2010 President Leadership Symposium

Keynote Speakers

President Richard Lariviere

Richard Lariviere became president of the University of Oregon on July 1, 2009. He served as executive vice chancellor and provost at the University of Kansas from 2006 to 2009. Before arriving in Kansas, Lariviere worked as dean of the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Texas at Austin from 1999 to 2006. After earning his bachelor's degree in the history of religions from the University of Iowa in 1972, Lariviere and his wife Janis traveled to India for the first time. In 1978, he earned his doctorate in Sanskrit from the University of Pennsylvania. While he has published articles and several books on Indian legal history, he has also tackled subjects ranging from religion in India to matrimonial remedies for women in classical Hindu law. He reads eight languages and speaks French and Hindi. He has conducted research in London, Oxford, Calcutta, Poona Kathmandu, Tokyo, Beijing, Lahore, Munich, Colombo, and Madras, as well as a host of smaller cities in India. Lariviere is a Fellow of the IC2 Institute, a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations, a fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain, a life member of the American Oriental Society, and a founding member of the Society for Design and Process Science.

Reverend Jesse Jackson, Sr.

The Reverend Jesse Louis Jackson, Sr., Founder and President of the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, is one of America's foremost civil rights, religious and political figures. Over the past forty years he has played a pivotal role in virtually every movement for empowerment, peace, civil rights, gender equality, and economic and social justice.

Reverend Jackson has been called the "Conscience of the Nation" and "the Great Unifier," challenging America to be inclusive and to establish just and human priorities for the benefit of all. He is known for bringing people together in common ground across lines of race, culture, class, gender and belief.

Professor of Law, Ana Maria Merico

Ana Maria Merico is a native of Buenos Aires, Argentina. She is an associate professor of law at the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law. She teaches Civil Procedure, Federal Courts, Comparative Law, and Civil Rights. She has numerous publications, in English and Spanish. Professor Merico has been honored as Professor of the Year for Excellence in Teaching three times since she began teaching, once at the University of Michigan Law School while she was a visiting professor there. She has also received a university-wide award for leadership and service, and is a Juan Luis Tienda Distinguished Alumna award recipient. She was a Senior Fulbright Scholar in 2004 and taught at the Universidad Carlos III in Madrid. She has taught in Argentina and Mexico, in addition to Spain. She serves as faculty advisor for the Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA) and is the former Regional President for the National HNBA. She has also served a five-year term as a Lawyer Representative to the Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference of the United States.

Workshop 1:

Being a Good Ally

Being a good ally to students of color and members of other marginalized groups is an essential element in the struggle for systemic change. But being a good ally is not as easy as it may seem. In this workshop we will uncover the basics of what it means to be a ³good ally² and then explore how best to do this. This session will be very interactive with lots of discussion, brainstorming, and case studies.

Presenters:

Tim McMahon, University of Oregon, Center on Diversity and Community (CoDaC) & Holden Leadership Center (HLC);

Ella Barrett, Chief of Staff, Associated Students of the University of Oregon (ASUO) ;

Emma Kallaway, Student Body President, Associated Students of the University of Oregon,

Dr. Tim McMahon Biography

Tim serves as a part-time consultant to the Holden Leadership Center and is also a Program Development Specialist for the Center on Diversity and Community at the University of Oregon. Before coming to Oregon, Tim worked at Western Illinois University, University of Iowa, Washington State University, Lakeland College, and the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. Among his professional interests are leadership development, chaos and systems, and issues related to diversity. Tim has a Bachelor's degree in Astronomy and a Master's degree in Higher Education administration, both from the University of Illinois, and his Doctor of Philosophy degree from Oregon State University in College Student Services Administration. He is a co-author (with Susan Komives and Nance Lucas) of Exploring Leadership: For College Students Who Want To Make A Difference and loves the Chicago Cubs, Macintosh computers, Diet Pepsis, and the music of Bruce Springsteen.

Workshop 2:

Creating a Multicultural Awareness Knowledge and Skills Action Plans

This workshop will give you an opportunity to explore your internal process around working with people who are different from yourself. We will explore our anchored beliefs, identify our own biases in a nonjudgmental, safe environment and create a multicultural awareness action plan for you to implement in your own lives after this program.

Presenters:

Consuela Perez-Jefferis and Cat McGraw

Cat McGraw Biography

Cathlene McGraw is the Program Assistant for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Education Support Program (LGBTESSP) as well as Co-director of Conflict Resolution Services at the University of Oregon. She graduated from the UO School of Journalism and Mass Communication in 2003 and headed up I-5 to grab her master's degree in College Student Services Administration with a focus in Social Justice and Organizational Change.

