2023 Staff Leadership Summit Livestream and Program

The 2023 Staff Leadership Summit was held Thursday, September 14, at the Kansas Memorial Union. The theme was "KU: An Exceptional Learning Community." Please see below for the schedule as well as descriptions of the breakout sessions and biographies of the speakers.

Schedule at a Glance

Schedule of Breakout Sessions

Breakout Session Descriptions

Opening Remarks

Keynote Speaker

Closing Remarks

Breakout Session Speakers

Each of the sessions held in Woodruff Auditorium was recorded, and the videos are posted below.

Opening Remarks with Provost Bichelmeyer

Keynote with Mark Saine, TIAA

Katie Conrad

Generative AI and Higher Ed: Navigating a Changing Landscape

Patrick Downes

Informal Social Networks and Their Impact on the Workplace

Joey Orr

Expanding the Field: Putting Research into Interdisciplinary Conversation with the Spencer Museum of Art

Nicole Reiz

Building a Supportive Mentoring Network for Professional and Career Advancement

Closing Remarks from Mike Rounds

Schedule at a Glance

TIME	EVENT
8:00am	Registration Begins (coffee available in the Parlors)
8:45 am	Opening Remarks followed by Keynote Address (Woodruff Auditorium)
10:00 am	Breakout Session 1
11:00 am	Breakout Session 2
12:00 pm	Lunch (Ballroom) Information Tables (Jayhawk Room)
1:00 pm	Breakout Session 3
2:00 pm	Breakout Session 4
3:00 pm	Closing Remarks (Woodruff Auditorium)

Schedule of Breakout Sessions

ROOM	LEVEL	10:00 AM	11:00 AM	1:00 PM	2:00 PM
Alderson	4	Strategies for Setting Boundaries and Avoiding Burnout	Strategies for Setting Boundaries and Avoiding Burnout		“Help! I Need Somebody!” Where to Go When You Don’t Know Where to Go: Exploring the KU Ombuds Office Services
Big 12	5	Jayhawk Resilience: The Myth of Grit and the Reality of Support	Leading (Fun!) Teams: How to Create a Culture of Productivity and Personal Satisfaction	Don’t Worry! Cognitive Behavioral Therapy-based Strategies to Confront Worried Thoughts	Generative AI and Higher Ed: Navigating a Changing Landscape
Centennial	6		Bringing Mindfulness into Your Everyday Life		Workplace Meditation & Yoga
English	6	Creating Accessible Documents in Word, PowerPoint, and Adobe PDFs		Communication around Disability
Kansas	6	Don’t Worry! Cognitive Behavioral Therapy-based Strategies to Confront Worried Thoughts	What's Right with You? Positive Mental Health Life Hacks	An Empowering and Non-Stigmatizing Approach to Understanding and Addressing Substance Use and Addictions	An Empowering and Non-Stigmatizing Approach to Understanding and Addressing Substance Use and Addictions
Malott	6		Hyper-palatable Foods and US Tobacco Companies: Cross-industry Activities and Harms to Public Health	Home Office: The Places Where We Worked - March/April 2020	Learning & Development: Your Partners in Learning
Union Entrance - West	1			Points of Reflection and Exploration at the Spencer Museum of Art (Gather at the Mississippi Street entrance to the Union. Look for the volunteer with the yellow flag.)
Union Plaza - South	4			Tree Trivia and Plant Particulars: An Introduction to the Flora of the KU Campus (Head south from the main Union entrance to the 1920 Jayhawk; look for the volunteer with the yellow flag.)
Woodruff	5	Informal Social Networks and Their Impact on the Workplace	Generative AI and Higher Ed: Navigating a Changing Landscape	Building a Supportive Mentoring Network for Professional and Career Advancement	Expanding the Field: Putting Research into Interdisciplinary Conversation with the Spencer Museum of Art

Breakout Session Descriptions

Listed alphabetically by title

Bring Mindfulness into Your Everyday Life

Yvonnes Chen

11:00am, Centennial

Have you ever craved a quiet space to simply breathe and regroup? Have you felt a constant struggle toward our society’s addiction to faster living? Have you ever wondered what mindfulness is and how it becomes so popular? In this hands-on workshop, we will engage in practices and discuss ways you can integrate mindfulness practices into your every life.

