April 11, 2025 |Commonwealth University - Bloomsburg |400 E 2nd St, Bloomsburg, PA 17815
Nestled in the Susquehanna Valley, Bloomsburg is a college town off of I-80 in northeast central Pennsylvania. Around April 11, cherry blossoms and other early spring blooms grace the landscape.
8:00-9:00 Breakfast/Registration (Kehr Union Multipurpose Room B)
8:40 Welcome remarks: Dr. Michelle Kiec, Provost, Commonwealth University
9:00-10:00 (Multipurpose Rm. B)
Chair: Marlene Fares
9:00 Stories of Change: Promoting Gender Equity and Multicultural Solidarity Through Storytelling
9:00-10:00 (Conference Room 343)
Chair: Kara Armstrong
9:00 Beyond Awareness: Advancing Multicultural Solidarity in Campus Sexual Violence Prevention
9:30-10:00 (Multipurpose Rm. A)
Chair: Michelle Amodei
9:30 Sanctuary: The importance of Creativity, Collaboration, and Community during Times of Uncertainty
10:00-11:00 (Multipurpose Rm. B)
Chair: Cameron Wein
10:00 Bridging Worlds
Chair: Emily Elliott
10:30 Stronger Together: Women Supporting Women for Equity and Inclusion
10:00-11:00 (Multipurpose Rm. A)
Chair: Alexa Dimaggio
10:00 Living as Empowered Women and Authors of our Own Stories
10:00-11:00 (Conference Room 343)
Chair: Megan Wein
10:00 It’s Not the End of the World: Writing a Feminist Dystopia
Chair: Kaitlyn Resline
10:30 Writing Contemporary Novels for the Modern Reader: Empowering Young Women Through Storytelling
11:00-12:30 (Multipurpose Rm. B): Plenary Roundtable
Empowering Women in Higher Ed Leadership
12:00-1:00 (Multipurpose Rm. B): Lunch
Music provided by Ali Smith, cello (Commonwealth University-Bloomsburg)
1:00-2:30 (Multipurpose Rm. B)
Chair: Caitlyn Koch
1:00 A Hero like Me: Crafting Representative Characters
Chair: Cameron Wein
2:00 State Sanctioned Censorship and Stonewall
1:00-2:30 (Multipurpose Rm. A)
Chair: Jadilyz Baez
1:00 From Margin to Mainstream: The Visibility and Voice of Multicultural Women in Film
Chair: Erica Dymond
2:00 The Reasonableness of the Reasonable Person Standard in the American Criminal Justice System
1:00-2:00 (Conference Room 343)
Chair: Christina Pantoja Williams
1:00 Empowered Undergraduate Women Leadership at Millersville University
2:00-2:30 (Carver Hall Auditorium – 2nd floor)
Chair: Emily Keener
2:00 Multiculturalism in Composing, Piano-Playing, and Teaching
2:30-4:00 (Carver Hall Auditorium – 2nd floor)
Keynote address by Kristin Austin
Introduction by Carolyn Reid-Brown, Director, Frederick Douglass Institute for Academic Excellence, Commonwealth University
There will be a place to hang your coat. Bloomsburg participants may park in their usual spots. There should be enough handicap parking around campus—the ones on the south side of Carver Hall should be the easiest ones to get to. Please allow ample time to get to and from the parking lot to the venue.
Here are some recommended accommodation options if you wish to stay overnight:
Meals and all sessions will take place at the university’s Kehr Union. More details about parking and hotels below.
The registration fee covers breakfast, lunch, refreshments, and attendance at all sessions and events:
Dr. Michelle Amodei
Professor, Chairperson
Slippery Rock University
Michelle Amodei is a professor and chairperson in the Department of Curriculum, Instruction, & Educational Leadership. Her research has always centered on inclusive and culturally relevant practices. Her array of interests include working with multilingual learners, children with diverse socioeconomic backgrounds, and supporting faculty through collegial and community building practices.
Kara Armstrong
Student
Kutztown University
Kara is a senior at Kutztown University, where she is pursuing a B.A. in Professional Writing and a minor in Spanish. After graduation, she will spend a month studying travel writing abroad in Germany and Austria. Her prose has appeared in Rathalla Review and Shoofly Literary Magazine.
Dr. Charisse Baldoria
Associate Professor of Music
Commonwealth University-Bloomsburg
Dr. Charisse Baldoria is a pianist, composer, educator, and writer. She has won prizes in international and national piano competitions, performed on five continents, taught prize-winning students, and published and received awards for her literary writing. She also teaches at the Honors College. cbaldoria.com
Margareth Contreras
Alexa DiMaggio
Students
Milllersville University
Our organization is committed to advancing diversity and inclusion in leadership by providing career and leadership development programs, events, and opportunities. We focus on empowering women in leadership, building supportive communities, and overcoming barriers. Our mission is to foster leadership growth, development, and a more inclusive future for all.
