Immaculee Ilibagiza
Immaculée Ilibagiza is a living example of faith put into action. Immaculée's life was transformed dramatically during the 1994 Rwandan genocide where she and seven other women spent 91 days huddled silently together in the cramped bathroom of a local pastor's house. Immaculée entered the bathroom a vibrant, 115-pound university student with a loving family - she emerged weighing just 65 pounds to find her entire family had been brutally murdered (with the exception of one brother who had been studying out of the country).
Immaculée credits her salvage mostly to prayer and to a set of rosary beads given to her by her devout Catholic father prior to going into hiding. Anger and resentment about her situation were literally eating her alive and destroying her faith, but rather than succumbing to the rage that she felt, Immaculée instead turned to prayer. She began to pray the rosary as a way of drowning out the negativity that was building up inside her. Immaculée found solace and peace in prayer and began to pray from the time she opened her eyes in the morning to the time she closed her eyes at night. Through prayer, she eventually found it possible, and in fact imperative, to forgive her tormentors and her family's murderers.
Immaculée's strength in her faith empowered her to stare down a man armed with a machete threatening to kill her during her escape. She also later came face to face with the killer of her mother and her brother and said the unthinkable, "I forgive you." Immaculée knew, while in hiding, that she would have to overcome immeasurable odds without her family and with her country destroyed. Fortunately, Immaculée utilized her time in that tiny bathroom to teach herself English with only The Bible and a dictionary; once freed she was able to secure a job with the United Nations.
In 1998, Immaculée immigrated to the United States where she continued her work with the UN. During this time she shared her story with co-workers and friends, who were so impacted they insisted she write it down in book form. Three days after finishing her manuscript she met best selling author, Dr. Wayne W. Dyer, who, within minutes of meeting her, offered to publish her book. Dyer is quoted as saying, "There is something much more than charisma at work here - Immaculée not only writes and speaks about unconditional love and forgiveness, but she radiates it wherever she goes."
Immaculée's first book, Left to Tell; Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust (Hay House) was released in March of 2006. Left to Tell quickly became a New York Times Best Seller. To date it has been translated into fifteen languages worldwide. Immaculée's story has also been made into a documentary titled The Diary of Immaculée. She has appeared in numerous media including 60 Minutes, The CBS Early Morning Show, CNN, EWTN, The Aljazeera Network, The New York Times, USA Today,Newsday, and many other domestic and international outlets. She was recently featured in Michael Collopy's Architects of Peace project, which has honored legendary people like Mother Teresa, Jimmy Carter, Nelson Mandela, and the Dalai Lama.
Immaculée has received honorary doctoral degrees from The University of Notre Dame, Saint John's University, Seton Hall University, Siena Collegeand Walsh University. She has been recognized and honored with numerous humanitarian awards including: The Mahatma Gandhi International Award for Reconciliation and Peace 2007; a finalist as one of Belifnet.com's "Most Inspiring People of the Year 2006," and a recipient of the American Legacy's Women of Strength & Courage Award. Left toTellhas received a Christopher Award "affirming the highest values of human spirit," and been chosen as Outreach Magazine's selection for "Best Outreach Testimony/Biography Resource of 2007." Left to Tell has been adopted into the curriculum of dozens of high schools and universities, including Villanova University, which selected it for the 2007-2008 "One Book Program," making Left to Tell mandatory reading for 6,000 students.
Today Immaculée is regarded as one of world's leading speakers on peace, faith, and forgiveness. She has shared her universal message with world dignitaries, school children, multinational corporations, churches, and at many conferences. Immaculée works hard to spread her message and to raise money for her Left to Tell Charitable Fund, which directly benefits the children orphaned by the genocide.
Immaculée credits her salvage mostly to prayer and to a set of rosary beads given to her by her devout Catholic father prior to going into hiding. Anger and resentment about her situation were literally eating her alive and destroying her faith, but rather than succumbing to the rage that she felt, Immaculée instead turned to prayer. She began to pray the rosary as a way of drowning out the negativity that was building up inside her. Immaculée found solace and peace in prayer and began to pray from the time she opened her eyes in the morning to the time she closed her eyes at night. Through prayer, she eventually found it possible, and in fact imperative, to forgive her tormentors and her family's murderers.
Immaculée's strength in her faith empowered her to stare down a man armed with a machete threatening to kill her during her escape. She also later came face to face with the killer of her mother and her brother and said the unthinkable, "I forgive you." Immaculée knew, while in hiding, that she would have to overcome immeasurable odds without her family and with her country destroyed. Fortunately, Immaculée utilized her time in that tiny bathroom to teach herself English with only The Bible and a dictionary; once freed she was able to secure a job with the United Nations.