Building a Supportive Mentoring Network for Professional and Career Advancement

Nicole Reiz

1:00pm, Woodruff Auditorium

This session will explore and discuss work by Dr. Beronda Montgomery on building proactive, individual-centered mentoring networks designed to support comprehensive career planning and strategic development grounded in personal career aspirations. Attendees will explore various mentoring tools and concepts including building strategic mentoring roadmaps and lessons we can take from plants on the power of community-based mentoring programs to support the development of their own supportive mentoring networks.

Communication around Disability

Rachel Vogelmeier

1:00pm, English

Discussions around disability can be difficult and uncomfortable, but we are hoping to help change that. With this knowledge and these tools, navigating challenging questions, promoting self-advocacy, and requesting accommodations will become much more simple.

Creating Accessible Documents in Word, PowerPoint, and Adobe PDFs

Kim Glover

10:00am, English

In this training session participants will be introduced to the skills and knowledge required to produce inclusive and accessible documents in three widely used formats: Word, PowerPoint, and Adobe PDF formats. This training will empower content creators to contribute to a more inclusive digital environment, where information is accessible to everyone, regardless of their abilities.

Don't Worry! Cognitive Behavioral Therapy-Based Strategies to Confront Worried Thoughts

Jeffrey Stolz

10:00am, Kansas

1:00pm, Big 12

This session will be an interactive discussion using effective CBT basics to increase awareness of common patterns of worried thinking. We’ll practice skills to identify and confront anxious thoughts in an effort to better manage the emotional impact of worry and have a good night’s rest.

An Empowering and Non-Stigmatizing Approach to Understanding and Addressing Substance Use and Addictions

Michael Amlung

1:00pm, Kansas

2:00pm, Kansas

Substance use and addiction are prevalent and cut across all segments of our population. In your various roles at KU, you may encounter people who are using substances or are in recovery, or you may interact with colleagues who are supporting another person facing these challenges. Being a supportive colleague and leader requires a deeper understanding of the complex situations and considerations that surround substance use and addition. Dr. Amlung will share background information on prevalence of addictions and patterns of substance use, provide examples of stigmatizing and non-stigmatizing language referring to people who use substances, and provide concrete strategies for creating an engaging and respectful discussion of these issues. The session will combine didactic information with hands-on exercises and techniques that staff can apply to their roles at KU.

Expanding the Field: Putting Research into Interdisciplinary Conversation with the Spencer Museum of Art

Joey Orr

2:00pm, Woodruff Auditorium

The Spencer Museum's Arts Research Integration program puts practicing artists into conversation with researchers across the sciences and humanities. This session explores an interdisciplinary collaboration with the KU Field Station and Designbuild Studio in the School of Architecture & Design with artist Janine Antoni to help plant seeds for future collaborations.

Generative AI and Higher Ed: Navigating a Changing Landscape

Katie Conrad

11:00am, Woodruff Auditorium

2:00pm, Big 12

AI has found its way into everything from student papers to staff workflow. What are the implications of generative AI for academia? This session will help participants to build critical AI literacy: understanding the harms and challenges AI poses for higher ed, including ethical concerns, potential misuse, bias, and misinformation, as well as some of the potential applications of AI tools for education. Participants are encouraged to bring questions and concerns for discussion.

“Help! I Need Somebody!” Where to Go When You Don’t Know Where to Go: Exploring the KU Ombuds Office Services

Ada Emmett and Herschenia Brown

2:00pm, Alderson

KU staff may encounter difficult situations in the workplace, with colleagues, supervisors/supervisees, or KU systems and policies, and need a place to explore their options in a confidential way. This breakout session will describe the unique positionality of the Ombuds Office at KU; the “off-the-record” confidential space we provide to help people informally address their concerns; and ideas and coaching visitors receive to widen their perception of their situation. We will distinguish what the Ombuds Office does and how we operate compared to other departments at KU and how we can support staff at various stages of their careers.

Home Office: The Places Where We Worked - March/April 2020

Tim Hossler

1:00pm, Malott

In early March 2020, like most of my friends and colleagues world-wide, I scrambled to find a place to work at home. Trying to find something productive to do with my time (I was on sabbatical), I reached out to friends, friends-of-friends, and colleagues for images of their home working spaces. The resulting project is a time capsule of those photographs.

