David C. Burdick, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology & Director of the Stockton Center on Successful Aging

Lisa E. Cox, M.S.W. and Ph.D., Professor of Social Work &  Research Chair of Stockton Center on Successful Aging

Elizabeth A. Elmore, Ph.D., Professor of Economics & Director of Stockton Center for Economics and Financial Literacy

Christine A. Gayda-Chelder, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Psychology, Service Chair of Stockton Center on Successful Aging, & Coordinator of Gerontology Minor

The purpose of this learning lab is to explore the social injustice and widespread, negative consequences of ageism. Ageism is an incredibly important injustice issue requiring exploration, as the number of older adults in America is anticipated to more than double from 46 million today to over 98 million by 2060 (The Population Reference Bureau, January 13, 2016). The World Health Organization describes ageism as, “the most socially ‘normalized’ of any prejudice.”  Each presenter will offer their knowledge and experience pertaining to ageism from a biopsychosocial perspective.  Areas to be discussed include health and sexuality, consequences of stereotyping, socioeconomic issues, and workplace/employment issues. Participants will be challenged to explore their own encounters with ageism and how ageism relates to social injustice.

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David C. Burdick, Ph.D. is a Professor of Psychology, Gerontology, and Sustainability Studies, and is the Director of the Stockton Center on Successful Aging.  He is a Fellow of the Gerontological Society of America and the Academy for Gerontology in Higher Education.  His research interests are in intergenerational relationships and gerontechnology.

Lisa E. Cox, PhD., LCSW, is a Professor of Social Work and the Research Chair for Stockton University’s Center on Successful Aging. She has served as a SCOSA Research Scholar and Fellow and published on gerontology issues such as Medicare Part D and Assisted Living. Dr. Cox is a licensed clinical social worker who serves, by Governor’s appointment, on the NJ Board of Social Work Examiners; and previously, she was the long-term care liaison between the National Association of Social Workers and The Joint Commission on Health Care. Her edited book, Narratives of Successful Aging: Recipes for Success (Cognella Publishing, 2017), includes memoirs written by older adults that touch upon aspects of ageism and aging across the life course.

Elizabeth A. Elmore, Ph.D., is Professor of Economics and Director, Stockton Center for Economics and Financial Literacy.  She teaches courses within the Gerontology minor at Stockton University.

Christine A. Gayda-Chelder, Ph.D. is Coordinator of the Gerontology Minor and Service Chair for the Stockton Center on Successful Aging.  She is a New Jersey Licensed Psychologist and Neuropsychologist who works with older adults in the local community in her private practice. She has extensive clinical experience counseling older adults struggling with issues related to ageism.  She conducts neuropsychological and mental capacity assessments among older adults.

David Estrin, Founder and CEO of Together We Remember (TWR)

David Estrin is the Founder and CEO of Together We Remember (TWR), a nonprofit empowering the next generation of leaders to make "never again" a reality by transforming remembrance into action. The grandson of four Holocaust survivors, David has made it his life purpose to leverage the power of collective memory to inspire collective action to end identity-based violence across the world.

After graduating from Duke University with a degree in Public Policy, David joined Accenture Strategy, where he advised Fortune 500 clients and the firm’s flagship corporate philanthropy program, Accenture Corporate Citizenship ($60 million portfolio).

In January 2017, unnerved by the rise of fear and hate at home and abroad, David left Accenture to pursue his global vision for TWR full-time. In 2018, TWR organized 42 vigil programs across 8 countries and forged partnerships with Twitter and the Anti-Defamation League. David also serves on the External Advisory Committee (EAC) of the USC Shoah Foundation.

Outside the office, you can find David hiking a mountain, surfing a wave, or eating his grandma's matzo ball soup.

Sponsors – The Sara & Sam Schoffer Holocaust Resource Center; The MAHG Society; and Stockton’s STAND: A Student Led Movement to End Mass Atrocities.

 

Andy Cowgill, Operations Manager of the Eastern Service Workers Association (ESWA)
Kat Wentzell, active volunteer of ESWA & Stockton University graduate ('18)

Despite headlines that trumpet a “booming economy,” many students’ experiences tell a different story. They work; they study; they try to save; they can’t save enough, so they’re forced to borrow. They work even more, and study harder, but there’s a creeping sense that few of us are really getting ahead. In one recent year, 93% of all income gains in the US went to the top 1%.

During a highly interactive presentation, Cowgill and Wentzell will discuss a method of grassroots organizing that has been working locally for more than 41 years to transform this situation, building solutions with the direct participation of those who need change the most. Low-income workers are uniting with local business owners, professionals, students and others throughout the community on an all-volunteer basis and without a dime of government funding or other funding with strings attached.

