on December 1, 2016 in the U.K. and released on August 1, 2017 in the U.S. Therapy Quest is due to release on May 7, 2019 and Dark Agents will be released October 1, 2019. On October 27th, 2018, Dr. Scarlet was awarded the Eleanor Roosevelt Human Rights award from the United Nations Association for her work with the refugee community and her unique approach to therapy. Discussion Topics Superhero Therapy, Pop Culture & Therapy, Trauma, Stress, Anxiety, Depression, PTSD, Suicide, Refugees, Anti-Semitism, Tolerance, Compassion, Self-Compassion, Healing, Anti-Bullying, Pop Culture Hero Coalition, Our Heroic Selves, Hope in Adversity, Diversity, Sexual Harassment, Sexual Assault, Holiday Coping Strategies
 
Sarah Schriber
Executive Director
Prevent School Violence Illinois
Sarah Schriber directs Prevent School Violence Illinois, an organization that partners with youth, families and educators to cultivate conditions in which people thrive. PSVI employs a comprehensive transformation framework to increase safety, support, inclusion and equity for students and adults. A pilot of PSVI’s approach demonstrated a reduction in bullying at rates greater than several leading programs. Sarah was Policy Director at the Illinois Safe Schools Alliance and an attorney with the ACLU of Illinois.
 
Nancy Silberkleit
Co-CEO
Archie Comics
As Co-CEO of Archie Comics, Nancy Silberkleit harnesses the power of graphic literacy to advance causes she is passionate about, including knowledge sharing, anti-bullying, and the environment. A former school teacher, she coined a personal and professional motto: “Children + Comic Books = Reading, Knowledge, and Confidence.” In consultation with Jason Harris and others in the Autistic rights and Neurodiversity pride movements, Silberkleit has launched a new character, Scarlet Saltee, who has joined the Riverdale world as an Autistic high school student, Archie and company’s peer. Scarlet's character, Silberkleit says, gives readers examples of “inclusion and friendship.” Ultimately, however, for Silberkleit, and, she hopes, others, “highlighting Scarlet is a way for kids and adults alike to connect with a character like themselves.” The goal, Silberkleit says, “is to create a character that not only children who are autistic and neurodiverse can connect with, but to bring greater awareness to people, in general.” A national and global public speaker, Silberkleit is a highly sought after presenter who is devoted to everyone’s empowerment and engagement. She encourages all of us to "never question if you can, only question why would you ever think you cannot?!"
 
Cody Solesbee
Interpersonal and Situational Factors Impact Perceived Coping with Bullying Victimization.
Cody Solesbee is a doctoral student in the school psychology program at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a member of the Nebraska Bullying Prevention and Intervention Initiative, led by Dr. Susan Swearer. Cody has presented on a wide range of bullying research at national conferences, regional workshops, and local talks. His research is focused on the mental health outcomes of youth who have experienced bullying victimization.
 
Susan Swearer
Professor of school psychology at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and co-director of the Bullying Research Network
University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Susan Swearer is the Willa Cather Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln and a licensed psychologist. She co-founded and co-directs the Bullying Research Network (http://cehs.unl.edu/brnet), directs the Empowerment Initiative (http://cehs.unl.edu/empowerment), and is co-author/co-editor of the books: Bullying Prevention and Intervention: Realistic Strategies for Schools, Handbook of Bullying in Schools and Bullying in North American Schools.
 
Jennifer Tang Cole
Jennifer Tang Cole, MSW, Ph.D., is a social worker, educator, and community-based researcher. She has over fifteen years of experience teaching community-program development, program evaluation, and non-profit management to service providers and graduate level students. She currently co-facilitates an anti-bullying prevention club at Martin Luther King Elementary in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She is also a volunteer for Sandy Hook Promise, a national U.S. non-profit that seeks to prevent school gun violence.
 
Catherine Teitelbaum
Head of Trust and Safety
Twitch
Catherine Teitelbaum is the Head of Trust and Safety at Twitch, overseeing global policy creation, brand protection, and content moderation. Catherine comes to Twitch with over 20 years of experience in the field of online safety. Previously, Catherine was also the Head of Trust and Safety at Kik Interactive and the Chief Trust & Safety Officer at Ask.fm. At KidZania, Catherine was the Vice President of Global Trust and Safety where she developed the company’s first international experiential marketing program and transnational loyalty program for children. Catherine holds a BA in Rhetoric from the University of California - Davis and K-12 teaching credentials from Santa Clara University.
 
Deborah Temkin
Sr. Director, Education Research
Child Trends
Deborah Temkin, Ph.D., is a recognized leader in the fields of school climate and school-based prevention. Her work on bullying prevention led to a position in the U.S. Dept. of Education, where she led the Federal Initiative on Bullying Prevention. Dr. Temkin currently leads Child Trends’ education program area, where her work focuses on the intersections between education and healthy social and emotional development.
 
Jessica Tinstman Jones
Doctoral Student; Graduate Research Assistant
University of Central Florida
Jessica L. Tinstman Jones, M.Ed, Ed.S. is a doctoral student in the Counselor Education and Supervision program and a graduate research assistant for the College of Community Innovation and Education at the University of Central Florida. Jessica’s research focuses on crisis intervention, suicidality, mental health impacts of bullying and cyberbullying, adolescents, and military populations. She has clinical experience working in academic settings with populations experiencing bullying behaviors.
 
Cesar Torres Mulgado
Student
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Cesar Torres is a first-year School Psychology doctoral student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He works under the guidance of Dr. Susan Swear, principal investigator of the Target Bullying: Best Practices in Bullying Prevention and Intervention project. Cesar is a graduate assistant at the Nebraska Department of Education where he provides resources to schools, parents, and students.. His research interest are researching how multi-cultural aspects of bullying affect students involved in the bullying dynamic .
 