Hyper-Palatable Foods and US Tobacco Companies: Cross-Industry Activities and Harms to Public Health

Tera Fazzino

11:00am, Malott

The US food environment is saturated with hyper-palatable foods, which are difficult to stop eating and increase obesity risk. Although unbeknownst to most of the US public and scientific community, US tobacco giants Phillip Morris and RJ Reynolds owned and developed leading US food companies, including Kraft and Nabisco, between the 1980s and early 2000s. Dr. Fazzino will present scientific evidence indicating that US tobacco companies may have disseminated hyper-palatable foods into the US food system. Implications for food choice, dietary intake, and public health will be presented.

Informal Social Networks and Their Impact on the Workplace

Patrick Downes

10:00am, Woodruff Auditorium

This session will discuss the ways in ways in which social network structures influence employees and organizations. Themes will focus on the challenges and opportunities of managing through informal relationships, the effects of social structures on people’s careers, and how organizations can benefit from social (in addition to human) capital. Participants will engage in activities that develop a new lens for problem solving organizational issues, and for thinking strategically about how their social connections influence their careers and life beyond work.

Jayhawk Resilience: The Myth of Grit and the Reality of Support

Kelly McCoy

10:00am, Big 12

Popular definitions of resilience include “bouncing back” and “persevering” through adversity. These definitions are problematic because they place the responsibility of bouncing back on the individual and disregard the role of support in resilient outcomes. Sadly, pervasive myths exist that resilience is a rare trait that allows a gritty, select few to bounce back, while the rest of us struggle. The reality is resilience is ordinary and based on supports available to us within our communities. This brief presentation pushes back on popular definitions of resilience and offers a community support-based understanding of resilience.

Leading (Fun!) Teams: How to Create a Culture of Productivity and Personal Satisfaction

Stacy Cordell

11:00am Big 12

Several years ago, when discussing an aspect of my job responsibilities that made me feel stuck, my supervisor told me “That’s why they call this ‘work’ and not ‘fun’.” Let’s be honest, work isn’t always fun. However, work can be motivating and satisfying (and dare I say – a little fun), even when we are responsible for tasks that aren’t our favorites. In this session, we’ll explore the nature of human motivation and the ways in which individual strengths, curiosity, and desire to achieve inspire us to action. We’ll identify what hinders motivation for you and your team members and discuss strategies for creating a work environment that provides pathways to personal fulfilment and team success.

Learning & Development: Your Partners in Learning

Kathleen Ames-Stratton, Crystal Dippre, Amber Eshelman, Laurie Harrison, and Stephanie Hull

2:00pm, Malott

In this session, members of the Learning & Development team of Human Resource Management will describe the services we offer in support of our mission to "create partnerships and opportunities to grow excellence in people and teams."

Points of Reflection and Exploration at the Spencer Museum of Art

Saralyn Reece Hardy

1:00pm, Spencer Museum of Art (Gather to the north of the main Union entrance. Look for the yellow flag)

This guided tour will inspire participants to think creatively about their roles as leaders and ways in which they support exceptional learning communities at KU. Stimulated by artworks on view at the Spencer Museum of Art, attendees will think critically and openly about pathways to and through leadership. (Maximum of 20 participants.)

Strategies for Setting Boundaries and Avoiding Burnout

Jordan Atkinson

10:00am Alderson

11:00am, Alderson

Managing employee work-life balance is an ongoing struggle for organizations and individuals. This session will combine academic research with professional practice regarding boundary management strategies. These boundary management strategies can reduce the occurrence of workplace burnout, an increasingly common phenomenon within modern organizations.

Tree Trivia and Plant Particulars: An Introduction to the Flora of the KU Campus

Craig Freeman and Caleb Morse

1:00pm, Ascher Plaza (Gather at 1920 Jayhawk near south end of Union Plaza. Look for the yellow flag.)

During a brief walking tour of Lawrence main campus, we will examine some of the distinctive and interesting plants, emphasizing woody plants, and discuss how the vegetation of the campus has changed since the founding of the university. (Maximum of 40 participants.)

What’s Right with You? Positive Mental Health Life Hacks

Brian Cole

11:00am, Kansas

This presentation will share research from the KU Positive Psychotherapy Clinic, a free telehealth clinic that treats depression and anxiety by enhancing hope, positive emotion, and well-being. Participants will learn practical strategies for taking a more balanced approach to understanding their mental health. Tips for finding a therapist that is the right fit for you will also be discussed.

