UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Workforce Education and Development (WFED) and Organization Development and Change (OD&C) program in the College of Education at Penn State will host “Careers and Technologies for Advancing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I),” an online conference scheduled for Sunday, March 19, with an in-person pre-conference workshop on Friday, March 17. Conference details can be found at the conference website.
It is the second such event, the first having been held in 2021.
"The [2021] conference was an exciting chance to bring presenters from all over the world to Penn State to exchange our knowledge on a topic of mutual interest,” said Penn State student leader and doctoral candidate Farhan Sadique. “We had more than 500 registered attendees in our inaugural conference who had a terrific seamless experience from the start. The conference proceedings demonstrate the rigor and quality of the activities.”
The March 17 event is a master class with Wesley Payne McClendon, executive director of McClendon Research Group Inc. and visiting distinguished scholar from the Victoria Graduate School of Management in Melbourne, Australia. The in-person event is from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. in 221 Chambers Building on the University Park campus.
The purpose of the masterclass is to engage and immerse participants in self-exploration, group learning, information, perspective gathering and strategic planning activities in the context of understanding and accelerating the development of a culture of anti-racism. This is an event exclusive to the Penn State academic community. Priority will be given to members of the College of Education.
“First and foremost, we wanted to create a venue for researchers, including our students and faculty, to communicate their most recent results and accomplishments with other experts in the world, and what could be better than having the conference at Penn State?” said William Rothwell, distinguished professor of education (workforce education) in the College of Education and faculty chair for the conference. “This is an excellent chance for researchers to obtain awareness, influence, and, most importantly, input from field specialists and academics.
“Diversity, equity, and inclusion are buzzwords in today's workplace,” Rothwell said. “Maintaining a diverse, egalitarian and inclusive workforce and workplace is a critical component for many WFED/OD&C professionals and leaders, not only for providing a psychologically safe work environment but also for meeting performance objectives.”
Register for the March 17 event.
The virtual event’s first session on March 19 will include McClendon as the opening keynote speaker. He will discuss transforming diversity, equity and inclusion beginning at 9 a.m., followed by two different tracks occurring simultaneously beginning at 10 a.m.
Track I will include “Navigating Alternate Realities” by Tonya J. Wilson, president and founder of AFC Consulting Group, followed by “Leading Change in Museums” by Briana Joyner, chief human resources and inclusion officer of Minnesota Historical Society, at 11 a.m.
Track II starts with “The Evolving Direction of Certification Bodies” by John Foster, president and CEO of NOCTI and Nocti Business Solutions, followed by “Reflecting on VR-Enhanced T-Group and Feedback Sessions: A Path to DEIB” by Hyung Joon Yoon, associate professor of education (workforce education) in the College of Education. Guest speakers will include visiting scholar I-Ming Chen, doctoral candidate Yu-Ling Chang and doctoral student Hosung You.
The afternoon keynote speaker will be Lee-Hsing Lu, director of the organizational development Ph.D. program in the Graduate School of Business at Assumption University of Thailand, who will discuss Asian perspectives of DE&I in the workplace. Lu is scheduled to speak at 12:30 p.m.
The second session also will be split into two tracks, beginning at 1:30 p.m.
Track I presentations include “Transformative DEIB Learning: How to Keep a Positive and Inclusive Atmosphere in the Workplace” by Adidi Etim-Hunting, a doctoral student who is director of diversity, equity and inclusion in the Division of Development and Alumni Relations for Penn State. At 2:30 p.m., Jamie Campbell, assistant dean for diversity in the Smeal College of Business, will present “Identifying Key Success Factors in Workplace Diversity.” At 3:40 p.m., Christy Rosen, certified coach, resume writer and interview professional from Ikigai Coaching and Consulting LLC, will present “Navigating a Job Search in Today’s Market.” The final afternoon Track I presentation, “Stand Out: Leverage Your Personal Brand to Advance Your Career” from Wendy Terwelp, CEO, executive coach and personal brand strategist for Opportunity Knocks of Wisconsin LLC, will begin at 4:30 p.m.
Track II begins with “Charting a Meaningful Career for Advancing Equity & Inclusion” by William T. Brendel, assistant professor of education (workforce education) in the College of Education, followed at 2:30 p.m. by John Holst, associate professor of education (lifelong learning and adult education) in the College of Education, with “Race, Work and Technology: Prospects for an Anti-Racist Adult Education.” At 3:40 p.m, Gabriela Richard, assistant professor of education (learning, design, and technology) in the College of Education, will present “Disrupting Bias In and Through Design: Challenges and Possibilities for Transformative Media and Technology,” followed at 4:30 p.m. by “AI Algorithmic Bias Generating Real Societal Bias” by Matt R. Raup, adjunct professor of workforce education in the College of Education, with guest speaker Aileen Zaballero, senior partner at Rothwell & Associates.
A coffee break will be held from 3:25 to 3:40 p.m. during the second session with a dinner break from 5:30 until 5:55 p.m.
The day ends with an OD simulation, “Experience Organization Development (OD): Role Play Simulation,” with Rothwell. The second speaker will be Zaballero and the third speaker will be Sandy Williams, retired associate professor and program coordinator at Northeastern Illinois University. The OD simulation is scheduled for 6 to 8 p.m.
“Our objective is to give attendees practical advice, ideas and resources for advancing DE&I in their businesses and communities,” Rothwell said. "We cordially encourage individuals, organizations and institutions from across the world to participate in this spectacular event."
Register for the virtual event here.
For more information, email pennstateodcprogram@gmail.com.