Consuela Perez-Jefferis Biography

Consuela serves as the Associate Students of the University of Oregon (ASUO) Advisor. She advises and provides support to the student executive and senate bodies, student elections board, Athletics and Contracts Finance Committee, and supervises the ASUO professional staff. She is one of the informal faculty/staff advisors to MEChA and Mujeres. She also volunteers with the Bias Response Team as an advocate and is part of the case management team. In 1998 she received a B.A. degree from the University of Oregon in Planning, Public Policy, and Management and minors in Political Science and Ethnic Studies. She became a proud mom in 2005. Consuela received her Master of Social Work from Portland State University with a concentration in community-based practice in 2007. In addition to education and social justice she has interests in the areas of intimate partner violence prevention, identity development, treatment for opioid addiction, farm worker rights, cross-cultural coalition building, and interracial relationships and family. Consuela was born in Eugene and raised in both Eugene and Alvadore OR. She joined the ASUO and HLC in 2008.

Workshop 3:

Issue-Based Campaign Planning

Got an issue? Need a plan? Students come across important problems they need to address every day but often don't know where to start! Planning and running a successful campaign that will mobilize students to change the dynamics of power, contribute to the movement for social justice on our campus and society, and make concrete improvements in students' lives is not an easy task. This workshop exists to make it a little bit easier, though! In Issue-Based Campaign Planning, participants will be introduced to the must-have phases of any strong campaign, receive tools to aid them in building their own campaign plan, and even get an opportunity to do some hands-on practice by organizing a campaign around a scenario presented in the workshop.

Presenter:

Kelli Horvath, UO Campus Organizer, Oregon Student Association

Kelli Horvath Biography

Kelli Horvath moved from Southwest Colorado to Oregon in 2006 to attain her degree at Southern Oregon University. She graduated in the Spring of 2009 with a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies and minors in Political Science and Spanish. Kelli found her passion for organizing and social justice through her involvement as a student senator her freshman year, when she helped organize nearly 100 students from SOU to attend a statewide rally to advocate for more higher education funding and began getting involved with Southern's Queer and Multicultural Resource Centers. This sparked Kelli's motivation to join the Associated Students' Executive Cabinet as the Director of Governmental Affairs, then be elected Student Body President her senior year. She also served on the Oregon Student Association Board of Directors for two years, the second of which she acted as Chair. Currently, Kelli serves as the Oregon Student Association Campus Organizer at the University of Oregon and very much enjoys working with students to empower themselves and their peers around campus, community, and statewide issues!

Workshop 4:

Peer Mentorship and Leadership: Partnering to Build a Strong Community

What is peer mentorship and what does it have to do with leadership? Are you already mentoring and do not know it? Join us in this highly interactive and fun workshop which will lead you on a journey to recognize your strengths and learn your personal responsibility to give back to the communities in which you belong and beyond. This workshop will work toward understanding and respecting the complexity of our various backgrounds and histories (race, soci-economic status, gender, sexuality, dis/ability, national origin, religion, customs, etc.) in order to support one another and learn from our individual and collective experiences. Learn how each one of us can build collaborative relationships, advocate for and promote social justice.

Presenters:

Jason Rodriquez, Director of Diversity Education and Support, Office of Student Life

Darby Beltran, junior, Economics

Grace Bounds, senior, Ethnic Studies

Tori Lee, junior, Journalism

Rachel Strickland, junior, English

Jason Rodriquez Biography

Jason serves as the Director of Diversity Education and Support in the Office of Student Life, the Co-Coordinator of the Bias Response Team, and Staff in Residence with the Center on Diversity and Community at the University of Oregon. He is from the Klamath, Rogue River, and Apache Tribes and also is of Latino and White backgrounds. He received a Bachelor of Science in Ethnic Studies from Oregon State University and a Master of Science in College Student Personnel from Western Illinois University. Shaped by his multi-cultural background and experiences, his professional interests include identity development, social justice advocacy, and retention issues among marginalized communities in higher education. Jason loves to sing, dance, listen to music, watch movies, is a huge fan of pop culture and enjoys college sports, especially football and basketball.

Workshop 5:

Leadership Skills- Leading in the Dark

"So a military force has no constant formation, water has no constant shape: the ability to gain victory by changing and adapting according to the opponent is called genius."