They will discuss many topics from divide-and-conquer tactics that have held back many past movements for change to the importance of holding the government accountable for the commitments it has made. 

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Andy Cowgill is a full-time volunteer with Eastern Service Workers Association (ESWA) in Pleasantville, NJ where he has been the Operations Manager since 2009. After gaining experience working on a public health project in Ecuador, doing conservation and voter-registration projects with Spanish-speaking communities in California, working as a teacher's assistant in primary and secondary schools, and helping to get media resources to poor and marginalized communities, Cowgill began organizing the working poor in 2000 and has been doing it ever since.

Kat Wentzell graduated from Stockton University in December 2018. Throughout her time at Stockton, she worked closely with ESWA to advance the interests of low-income workers and communities around her. She has volunteered many hours, done promotional work while serving as Assistant Editor of the Stockton Argo, and even coordinated a charity rock concert to benefit ESWA's winter efforts.

Guia Calicdan-Apostle, Associate Professor of Social Work

Humanity is capable of transforming the society when it is governed by principles of unity. It is also capable of addressing chaos through a collective will and unbreakable commitment to the organizing principles that promote unity. This learning lab will elucidate the process of “unity in diversity” by applying some values and principles that are mutually shared in human society. The presentation will unpack some evidences that promote a greater understanding of unity from the micro, mezzo and macro perspectives. The attendees will learn how to demonstrate the application of the principles of unity in a structured group session. In addition, we will identify how the individual, group and community can promote unity in action.

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Guia Calicdan-Apostle, Ph.D teaches about race, ethnicity, and diversity in both undergraduate and graduate levels, and has been for the past eight years. She also teaches an advanced graduate course titled "Advanced Cultural Competence" to MSW students. Her areas of concentration are spirituality and mental health, international social work, racism, and immigration and cultural diversity issues.

Calicdan-Apostle is a member of the Committee on Campus Diversity and Inclusive Excellence and co-convener of the Social Justice and Education Diversity and Inclusion Committee.  She is also an advisor to the Pilipino-American Students Association of Stockton (PASAS), an organization with over 40 active students of first and second generation Filipino and Filipino-American students. 

Calicdan-Apostle received her Doctorate in Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania, her Master's in Social Work from the Asian Social Institute in the Philippines, and her Bachelor's in Social Work from the Philippine Women's University.

Joseph Everett

Program Coordinator, Stockton University Child Welfare Education Institute (CWEI)

 

 The purpose of this presentation will be to describe a professor’s experience with an assignment given to graduate social work students immediately after the 2016 presidential election. Part of thinking like a professional social worker is being able to engage in personal reflection, self-awareness, self-correction, and interactions which require comfort and empathy with different customs and worldviews. While we pay lip service to this in much of education, we often still hold the opinion (even if unspoken) that “we know better” than our clients or others. This assignment was designed to help students practice empathy—yes, practice empathy. Their mission was to find someone in their lives who voted differently than them in the recent presidential election, to have a conversation with that person and try to understand and empathize with them. Students were told that the purpose of the assignment was to see that they are capable of empathizing with people they strongly disagree with, taking the opportunity to do some introspection. The class did take advantage of this opportunity and the resulting discussion was fascinating, while sometimes uncomfortable for students. The outcome revealed a lot about how “tolerant” our classrooms feel to students. Even amongst social work students, there was a strong fear of ostracism and intolerance amongst students with minority political views. This express talk will describe this experience and some of the lessons learned.

 

 

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Joseph Everett works with the Child Welfare Education Institute (CWEI) at Stockton University as the program coordinator for the Baccalaureate & Masters Child Welfare Education Programs (BCWEP and MCWEP). For years, the CWEI has partnered with the New Jersey Department of Children and Families to help strengthen NJ’s public child welfare workforce. Everett has also taught courses for the Master of Social Work program and is a graduate of that program. His  work has been published in peer-reviewed journals and he spoke at Stockton’s Undergraduate Commencement in 2012 as the Valedictorian.

 

Susan Adelizzi-Schmidt, President of Suasion Communications Group & Adjunct Professor of Business 

Women’s participation in politics and decision-making has received significant attention across the world. Today, there are a record-breaking number of women running for and holding office, yet women still remain seriously underrepresented in decision-making positions. Political education for women is urgent and timely, and this express talk aims to provide insight into the challenges and opportunities of women’s political participation. Additionally, attendees will learn valuable skills to succeed in leadership roles. 

A few of the topics to be covered are today’s political climate, famous female political trailblazers, and Susan Adelizzi-Schmidt’s own political experiences, including anecdotes from her journey as the first female to run for the 1st District State Senate seat in southern New Jersey.  