Jan Urbanski
Director, Safe & Humane Schools
Clemson University
Jan Urbanski, Ed.D. is Director of Safe and Humane Schools within the Institute on Family and Neighborhood Life at Clemson University where she oversees the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program and related initiatives focused on building positive connections and reducing bullying and violence. Dr. Urbanski has 24 years of school district experience including director of Special Projects, supervisor of the Safe and Drug Free Schools’ program, prevention specialist, teacher, and professional school counselor. Dr. Urbanski’s research has focused on bullying prevention and school connectedness. She has presented nationally and internationally and has authored several publications and curriculum related to bullying prevention.
 
Christian Villenas
Director of Research
National School Climate Center
Christian Villenas is the Director of Research at NSCC. Before joining NSCC, Christian was a Senior Research Associate at GLSEN where he designed and managed research and evaluation projects related to LGBTQ issues in education. He also collaborated with GLSEN staff and key organizational allies to promote GLSEN’s efforts to achieve policy and programmatic improvements on LGBTQ issues in K-12 schools. Prior to GLSEN, Christian served as a senior policy analyst at Advocates for Children of New York (AFC) where he provided research and analysis of existing and emerging policy initiatives on the federal, state, and local levels related to education rights and education inequality. He also developed policy recommendations for the organization’s reports and policy agenda, represented AFC on several education coalitions/working groups, and contributed to research projects through the production of policy briefs, memos, and full-length reports. Christian has also served as a Data Analyst at the New York City Charter School Center and as a Research Associate Fellow at the NAEP Education Statistics Services Institute and the American Institutes for Research in Washington, DC.
 
Mary Wade
Prevention Intervention Coordinator
Paulding County School District
Mary Wade is a Licensed Professional Counselor and the Prevention Intervention Coordinator for the Paulding County School District. She is an Olweus Bullying Prevention Program Trainer/Consultant, a Licensed Restorative Practices Trainer, and a Sources of Strength Trainer. She is Board Certified in School Crisis Response. Mary has been in the Prevention/Intervention field for over 10 years. She is a member of the American Counseling Association and the International Bullying Prevention Association.
 
Frida Warg
Method Development Manager
Friends
Frida Warg has worked in education on the prevention of bullying for many years and participated in the development of the Friends program. She is also specialized in bullying prevention among young children and works with method development/ developing the content of the Friends courses and other methods.
 
Agata Watson
University of Illinois at Chicago
Dr. Agata T. Watson is a school psychologist with elementary and high school experience currently working for Barrington Community Unit School District 220. She obtained Ph.D. in Special Education at University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). Dr. Watson's research includes bullying prevention and intervention of students with disabilities, and she has extensive field experience focusing on Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) to increase student academic and social-emotional outcomes.
 
Malgorzata Wojcik
University of Social Sciences and Humanities SWPS
Dr Malgorzata Wójcik is an assistant professor at SWPS University in Katowice. Before entering the field of research she had been working as a middle school teacher and educator. Her research interests are connected with peer group dynamics, bullying, victimization as well as the effectiveness of school prevention programs. She has implemented research based anti-bullying program for students during transition to middle schools which has proven to be successful in reducing five types of bullying behavior. She has also conducted Participatory Action Research with university and high school students. Her latest research concentrates on peer group as a main context for understanding and preventing bullying.
 
Diane Wyatt
Director, Department of Safe Schools
School District of Palm Beach County
Diane Wyatt has been with the School District of Palm Beach County for 19 years. She has been a teacher, Assistant Principal and held multiple positions at the District level, her current position is Director of The Department of Safe Schools. She has developed district-wide training for 28,000 employees to introduce them to Title IX along with specific training for School-based Administrators on how to Investigate and Report Title IX Incidents. In addition, she has used her skills as a certified Civil Rights Investigator and a Certified Title IX Coordinator to train more than 700 School-based Administrators on the process for Investigating and Reporting Title IX and Bullying Incidents.
 
Mary Yoder Holsopple
Bullying Prevention Coordinator
Elkhart Community Schools
Mary Yoder Holsopple, M.S., recently retired as the Bullying Prevention Coordinator for Elkhart Community Schools in Elkhart, IN, a role she held for 11 years. As a certified Olweus Bullying Prevention Program trainer, Mary consults regularly with organizations and schools about bullying prevention and safe climate issues in student services. She has extensive experience in school social work and international development, having lived in Africa for 13 years. She is the lead author of the book Building Peace: Overcoming Violence in Local Communities. She also co-authored More Class Meetings that Matter: Respecting Others with Disabilities for Grades K-5, 6-8, and 9-12. Mary earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Family Studies and Masters in Family Life Education from Purdue University.
 
Cari Zawodny
Spirit of Youth, Anchorage Youth Vote, and Story Works Alaska
Anchorage Youth Vote and Story Works Alaska Youth Team (SAYiT), work as a team to increase bullying prevention awareness in Anchorage. We have shared our message locally through Spirit of Youth and the Anchorage Youth Development Coalition, as well as nationally at the International Bullying Prevention Association Conference in San Diego, and internationally at the World Anti-Bullying Forum in Dublin, Ireland. We believe in the power of youth voice to build connections and foster resilience.
 
Susan Zelinski
Manager, Research & Evaluation
National School Climate Center
Susan is the Manager of Research and Evaluation at the National School Climate Center. She earned a Master’s in Clinical Psychology from Teacher’s College, Columbia University. During her initial exposure to research at the behavioral neuroscience lab at Rutgers-Newark, Susan developed a passion for integrating her interests in medicine, neuroscience, and psychology. Susan has also worked in program development with children and adults with developmental disabilities, utilizing emerging research in mind-body health to create initiatives that enhance well-being.