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Belong: Webinar Registration

Navigating Belonging in Higher Ed Amid Challenging Contexts

  • Wednesday, April 2
  • 2:00 - 3:00 p.m.
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About

As we move further into 2025, the landscape of our work continues to evolve. In this 2nd webinar, we will explore how higher ed institutions are adapting to emerging challenges while staying committed to fostering belonging. Through insights from leaders and colleagues across various organizations, we will discuss lessons learned from the first few months of the year, hear about new approaches being taken, and identify strategies for shaping the future of our work.

Learning Objectives

  • Hear how current political events are impacting higher education
  • Learn key adaptations institutions have made in response to evolving challenges
  • Identify ways that each of us can continue to help students feel like they belong regardless of the national political climate

Meet the Panel

Picture of Daarel Burnette II
Daarel Burnette II

Senior Editor
The Chronicle of Higher Education

About Daarel Burnette II

Daarel Burnette II is a senior editor at The Chronicle of Higher Education. Before joining The Chronicle in 2022, he served as an assistant managing editor and reporter for Education Week and the bureau chief of Chalkbeat Tennessee, a start-up news organization based in Memphis. He has worked as an education reporter at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, and the Louisville Courier Journal. He also worked as a general-assignment reporter at the Chicago Tribune. He received his undergraduate degree in print journalism from Hampton University and a master’s degree in politics and journalism from Columbia University. Follow him on Twitter @Daarel or get in touch at daarel.burnette@chronicle.com.

Bio
Picture of Jennifer Imazeki, PhD
Jennifer Imazeki, PhD

Associate Vice President for Faculty and Staff Diversity, San Diego State University

About Jennifer Imazeki, PhD

Dr. Jennifer Imazeki is a Senate Distinguished Professor and Professor of Economics. As AVP for Faculty and Staff Diversity, Dr. Imazeki serves as Director of the Center for Inclusive Excellence, the campus hub for professional learning and capacity-building around justice, equity, diversity and inclusion. She also leads the Equity and Inclusion Councils, comprising diversity liaisons from all campus units, and oversees unit-level diversity planning and campus initiatives to promote inclusive recruitment of faculty and staff.

Bio
Picture of Kristina Ruiz-Mesa, PhD
Kristina Ruiz-Mesa, PhD

Professor, Department of Communication Studies
California State University, Los Angeles

About Kristina Ruiz-Mesa, PhD

A distinguished leader in the fields of practical theology and diversity, equity, and inclusion, Dr. Marlowe V.N. Washington is a trailblazer in the realm of fostering inclusive environments where his ministry and academic acumens reflect a diverse range of causes and strategies creating justice and equality for all people. In his dual capacity as the Vice President of People, Culture, and Equity at Holyoke Community College in Holyoke, Massachusetts and Senior Minister at Agape Fellowship United Methodist Church in Rochester, N.Y., Dr. Washington has dedicated his career to fostering inclusive environments where everyone can thrive.

Dr. Washington is a first-generation graduate, having earned his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from St. Francis College in Brooklyn, NY and a Master of Divinity from New York Theological Seminary in Manhattan, NY. He furthered his education at Princeton Theological Seminary in Princeton, NJ, where he deepened his commitment to social justice and theological studies. But it was in Rochester, NY where Dr. Washington received his Doctor of Ministry from Northeastern Seminary and a few years later, his Doctor of Education in Executive Leadership with a concentration in diversity and inclusion in higher education administration.

He brings a wealth of experience from his previous role as the inaugural senior diversity officer at St. John Fisher University in Rochester, NY where he oversaw and constructed the university’s DEI initiatives. His work was so profound that the University and its Student Government Association named an award in his honor to a deserving senior each year that began in 2024.

In his current role as the inaugural Vice President of People, Culture, and Equity at Holyoke Community College in Holyoke, MA, Dr. Washington oversees the Human Resources, Title IX, Affirmative Action, DEI, and Campus Police departments, among other auxiliary services. His commitment to higher education as a great equalizer and his passion for building sustained relationships have been key to his approach to fostering an inclusive campus environment. His personal journey and dedication to social justice have made him a well sought out speaker and respected leader in the field of social equity and inclusion.

Bio

Register for the Webinar

Note: This webinar will not be recorded to ensure an open discussion. Join us live to participate fully and make the most of this exclusive opportunity.

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