Workplace Meditation & Yoga

Erin Sampson

2:00pm, Centennial

This session is an introduction to meditation and yoga. Learn how to incorporate meditation and yoga poses into your workday with the goal of relieving stress and calming the mind. All movements will be gentle and can be done while seated in a chair.

Opening Remarks

Barbara Bichelmeyer, Provost

Barbara A. Bichelmeyer, an academic leader in the field instructional design and technology, was appointed provost and executive vice chancellor of the University of Kansas in February 2020. Bichelmeyer, a Kansas City native, also holds an appointment as a professor in the KU School of Education & Human Sciences.

As KU’s chief learning officer, she is primarily responsible for advancing the university’s mission in concert with the Chancellor, administrators, faculty, staff, and students across the Lawrence campus. She leads the Lawrence campus in championing and furthering the goals outlined in the university’s strategic plan.

Prior to joining KU, Bichelmeyer served as provost and executive vice chancellor of the University of Missouri-Kansas City, a position she held since August 2015. She had previously served as executive associate vice president for University Academic Affairs for the seven campuses of Indiana University, as well as founder and senior director for IU's Office of Online Education. Bichelmeyer was a tenured full professor at Indiana University - Bloomington.

For most of her 30-year career as a faculty member and administrator, Bichelmeyer has examined the process of performance-based instructional design, and how technology is incorporated into classrooms in order to facilitate more personalized learning experiences.

Bichelmeyer earned a bachelor’s in journalism degree in 1982, a bachelor of arts in English in 1986, a master’s in educational policy and administration in 1988, and a doctorate in educational communications and technology in 1991, all from the University of Kansas.

Bichelmeyer has served as consultant for performance-based instructional design, technology integration, human and organization performance effectiveness, and evaluation of instructional and organizational development programs to numerous organizations including the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Indiana Supreme Court Commission for Continuing Legal Education, Procter & Gamble, Eli Lilly, Microsoft, Sprint, the United States Coast Guard, and the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

Keynote Address: Learning in a World Turned Upside Down

Mark Saine, Managing Director, Strategic Leadership Solutions, TIAA

Mark supports TIAA’s clients by helping them to build leaders internally that are prepared to take on increasingly complex roles and to manage the demands of a rapidly changing environment. He provides leadership development services including workshops, retreats, consultation and coaching.

He has worked for TIAA for more than 20 years. In his previous role at TIAA, Mark initiated and oversaw corporate-wide leadership and executive development initiatives such as leadership transitions training, top talent programs, mentoring programs, and coaching engagements. Mark’s gift for creating relevant and engaging programs created momentum for leadership development inside TIAA that engaged leaders at all levels in the organization.

Mark holds a bachelor’s degree from Anderson University (Indiana), a master’s in student personnel from Ball State University (Indiana), and a master’s in organizational psychology from Teachers College, Columbia University (New York).

Mark’s work with clients focuses on:

Creating an institutional strategy to develop a bench of leaders.
Building initiatives that support leadership development at all levels of an institution.
Identifying top talent and building programs to support their on-going growth.
Designing and developing customized leadership programs.
Facilitating interactive, engaging development programs.

Mark has also earned certification from the Hudson Institute of Coaching, is certified to administer the Leadership Circle Profile and Leadership Culture Survey, the Clifton Strengths Finder, and is a Social Style Master Trainer. Additionally, he holds certifications to train numerous courses including: The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, Situational Leadership, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, The Leadership Challenge, and Crucial Conversations.

Closing Remarks

Mike Rounds, Vice Provost for Operations

Mike Rounds is vice provost for operations, with primary responsibility for the following departments: Human Resource Management; Public Safety; Custodial Services; Facilities Services; Transportation Services; Facilities Planning & Development; Office of Sustainability; Environment, Health and Safety and Space Management. Mike provides the leadership and strategic visioning to align these departments with the University’s mission and goals, while working closely with the provost and other KU leaders and campus partners to ensure key campus services meet the needs and expectations of KU students, faculty, staff and campus visitors. In a career where he has spent time in the military, public education and higher education, Mike has more than 40 years of leadership experience. He earned an MBA from Baker University, a master’s degree in strategic planning from the U.S. Army War College, a master’s degree in East Asian studies from Yale University and a bachelor’s degree in political science from the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, N.Y.