Sun Tzu's Art of War

For decades leadership has often meant holding the title. Times of challenge and crisis demand relevant, active and engaged leadership. This session will focus on what a leader is and how leadership is recognized and demonstrated in times of challenge and change. This session will also explore active ways that we can support each other to ensure social justice and equity for everyone in our community. These strategies will also help build community cohesiveness and increase capacity for building a stronger and more responsible community. Interactive and fun activities will challenge your boundaries and ask some important questions about leadership, social justice, advocacy, co-responsibility, and community.

Presenter:

Johnny Lake

Johnny Lake Biography

Mr. Lake is an international consultant, trainer and speaker certified in programs respecting leadership, diversity, community-building, cross-cultural communication and interactions skills, equity and ethics for youth and adults. He consults with government, professional and educational agencies and organizations. Mr. Lake teaches diversity courses for teacher and counselor preparation programs at Northwest Christian University, Pacific University and University of Oregon. He is an Administrator on Special Assignment with the Eugene 4J school district and an advocate for needs of at-risk youth and provides teacher training institutes and student learning and leadership opportunities. Mr. Lake is an internationally recognized writer and storyteller and works with a broad section of the community. He is a former Chairman of the Oregon Commission on Black Affairs and Education Chair for the NAACP.

Workshop 6:

Interested in systemic change? Help create a Civic Engagement minor at the UO!

The Civic Engagement workshop will be focused on the development of a Civic Engagement minor at the University of Oregon. What is Civic Engagement? How can we develop a Civic Engagement minor that focuses on Social Justice issues at the University of Oregon? We'll take a look at Civic Engagement minors at other universities and work together to develop one for the University of Oregon. We'll also discuss how Social Justice progress can emerge from awareness and the steps involved in producing real change at the university, community, state and national levels.

Presenter:

Audrey Cramer

Dr. Audrey Cramer Biography

Dr. Audrey Cramer is the Director of the Office of Multicultural Academic Success and came to the University of Oregon in January, 2009. Prior to this position, she was the Director of the Undergraduate Research Center at UCLA. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Zoology from Central Washington University and a Ph.D. in Biology from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Workshop 7:

Moving Forward for Progressive Social Change in the Academy

Using Intersectional and Dialectical Coalition-Building

with the student staff of Multicultural Center

This interactive workshop will encourage dialogue on developing social justice leadership and our collective efforts to build a multiracial, multicultural democratic community on campus and in the community. We hope to deepen an understanding of our multiple identities along the differing and intersectional lines of class, race, gender, sexual orientation, and ability; and our differing and similar experiences of various kinds of privilege and oppression, our crossroads and meeting points, and our potential for achieving unity within our diversity. We feel an intersectional and dialectical approach towards community-building and organizing best suits our needs to meet the challenges we must address. We will explore what this means for each of us both individually and collectively to achieve social transformation and growth as student and community leaders concerned about social justice, peace, sustainability, and equity.

Presenters:

Rigo Hinojosa: A senior majoring in Ethnic Studies, minoring in computers, a Ford Scholar, and Co-director of the ASUO Multicultural Center, MEChA, Omas Student Leadership Team, and poker stars.com.

Lidi Soto: A senior majoring in Ethnic Studies, Womens and Gender Studies and Spanish, MCC Co-director, member of MEChA and Mujeres, former ASUO Senator, current activist in anti-Nazi Breaking Coalition.

Steve Morozumi: MCC Programs Adviser, CALC Board, graduate of UCB School of Criminology, honors; former Rainbow Coaltion state delegate, ACLU Board Chair, OIED Exec, Coalition of Asian/Pacific American Employees, UCSC.

Annie Nelson: A senior majoring in International Studies, and Co-director of the ASUO Multicultural Center, Study Abroad student in Thailand, Ganas middle school programming tutor/mentor, CAER (Coalition Against Environmental Racism) member.

Nolan Fan: A senior majoring in Philosophy, Publicity Coordinator of the ASUO Multicultural Center, APASU exec member, future law student.

Latara Valle: An honors senior majoring in Japanese; ASUO Multicultural Center Coordinator/Intern; UO Housing Employee.

Katherine Prince: A sophomore majoring in Political Science, Publicity Coordinator for the ASUO Multicultural Center, APASU exec member, Impact Mentor, OMAS Student Leadership Team, future attorney.

Liza Arrelano: A Freshman, new Coordinator of the ASUO Multicultural Center's Bridges Outreach Program, MEChA member, and future Immigration Rights Attorney.

Josh Her: A Hmong sophomore majoring in Comparative English Literature, Resources Coordinator of the ASUO Multicultural Center, VSA member, co-founder of UO Key Club service organization Study Abroad student in Thailand, APASU member.