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Susan Adelizzi-Schmidt is the President of Suasion Communications Group, where she leads a team of creative professionals who execute award-winning branding, public relations, digital and marketing campaigns. She is also an Adjunt Professor of Business at Stockton University, where she teaches real-world lessons from a practicing professional's standpoint. She completed her dual degree B.A. in Communication and English from Arcadia University, received a Master of Business Administration from Stockton University, and graduated from the prestigious Goldman Sachs' 10,000 Small Businesses Entrepreneurial Program in 2017. 

Adelizzi-Schmidt serves on the Board of Directors for Downtown New Jersey, is an immediate past Chair of the Cape May County Women’s Commission, and is a current member of the new Stockton University Women’s Leadership Council.  Additionally, she founded and served as chair of the Upper Township Economic Development Advisory Commission. She also serves as an active member of the Somers Point Business Association, Southern New Jersey Chamber of Commerce, Cape May County Chamber of Commerce, Upper Township Business Association, Wildwood Chamber of Commerce, Southern Ocean County Chamber of Commerce, HSMAI and serves as an Atlantic Cape Community College Communication Advisory Board member. 

Adelizzi-Schmidt was the first female from either party to win a nomination and run for State Senate in the history of New Jersey’s First Legislative District (Cape/Cumberland/Atlantic). Her hard-fought campaign platform focused attention on job creation, economic development, women’s advocacy, and addressing the substance abuse epidemic in her region. 

Suasion is a certified New Jersey Women Business Enterprise (WBE), providing customized campaigns for tourism destination, municipalities, corporations, retail, healthcare, financial and nonprofit organizations.  

Paul Kleba, professional cardmaker 

Paul Kleba will be hosting a handmade cardmaking session.

Sponsors - The Stockton Entertainment Team and Office of Student Development.

Robin Kampf, Director of "Love Wins" documentary 
Emily Sonessa, documentary star 
Jan Moore, documentary star 

Kampf, along with Sonessa and Moore, will attend and have a panel discussion after the 30-minute documentary. An attorney from Garden State Equality who advocated for marriage equality in NJ will also be invited. 

About the film:  "Two 80-plus year-old women fell in love and raised a family in suburban New Jersey in spite of a husband, Italian-Catholic guilt and the law. Now, after being together, living in the closet for 45 years, they got married and are now proud, flag-waving members of a social movement that has changed the course of the history of marriage. Jan and Emily are now both in their mid-80's, they're married and have children and grandchildren. But it wasn't always like this. Both women lived for 45 years in the closet and hid their love from family, friends and even a husband. The story is a true love story. And demonstrates that love really does win eventually." 

Sponsors – The Committee on Campus Diversity and Inclusive Excellence and its Social Justice and Education subcommittee; The PRIDE Alliance; and Stockton Entertainment Team

Katie Coburn, Student Senate President
Lex Franklin, Student Senator

Irvin O. Moreno-Rodriguez, Program Assistant of the Sara and Sam Schoffer Holocaust Resource Center at Stockton University & U.S. Citizenship and Naturalization Class Instructor for La Casa Dominicana NJ

This express talk will focus on what it means to be a citizen of the United States, the benefits and responsibilities hitherto, and the barriers individuals face when applying for U.S. citizenship. The presentation will use Moreno-Rodriguez's experiences as an instructor for Free Citizenship and Naturalization Classes, sponsored by La Casa Dominicana NJ - a nonprofit organization in Atlantic City, to typify the social justice issues surrounding the citizenship application process. The history of the United States citizenship application process will also be explored and used to illustrate additional issues Atlantic City residents and other in the United States face when confronted with the U.S. civics test. Relevant statistics from the Pew Research Center and the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) bureau will also be utilized to provide additional background to the topic. 

The presentation will offer audience members the opportunity to better understand the U.S. citizenship application process and the issues alien residents face when applying. With a clearer understanding of the application process, individuals will have the ability to respond to issues dealing with the legal immigration system. 

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Irvin O. Moreno-Rodriguez is the Program Assistant for the Sara and Sam Schoffer Holocaust Resource Center at Stockton University. Moreno-Rodriguez received his B.A. in Criminal Justice from Stockton in 2015 and is currently working on earning his M.A. in Holocaust and Genocide Studies degree here. 

During his time at Stockton University, Irvin was President of Stockton’s Stand, an antigenocide, student-led coalition, President of Stockton’s chapter of the Golden Key International Honour Society, and a Resident Assistant for the Office of Residential Life. 

In 2012, Moreno-Rodriguez was chosen by a coalition of Hispanic organizations to be “Hispanic of the Year” in Atlantic City. He is the youngest recipient in the award’s history. 