Breakout Session Speakers (in alphabetical order by last name)

Kathleen Ames-Stratton leads the Learning and Development unit within Human Resource Management at KU. She has served as a coach and mentor to individuals and groups for the past 15 years. She is a certified organizational development (OD) practitioner and coach. An advocate of strengths based leadership, her approach to OD and coaching is to build solid partnerships in support of individual development needs and the organization's strategic objectives.

Dr. Michael Amlung is an Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Applied Behavioral Sciences at KU. He is also the Associate Director for Training of the Cofrin Logan Center for Addiction Research and Treatment. His research and teaching interests include addictions, behavioral science, neuroscience, and professional development/leadership.

Dr. Jordan Atkinson is an Associate Professor of the Practice at the University of Kansas Edwards Campus, where he serves as Program Director for the Organizational Communication graduate programs and Professional Studies undergraduate programs. As a communication scholar investigating instructional and organizational communication contexts, Dr. Atkinson’s research has been published in several national academic journals.

Herschenia Brown recently started as the inaugural Associate Ombuds for KU and has over 15 years of dispute resolution experience. She has experience as an organizational ombuds, mediator, and project manager, and serves on several committees within the American Bar Association Dispute Resolution Section and International Ombuds Association.

Speakers (continued)

Yvonnes Chen, Ph.D. is a Professor in the School of Journalism and Mass Communications. She has integrated mindfulness into her teaching and research. An avid gardener, she is thankful for the reminders from Mother Nature on the importance of being present.

Brian Cole is an associate professor in the Department of Educational Psychology and serves as Director of Training for the Counseling Psychology PhD Program. His research explores men and masculinities (e.g., men's mental health, help-seeking, and experiences as fathers) as well as applications of positive psychology to therapy. He launched the KU Positive Psychotherapy Clinic in the summer of 2020. To date, the clinic has provided more than 1600 hours of free therapy to adults across Kansas.

Katie Conrad is a professor of English at KU. She is the author of A Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights for Education (Critical AI 1.2), has published several articles and book chapters on technology and culture, and runs a Substack blog, "Pandora’s Bot." She is co-director (with Sean Kamperman) of the AI & Digital Literacy project in partnership with the National Humanities Center and the Hall Family Foundation. She is also currently serving as Interim Director of the Gunn Center for the Study of SF.

Stacy Cordell is the assistant vice provost for Academic & Professional Programs in Jayhawk Global. She holds a master’s degree in organizational communications from the KU School of Professional Studies. Stacy is passionate about her work at KU in finding innovative ways to develop educational programs that serve current and future Jayhawks wherever they are – geographically, professionally, or personally – to ensure that they can continue their educational journey in a way that best suits their individual needs.

Speakers (continued)

Crystal Dippre is an organizational design analyst with KU's Learning and Development unit within Human Resource Management. She has more than 16 years of previous experience in workplace strategies, commercial real estate development, and change management.

Patrick Downes is a KU alumnus and assistant professor of management at the KU School of Business. He has won several awards for his teaching in strategic human resource management, data-based decision-making, and employee compensation. His research area primarily focuses on employees’ social contexts as well as on research tools for the science of management. He is the proud father of three elementary-aged Jayhawk fans, and his favorite building on campus will always be Fraser Hall.

Ada Emmett has been at KU for over 20 years, the last four years in the Ombuds Office. A member of the faculty, she first served as a part-time faculty ombuds and then was named acting/interim university ombuds for 1.5 years, until being named the permanent university ombuds after a national search in August 2023.

Amber Eshelman is the senior functional system analyst for MyTalent in KU's Learning and Development unit within Human Resource Management. She has over 15 years of experience as a human resource management and technology professional and is well versed in leading the charge on projects and initiatives. She finds her calling in navigating the employee experience and working to improve that journey through learning and talent technology management. The future of HR Systems is ever changing, and she is excited for what it brings to KU.

Speakers (continued)

Tera Fazzino is Assistant Professor of Psychology and Associate Director of the Cofrin Logan Center for Addiction Research and Treatment at KU. Her research integrates the areas of addiction, obesity, and eating disorders research and focuses on reward-seeking behaviors that may contribute to health consequences. Her work has also focused on characterizing hyper-palatable foods, which may have addictive properties, and quantifying their saturation in the US food system.

