Conference Speakers
Dr. Mimi Chapman
GADE President
Professor; Associate Dean for Doctoral Education
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Ms. Stacey Abrams
Keynote Speaker
Ronald W. Walters Endowed Chair for Race & Black Politics
Howard University
Dr. Sheara Jennings
2025 Conference Host
Dean
Howard University
Dr. Denise Burnette
GADE Immediate Past President
Professor; Samuel S. Wurtzel Endowed Faculty Chair in Social Work
Virginia Commonwealth University
Dr. Anne Williford
GADE Treasurer
Associate Professor; PhD Program Director
Colorado State University
Dr. Poco Kernsmith
GADE Secretary
Professor; Department Chair
University of California, Los Angeles
Dr. Sondra Fogel
GADE Board of Directors
Associate Professor; PhD Program Chair
University of South Florida
Dr. Jennifer Greenfield
GADE Board of Directors
Associate Professor; Associate Dean for Doctoral Education
University of Denver
Dr. Krystal Hays
Associate Professor; DSW Program Director
California Baptist University
Dr. Cristina Mogro-Wilson
GADE Board of Directors
Professor; PhD Program Director
University of Connecticut
Dr. Stephen Tripodi
GADE Board of Directors
Professor; PhD Program Director
Florida State University
Dr. Tova Walsh
GADE Board of Directors
Associate Professor; PhD Program Director
Unviersity of Wisconsin-Madison
Dr. Jonathan Okstad
GADE Program Director
Manager of Research Administration
Northwestern University
Ms. Kathelon Toliver
Conference Host Staff
Director of Strategic Planning and Community Engagement
Howard University
Ms. Melissa Parsinen
Event Planner
GADE Social Work
Dr. Jacqueline Dyer
Associate Professor of Practice; DSW Program Director
Simmons University
Dr. Dani Groton
Associate Professor; DSW Program Coordinator
Florida Atlantic University
Dr. Natalie Pope
Associate Professor; PhD Program Director
University of Kentucky
Dr. Chi-Fang Wu
Professor; PhD Program Director
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Dr. G. Lawrence Farmer
Professor; PhD Program Director
Fordham University
Dr. Margaret Adamek
Professor; PhD Program Director
Indiana University
Ms. Kat Gibson-Ledl
Director of Accreditation Services
Council on Social Work Education
Dr. Shanéa Thomas
Executive Director of Accreditation
Council on Social Work Education
Dr. Shenyang Guo
Frank J Bruno Distinguished Professor; PhD Program Director
Washington University in St. Louis
Dr. Terry Northcut
2026 Conference Host
Professor; PhD Program Director
Loyola University Chicago
Dr. Annette Semanchin Jones
Associate Professor; PhD Program Director
State University of New York at Buffalo
Dr. Yoonsun Choi
Mose J. & Sylvia Firestone Professor; PhD Program Director
The University of Chicago
Dr. Louanne Bakk
Clinical Associate Professor; DSW Program Director
State University of New York at Buffalo
Mr. William Katt
Workforce Practice Group Chair
Lewis-Burke Associates, LLC
Dr. Nicole Parker
Principal
Lewis-Burke Associates, LLC
Dr. Jacqueline Corcoran
Professor; DSW Program Director
University of Pennsylvania
Dr. Catherine Marrs Fuchsel
Professor; DSW Program Director
University of St. Thomas
Dr. Anne Deepak
Associate Professor; Interim DSW Program Director
Monmouth University
Dr. Sari Skolnik
Associate Professor; DSW Program Director
Yeshiva University
Dr. Edward Scanlon
Associate Professor; DSW Program Director
University of Kansas
Dr. Randy Magen
Dean
Yeshiva University
Speaker Resources
Speakers and presenters, below you will find links to update your speaker biographies and upload your session/workshop materials.
Conference Session Proposal Form
Conference Session Slide Deck & Materials Upload Dropbox
Presentation Resources
- Best Practices for Speakers: Accessibility Accessible Speaking Best Practices | Deque
- Places to Find Free Photos without Copyright Restrictions Places to Find Free Photos Without Copyright Restriction
- Toastmaster's International: Public Speaking Tips Toastmasters International -Public Speaking Tips
- Garr Reynolds' Presentation Zen – Focuses on visually engaging, minimalist presentation styles ideal for academic audiences. Presentation Zen
- TED Talks: Public Speaking & Presentation Tips – Offers insights on storytelling, audience engagement, and clear communication. How to make a great presentation | TED Talks
*Please be advised that when developing your session slides to be mindful of copyright infringement. Any time you use a copyrighted work, you must have permission from the owner of the work. This includes written work, drawings, cartoons, music, video/film, spoken word, etc. It is the responsibility and liability of the authors to determine if what they include is copyrighted material and garner the appropriate permissions. Your slides will be shared at the conference and posted in our collaboratory post-conference for GADE members, so it is important for you to adhere to these requirements.