Jack Curran
Student
Commonwealth University-Bloomsburg
Jack Curran is a music student at Bloomsburg studying under the mentorship of Dr. Charisse Baldoria. Passionate about composing and exploring the wilderness, Jack finds inspiration in both music and nature. He is currently working on a full-length musical that reflects his creative spirit and love for storytelling.
Dr. Erica Joan Dymond
Associate Professor of English
East Stroudsburg University
Dr. Dymond is the co-editor of and contributor to several academic volumes such as The Encyclopedia of LGBTQIA+ Portrayals in American Film, The Encyclopedia of Sexism in American Films, Reclaiming the Tomboy: The Body, Representation, and Identity, Grief in Contemporary Horror Cinema: Screening Loss, etc.
Dr. Marlene Nanouh Fares
Assistant Professor
Kutztown University
Marlene Nanouh Fares is a daughter of immigrants and a first-generation college graduate. Marlene earned her bachelor’s degree from ESU and earned an M.Ed. & EdD at Kutztown University. Marlene has been at KU for 7 years as an Assistant Professor in the department of Academic Advising and Student Development.
Kristina Fennelly
Associate Professor of English
Kutztown University
Dr. Fennelly has taught in higher education for over twenty years. She graduated with a Ph.D. in English from Lehigh University. Her teaching and research interests include: rhetoric and composition; women’s, gender, and sexuality studies; work narratives, and professional writing. She is the Vice-President of the Pennsylvania College English Association. Her textbook, Alternatives to Agonism: Ethical Approaches to Argument in the College Composition Classroom, is forthcoming this summer through PA-ADOPT.
David Field
Staff
Commonwealth University-Bloomsburg
David Field is a Colgate University graduate who majored in vocal performance and music composition with a focus on opera. Currently working as a network engineer for Bloomsburg University while taking music courses to continue expanding and refining their musical skill set.
Meghan Molloy
Graduate Student
Commonwealth University-Bloomsburg
Meghan is a second year graduate student in the CU-Bloomsburg M.Ed. She received her bachelor’s degree in 2019 from CU-Lock Haven in Community and Public Health Education. She is now a Wellness Coach for all three campuses through her work with Student Wellbeing and Health Promotion. She is also co-directing the LGBT and women’s resource center alongside Megan Wein while the center is in search of a director.
Linda Ifechukwu Onwubuya
Student
Kutztown University
Linda is an international graduate student at Kutztown University and a Graduate Assistant in Student Development & Academic Advising. Linda is Passionate about empowering women in education, leadership, and student success as well as fostering inclusive growth and resilience among students and creating a space where everyone feels heard. She currently manages a WhatsApp group geared towards this.
Cassandra O’Sullivan Sachar
Associate Professor of English
Commonwealth University-Bloomsburg
Bram Stoker Award-nominated editor Cassandra O’Sullivan Sachar is the author of the dark suspense novel Darkness There but Something More, the short horror collection “Keeper of Corpses and Other Dark Tales”, the middle-grade mystery “The Hidden Diary”, the horror novella “Close the Door”, and the YA thriller Lake of Secrets.
Kaitlyn Resline
Studnet
Kutztown University
Kaitlyn Resline is a senior Professional Writing and Spanish double major from Kutztown University. She also has minors in Technical Writing and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. On campus, she is involved in the Honors Program, the Kutztown University Marching Unit, and the Keystone Newspaper, where she serves as Editor-in-Chief.
Ms. Dorian Valentine
Student
Commonwealth University-Bloomsburg
Dorian Valentine, a seasoned writer and editor, is a student at Bloomsburg University, majoring in creative writing. Inspired by authors like Franz Kafka and Albert Camus, her works often include absurdist social commentary. These stories don’t just unsettle—they provoke, dragging readers into eerie worlds where the bizarre feels unnervingly familiar.
Dr. Patsie Varkados
Assistant Professor
East Stroudsburg University
Dr. Patsie Varkados is a filmmaker, educator, and media scholar in the Art + Media + Design Department at East Stroudsburg University. She hosts the ESU A24 Film Series, with work focused on storytelling, media literacy, and marginalized voices in film, inspired by her love of horror and gaming.
Dr. Christina Pantoja Williams
Director of Pre-College Programs
Millersville University
Dr. Christina Pantoja Williams serves as the Director of Pre-College Programs at Millersville University. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Sociology at Millersville University, her master’s degree in educational leadership from Temple University, and completed her Doctorate degree at West Chester University.
Cameron Wein
Assistant Athletic Director for Compliance
Kutztown University
Cameron Wein is a queer trans educator, speaker, and advocate with a strong background in college athletics and student development. He uses storytelling to spark connection, promote emotional intelligence, and champion LGBTQ+ inclusion—traveling nationally to create spaces where authenticity, equity, and community thrive.
Megan Wein
Graduate Assistant of the LGBTQ & Women’s Resource Center
Commonwealth University-Bloomsburg
Megan Wein is a graduate student at Commonwealth University, Bloomsburg. She graduates in May with a Master of Education in Educational Leadership (College Student Affairs). She serves as the Graduate Assistant for the LGBTQ & Women’s Resource Center and is the Graduate Intern for the Title IX Office.