Craig Freeman is a senior curator in the R.L. McGregor Herbarium in the Biodiversity Institute and a senior scientist in the Kansas Biological Survey & Center for Ecological Research. His research interests include floristics of the Great Plains, systematics and evolution of the genus Penstemon (beardtongues), and the ecology and conservation biology of grassland plants.

Kim Glover is a senior instructional designer with the Center for Online and Distance Learning. She has worked at KU for over fifteen years.

Speakers (continued)

Invested as the first Marilyn Stokstad Director of the Spencer Museum of Art, Saralyn Reece Hardy has led the only comprehensive art museum in Kansas since 2005. Prior to her arrival at the Spencer Museum, Reece Hardy served as Director of Museums and Visual Arts at the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and as Director of the Salina Art Center in Salina, Kansas. She is an active consultant, lecturer, and advocate for arts and cultural organizations on local, regional, national, and international levels.

Laurie Harrison is a senior trainer with KU’s Learning and Development unit within Human Resource Management. She has worked at KU for ten years. She provides training on a variety of topics, including nonviolent/compassionate communication in the workplace, having difficult conversations, and building trust at work.

As the former in-house art director for photographer Annie Leibovitz, Tim Hossler helped Ms. Leibovitz create her most memorable images, books and exhibitions of the late 1990s through the early 2000s. He holds a degree in Architecture from Kansas State University and an MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art. At the University of Kansas, He currently teaches design ethics, publication design, and an honors seminar on photo culture. His academic research includes the exploration of visual culture’s role in defining time and place.

Stephanie Hull is a senior trainer in KU's Learning and Development unit within Human Resource Management. She conducts organizational assessments, assists units with strategic planning, and delivers training on topics such as Change Intelligence, the Myers-Briggs Type Inventory, and working remotely. She holds a BA in Psychology from Illinois Wesleyan University and a Master's in Organization Development from Avila University.

Speakers (continued)

Kelly McCoy is an assistant director with the Public Management Center (PMC) at KU where he teaches resilience to public sector leaders in the Certified Public Management program. McCoy joined the PMC from Kansas Fire & Rescue Training Institute at KU, where he served as director for three years. Previously, Kelly served as faculty member of Fire Science, and academic senator at Montana State University Billings. Much of Kelly’s work in resilience derives from his 25-year career in the fire service.

Caleb Morse is the collection manager in the R.L. McGregor Herbarium in the Biodiversity Institute. His research interests include floristics of the Great Plains and lichen taxonomy.

Joey Orr is the Mellon Curator for Research at the Spencer Museum of Art, where he directs Arts Research Integration (ARI) and serves as affiliate faculty in Museum Studies and Visual Art. His current curatorial projects and exhibitions involve collaborations with the KU’s History of Black Writing, Institute for Information Sciences, Kansas Biological Survey and Center for Ecological Research, School of Architecture, and a partnership through a National Science Foundation Career Award.

Dr. Nicole Reiz is the Director of Professional Development & Communications in the Office of Graduate Studies. She provides professional and career development trainings and workshops for graduate students across the KU Lawrence campus to support student readiness in diverse career paths within and beyond the academy. Additionally, she is involved with a number of projects to expand the tools, resources, and support systems for graduate professional development including new self-directed Canvas courses in key development areas and the onboarding of the Lawrence campus to two new online platforms, Beyond the Professoriate and Beyond Graduate School.

Speakers (continued)

Erin Sampson is a Lawrence native, passionate about the Lawrence & KU community. She received her B.A. in History from KU and became certified as a Professional in Human Resources in 2017. She has been practicing yoga since 2008, acquired her 200-RYT certification in 2022, and is a “forever student”. Through teaching yoga, Erin emphasizes a spiritual connection with nature, an awareness of the self, and respect for the roots of yoga.

Jeffrey Stolz is in the new position of Mental Health and Wellbeing Director in Human Resource Management at KU. He is a Licensed Master of Social Work and has ten years of experience working with underserved teens and young adults at Van Go, Inc. providing crisis interventions, counseling, case management support, life-skills trainings, and health and wellness programming.

Rachel Vogelmeier is a person with a disability who has made disability advocacy her career. She worked as a social worker before coming to KU as the Program Specialist of the ADA Resource Center for Equity and Accessibility where she works to inform disabled individuals of their rights under the ADA and provide reasonable accommodations to employees at KU.