DEI Events

8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Rivers Casino Philadelphia

The purpose of this event is to bring together a diverse mix of successful women leaders who – through dialogue about topics that relate to contemporary issues – help educate, inspire, and empower attendees to reflect on their own personal and professional goals, and encourage them to become leaders within their workplace and community. We would like to greatly thank Rivers Casino Philadelphia for serving as the host sponsor for this program and making it possible!

Panel: 

• Comcast – Cara Petonic, Vice President of Strategy & Experience
• Drexel University – Dr. Patience Ajoff-Foster, Assistant Vice President for Inclusive Culture and Belonging
• Five Below – Judy Werthauser, Executive President, CEO
• Freedom Mortgage – Ellen Longo, Vice President of Public Relations
• Salesforce – Elvita Quiñones, Director of Employee Advocacy and Belonging 
• Salus University – Juliana Mosley-Williams, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (*Moderator)

12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.

Dee Singley, PhD, will engage the audience in conversation about the use of the social model of disability to dismantle barriers that exist for students in higher education, particularly barriers that impede access and success of students with invisible or non-apparent disability related impacts. Equitable strategies and supports to use in daily practices will be discussed.

Speaker Biography
Dee Singley (she/they) currently serves as the Director of Disability and Access at Ursinus College. Dee has their PhD in Special Education from Lehigh University and has been working in disability and access services in multiple liberal arts colleges since 2006. Dee uses the social model lens of understanding disability and access to inform communities about disability and access. While much of Dee’s work focuses on facilitating accommodations for students under the American with Disabilities Amendments Act, Dee works strategically and intentionally to provide resources, education, and support for all stakeholders to think proactively about infusing equitable practices and design across the college environment. Outside of their work in disability and access, Dee loves being a parent and spouse, and when the opportunity arises, loves being in the classroom to teach courses to both undergraduate and graduate students. 

12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

In early 2023, Salus University will be introducing a new LGBTQ “Safe Zone” emblem that employees can voluntarily share in their office space to signify that they are a supportive and safe person for a member of the LGBTQ+ or allied community to talk to. A requirement of receiving and displaying the emblem is to complete two hours of LGBTQ+ “Safe Zone” training.  

Back by popular demand, Stan Kimer would provide a two-hour training session via Zoom. The main subjects covered will include basic terms and definitions, LGBTQ+ history, being an ally, understanding key LGBTQ+ issues and struggles, and understanding and supporting the “coming out” process.

Participants may choose one of the training sessions to fulfill the requirement.

10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

In early 2023, Salus University will be introducing a new LGBTQ “Safe Zone” emblem that employees can voluntarily share in their office space to signify that they are a supportive and safe person for a member of the LGBTQ+ or allied community to talk to. A requirement of receiving and displaying the emblem is to complete two hours of LGBTQ+ “Safe Zone” training.  

Back by popular demand, Stan Kimer would provide a two-hour training session via Zoom. The main subjects covered will include basic terms and definitions, LGBTQ+ history, being an ally, understanding key LGBTQ+ issues and struggles, and understanding and supporting the “coming out” process.

​Participants may choose one of the training sessions to fulfill the requirement.

Terrell L. Strayhorn, PhD, Professor of Higher Education and Women's, Gender & Sexuality Studies at Illinois State University, He also directs the Center for the Study of Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs) at Virginia Union University, where he serves as Visiting Scholar in education and psychology. 

The LGBTQ+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer) community continues to grow in visibility and numbers, and is becoming an increasingly important topic with diversity, equity and inclusion discussions. In this two-hour session, we will explore this community and how to understand and support your LGBTQ+ peers, students and patients.

Stan Kimer would provide a two-hour training session via Zoom, and will include plenty of interaction utilizing polling and small groups break out discussions. There will also be ample time for Q&As. A 12 or so page handout with all the key information will be provided.



 

Nydia Han is 6abc’s Consumer Investigative Reporter, Troubleshooter, and co-anchor of Action News Sunday mornings. She is also the creator of the documentary series, #ThisIsAmerica, a provocative, fresh look at who we are as Americans.

Nydia is an Emmy award winning journalist, committed to getting real results for our Action News viewers. She is dedicated to exposing scams, protecting consumers, and encouraging businesses and agencies to do the right thing.

In her work related to #ThisIsAmerica, Nydia hopes to inspire all of us to get to know each other’s unique American stories, check our own biases, and act as positive agents of change and unity in our communities. Nydia also covers general news as an Action News anchor and has traveled frequently to cover national stories.

Prior to joining Action News in October of 2002, Nydia worked for KTRK-TV, the ABC station in Houston, Texas, and KOCO-TV in Oklahoma City. Nydia started her career as a reporter at
KIFI-TV in Pocatello, Idaho. 