Dr. Kristin Austin (she/her) is a lover of learning and unlearning. Dr. Austin’s goal is to catalyze individuals and structures to question, “Who is at the table? Who is missing from the table? For whom was the table built? And who is unaware the table exists?” Dr. Austin has pursued answers to these questions via 23+ years of administrative and faculty higher education roles domestically and internationally, as well as by leading organizations and teams through equity, inclusion, and belonging-oriented education. Currently, Dr. Austin serves as Vice-President of I.D.E.As. (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access) at Rewriting the Code, Inc., a national not-for-profit organization dedicated to disrupting and dismantling racial and gender inequality in the technology sector by equipping and empowering college women in tech. Along with her professional work, Dr. Austin engages in speaking, teaching, and pushing visibility for many inclusion topics, especially those related to neurodiversity. Holding identities of ADHD and learning disabled, Dr. Austin loves to create and hold space for neuro-spicy brains, like hers, and maybe yours.
Dr. Austin holds a Doctorate in Higher Education Leadership and Administration, a Professional Certificate in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, a master’s degree in counseling, and a bachelor’s degree (her favorite degree) in Social Work. She is also blessed to learn from 3 small, and forgiving professors ages 15, 13, and 9, and is married to a fellow education professional. For these reasons, her favorite get-a-way is to Target…. alone.
A higher education innovator, Dr. Michelle Kiec is dedicated to enhancing opportunities for students to learn and faculty to teach. Her special interests include leadership planning and collaboration, student success programming, curriculum design, and faculty development.
Commonwealth University announced the selection of Dr. Michelle Kiec as its next provost and senior vice president for academic affairs in July 2024. Kiec came to CU from Oklahoma City University (OCU), where she has served as provost and vice president for academic affairs since 2022. Prior to OCU, Kiec served as interim vice provost for extended and lifelong learning and dean of graduate studies at Kutztown University.
Over the course of her decade at Kutztown, she also held roles including dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts as well as acting dean of the College of Education. Kiec holds a Master of Music and a Doctor of Musical Arts in clarinet from the Peabody Conservatory of Music at Johns Hopkins University. Prior to that, she earned bachelor’s degrees in music performance and German, both from the University at Buffalo.
A strong advocate for newly composed classical music, Kiec continues to perform chamber music as a clarinetist in various ensembles. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, trail running, and traveling abroad.
Dr. Ramakrishnan comes to Bloomsburg after serving for more than 14 years in multiple roles at St. Cloud State University in Minnesota. Since July 2016, she has served as interim associate provost for research and dean of the school of graduate studies. As graduate dean, she oversaw more than 40 programs, including doctoral programs in higher education leadership and in educational administration. She managed operations and the program portfolio at St. Cloud State’s Twin Cities Graduate Center. She also led graduate enrollment management, strategically recruiting new students and implementing retention and student success initiatives.
As associate provost, she managed external grants, with annual awards ranging between $7 million and $10 million. Ramakrishnan also worked to diversify sponsorships and build equitable educational pathways at St. Cloud State. She supported faculty and staff efforts to secure the school’s first Department of Education funded TRIO SSS grant and the Robert Noyce STEM teacher scholarship grant funded by the National Science Foundation.
She joined St. Cloud State’s chemistry department in 2006 as a tenure-track assistant professor of biochemistry and was promoted to full professor in 2014. In 2013, she was elected co-chair of the Division of Chemistry in the Department of Chemistry and Physics and in 2014 became chair of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. Her experiences with professional society certifications include working with the American Chemical Society and the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. During her tenure as chair, the chemistry department developed and launched a new professional science masters in materials science and scientific instrumentation.
Ramakrishnan’s shared governance experiences include serving as a faculty association senate member, and working collaboratively with the faculty association leadership and faculty research grants and graduate education committees to advance scholarship and advocate for graduate education on campus.
During her tenure at St. Cloud State, Ramakrishnan secured over $6 million in external grants, including multiple grants from the National Science Foundation. She secured over $500,000 from the Major Research Instrumentation program at National Science Foundation to modernize the research instrumentation infrastructure and $5 million to award scholarships for at least 100 students aspiring to seek a degree in STEM and have a demonstrated financial need.
As an independent investigator, she established a research program in behavioral neuropharmacology testing anti-convulsive drugs using planarian flatworms as model organisms. She mentored over 50 undergraduate students in research and published research articles with multiple student co-authors.
Prior to arriving at St. Cloud State, she did post-doctoral research in biophysical chemistry at Cornell University. She was awarded the Epilepsy Research Foundation and Milken Family Foundation’s post-doctoral fellowship grant in 2003. Ramakrishnan earned her doctorate in chemistry from the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India and her master’s degree in chemistry from the Indian Institute of Technology, Chennai, India.