He is also currently a member of Organización Azteca, a non-profit organization in Atlantic City that promotes the traditions, customs and culture of Mexico. 

Mary Johnson, Ph.D, Senior Historian at Facing History & Ourselves  
Gail Rosenthal, Director of Sara & Sam Schoffer Holocaust Resource Center at Stockton University

The purpose of this case study is to introduce and define the term "social justice" and to explore how activists have changed history. Going beyond the definition, participants will be able to exchange ideas and hopefully form action plans for themselves for possible social justice programs at Stockton and within their communities. Participants will also explore the issues of human behavior and the importance of civic engagement, learn about the concept of “universe of obligation, as well as learn about civic awareness and activism – to articulate what it means to be a responsible citizen in a democratic society. 

Both Johnson and Rosenthal have been “prejudice reduction educators” for many years. Together, they possess 50+ years of teaching experience. 

Shevone Torres, member of Black Lives Matter NJ 

 Jennifer Fried North, active member of SJWPC  

Ekaterina Sedia, Associate Professor of Biology and Coordinator of the Cannabis Studies Minor

This presentation will begin with an express talk by Shevone Torres, and will focus what being silenced looks like, how microagressions work, and how to put oneself in the shoes of another person. In addition, Torres will also talk about her work as a grassroots organizer and how Black Lives Matter activists are transforming the national conversation about race. After, there will be a moderated learning lab about how grassroots organizing can enact social change.

From this, attendees will learn organizing strategies (such as how to answer questions like: "What is our goal?" and  "Who can help us enact the change we want?"), how to decide which battles to fight, and how to stay motivated. 

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Shevone Torres is a core member for Black Lives Matter N.J., and has been an activist for over 20 years. After joining BLM, Shevone started book and breakfast programs, community gardens, as well as a host of smaller community projects. Torres has traveled to Flint, Michigan to help assist and raise funds, and has provided support for Hurricane Maria relief in Texas. She has attended many protests, and even helped coordinate Unite the Right in Boston (which 45,000 people attended). 

Ekaterina Sedia is an Associate Professor of Biology and a Coordinator of the Minor in Cannabis Studies. She is an active member of the Diversity Committee, a convenor of Decolonizing the Curriculum subcommittee, and a co-chair of the Faculty Senate Task Force on Hate Speech. She is also an active member of SJWPC.

Jennifer Fried North is an activist, writer and nonprofit professional. She co-leads South Jersey Women for Progressive Change's Racial Justice Action Group, which focuses on anti-racism education in progressive spaces, advocacy for public school equity and police accountability/police reform. For almost 10 years, Jennifer worked as a national patient advocate for food and drug safety, testifying in front of the Food Advisory Committee of the FDA and co-developing curriculum that trained more than 3,000 foodservice workers in gluten-free food safety. 

Emily Devenney works as a retail manager in Philadelphia and is a co-moderater of the Racial Justice Study and Action Groups of South Jersey Women for Progressive Change. She became interested in SJWPC while working as an education justice organizer in Camden, NJ. She obtained both her B.A. in Economics and Masters of Public Policy from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. 

Heather Warburton is an artist and activist from South Jersey. The primary focuses of her activism are environmental activism and income inequality. She leads Runaway Inequality workshops for NJWEC and serves on her county's environmental commission. As one of the owners of New Jersey Revolution Radio, Warburton is committed to supporting anti-capitalist, racial, social and environmental justice throughout the state and across the globe.

Kendal Williams, Ph.D Associate Professor of Medicine at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

"We Are What We Value--Finding a Value-Based Roadmap to a United World"

Standing at the beginning of the 21st century, our generation faces enormous opportunities to bring peace to the world and achieve what generations before could only dream about, but we are historically burdened by values and ideas that keep us from moving forward confidently and collectively. This presentation will both look backward and look forward, creating a context for understanding our current place in history, and then outline some of the principles and ideas that we need to build a more united world.

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Kendal Williams, Ph.D is an associate professor of medicine at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Since 2004, he has held various leadership positions within Penn Medicine, including founding the unique Center for Evidence-based Practice, a Center that supported decisions within the health system by summarizing the best available clinical evidence from the scientific literature.  

Williams was the Inpatient Service Chief for Penn Presbyterian Medical Center until 2017, where he supervised the medical training programs for the Presbyterian campus and developed programs to improve the care of inpatients, with a special personal interest in underserved communities.

A long-time member of the Baha'i Faith, Dr Williams is one of the founding creators of the Baha'i website- SifterofDust.org- debuting formally in March 2019.  

Sponsor - The Social Justice and Education Sub-Committee.