Nydia is dedicated to helping our community in a myriad of ways. She is on the community advisory board for the Asian American Women's Coalition and volunteers her time for a
number of other organizations. She is especially passionate about raising awareness and desperately needed funds for lung cancer research after the passing of her mother in 2009.
Nydia also enjoys mentoring aspiring journalists.

Nydia received a Bachelor of Science in Journalism with a focus on International Studies from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. Fluent in Korean, Nydia also graduated from a program at Yonsei University in Seoul, Korea.

Nydia is a mom to two young children, a wife and a friend. She enjoys good food, good wine, and most of all, a good laugh.

David X. Marquez, PhD earned a doctoral degree and a master's degree in kinesiology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a bachelor's degree in psychology from Loyola University Chicago. He is a Professor of Kinesiology and Nutrition and Director of the Exercise Psychology Laboratory at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He is also Leader of the Latino Core of the Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center. His research focuses on reducing health disparities. Dr. Marquez spends a majority of his time working with the Latino community, older adults and individuals at risk for Alzheimer's disease. Dr. Marquez is a fellow of the Society of Behavioral Medicine, the Gerontological Society of America, the American College of Sports Medicine, and the National Academy of Kinesiology.

The inaugural DEI Speaks! event, co-sponsored by our very own Pennsylvania College of Optometry (PCO), featured Paula Harmon Boone, OD. Dr. Boone is the Director of the National Optometric Association (NOA) “Visioning the Future” HBCU Mentorship Program and NOA Trustee for Region I. Her talk, “Diverse Representation Matters in Healthcare,” is timely and important for our increasing diverse community.

The forum featured Lisa Croft, DO, Medical Director, who shared personal perspectives and how these traumatic events impact our work in healthcare. The second speaker, Jaison Freeman, PhD, Chestnut Hill College assistant professor of psychology, also shared personal perspectives and how faculty can assist in facilitating difficult dialogue around these events in the classroom/clinical setting.

The forum panelists included our very own Board of Trustees member, Joyce Koh, JD; Salus partner, Ken Wong; and Chestnut Hill College professor and psychologist, Bindu Methikalam, PhD. Panelists shared their personal stories and perspectives, with a discussion component for our Salus community to engage with the panelists and each other. This session was recorded for those not able to attend.

The DEI Committee held a discussion with Jeffrey Carroll, PhD, Assistant Professor of Political Science and the Chair of the Center for Data & Society at Chestnut Hill College (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania). His scholarly interests lie in American Politics with special attention to urban affairs, social geography, and civic engagement. Most recently, he has served as an invited speaker nationally in events that center on race, political culture, and campaigns and elections. His work has been published in the journals Transforming Government: People, Process and Policy, Commonwealth: Journal of Pennsylvania Politics and Policy, Urban Regeneration and Renewal, Pennsylvania Geographer, and Journal of Political Science Education. Dr. Carroll is a graduate of Boston College and holds master’s degrees in Urban Studies and Political Science from Temple University, and a PhD in Political Science, also from Temple University.

Janet was the Commissioner of the Rehabilitation Services Administration under President Barack Obama and co-founder of Synergy Consulting Partners which is dedicated to creating positive change within organizations and systems, with a commitment of full inclusion for individuals with disabilities. Learn more about Janet here.

International Pronouns Day, this year celebrated on October 21, seeks to make respecting, sharing and educating about personal pronouns commonplace.  

Referring to people by the pronouns they determine for themselves is basic to human dignity. Being referred to by the wrong pronouns particularly affects transgender and gender nonconforming people. Together, we can transform society to celebrate people’s multiple, intersecting identities.

International Pronouns Day began in 2018 and takes place on the third Wednesday of October each year. Individuals and groups will participate in grassroots activities that they determine at the local level.

In English, there are a number of different kinds of pronouns. International Pronouns Day is specifically referring to third person personal pronouns, which are used to describe a person when you are talking about them. You can learn more about sharing, asking about and recovering from mistakes when using pronouns at MyPronouns.org.

Interest Convergence in a Time of Pandemic and Police Brutality: How COVID and Growing Authoritarianism Provide an Opening for Solidarity

2-part webinar

Topics Include:Teaching multicultural counseling

• Support systems for underrepresented students
• Cross-cultural peer mentoring
• Multicultural and anti-racist curriculum
• Mentoring underrepresented doctoral students
• Cultural humility
• Implicit bias in CSD education
• Inclusivity in CSD learning environments 

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee members Terrance Harshaw, security personnel, and Camille Menns '21OT will lead a discussion about allyship and advocacy. Faculty, staff and students are welcome to attend via BB Collaborate.

Please join us as we come together in a Community Round Table discussion surrounding the recent events, racial injustice, and violence plaguing our nation. This will be a time to share, reflect and draw on each other to strengthen our community. All members of the Salus Community are welcomed and encouraged to take part in this discussion to unite, engage, and foster action.