In 1998, Immaculée immigrated to the United States where she continued her work with the UN. During this time she shared her story with co-workers and friends, who were so impacted they insisted she write it down in book form. Three days after finishing her manuscript she met best selling author, Dr. Wayne W. Dyer, who, within minutes of meeting her, offered to publish her book. Dyer is quoted as saying, "There is something much more than charisma at work here - Immaculée not only writes and speaks about unconditional love and forgiveness, but she radiates it wherever she goes."
Immaculée's first book, Left to Tell; Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust (Hay House) was released in March of 2006. Left to Tell quickly became a New York Times Best Seller. To date it has been translated into fifteen languages worldwide. Immaculée's story has also been made into a documentary titled The Diary of Immaculée. She has appeared in numerous media including 60 Minutes, The CBS Early Morning Show, CNN, EWTN, The Aljazeera Network, The New York Times, USA Today,Newsday, and many other domestic and international outlets. She was recently featured in Michael Collopy's Architects of Peace project, which has honored legendary people like Mother Teresa, Jimmy Carter, Nelson Mandela, and the Dalai Lama.
Immaculée has received honorary doctoral degrees from The University of Notre Dame, Saint John's University, Seton Hall University, Siena Collegeand Walsh University. She has been recognized and honored with numerous humanitarian awards including: The Mahatma Gandhi International Award for Reconciliation and Peace 2007; a finalist as one of Belifnet.com's "Most Inspiring People of the Year 2006," and a recipient of the American Legacy's Women of Strength & Courage Award. Left toTellhas received a Christopher Award "affirming the highest values of human spirit," and been chosen as Outreach Magazine's selection for "Best Outreach Testimony/Biography Resource of 2007." Left to Tell has been adopted into the curriculum of dozens of high schools and universities, including Villanova University, which selected it for the 2007-2008 "One Book Program," making Left to Tell mandatory reading for 6,000 students.
Today Immaculée is regarded as one of world's leading speakers on peace, faith, and forgiveness. She has shared her universal message with world dignitaries, school children, multinational corporations, churches, and at many conferences. Immaculée works hard to spread her message and to raise money for her Left to Tell Charitable Fund, which directly benefits the children orphaned by the genocide.
Cherie R. Brown
Cherie R. Brown is Founder-Executive Director of the National Coalition Building Institute (NCBI), an internationally recognized nonprofit leadership training organization. In eighteen years, Cherie Brown has built NCBI into one of the leading diversity training and grassroots leadership organizations with chapters in 50 cities worldwide. NCBI has trained over 10,000 men, women and young people in cities, corporations and on college campuses around the world. These NCBI-trained leaders work together in teams to provide a powerful resource for their communities - combating prejudice, resolving intergroup conflict and launching activist-based coalitions.
Cherie Brown's work has been featured on ABC Evening News, National Public Radio (NPR), Christian Science Monitor World News; and in The Washington Post, Los Angeles Time's Sunday Magazine, New York Times, Boston Globe and Chicago Tribune. In 1999, the work of NCBI was designated a "best practice for racial reconciliation" by President Clinton's Initiative on Race. The U.S. Department of Education chose NCBI's work on race and gender issues on college campuses as one of only five organizations to receive a designation of "best practice".
Cherie Brown has directed training programs in the following countries: ISRAEL - trained Arab- Jewish Cooperation Groups in Israel, 1967-2006; SALAMANCA, SPAIN - led workshops at the International Conference on Muslim- Christian-Jewish Relations, 1991; ENGLAND - developed a Coalition Training Session for Anti-Racism Trainers on the London City Council, 1990-2006; NORTHERN IRELAND - led training programs for Catholic-Protestant Reconciliation at Holiday Project, Glencree Reconciliation Center 1989-1995; THE NETHERLANDS - led a prejudice reduction training at the Anne Frank House, 1992; SOUTH AFRICA - delivered keynote address at the Conference, "Building a New South Africa", 1993; and delivered speech on anti-Semitism at the U.N. Conference on Racism; Durban, South Africa, 2001; CHINA - United Nations Conference on Women, 1995
Cherie Brown has an M.Ed in Counseling and Consulting Psychology from Harvard University and is author of a number of publications, including: Healing Prejudicial Attitudes in Intergroup Conflicts: The NCBI Controversial Issues Process, 1996; Healing Into Action: A Leadership Guide for Creating Diverse Communities; 1997. The Art of Coalition Building: A Guide for Community Leaders, 1984; Working It Out: Blacks and Jews on the College Campus, 1985; Conflict Resolution in the Classroom: Training Elementary School Children to be Prejudice Reduction Leaders, 1986; Working It Out: Kids and Race, produced by Boston WBZ-TV; Racism on Campus: Confronting Racial Bias through Peer Intervention, 1991;
For more information please go to www.NCBI.org
Cherie Brown's work has been featured on ABC Evening News, National Public Radio (NPR), Christian Science Monitor World News; and in The Washington Post, Los Angeles Time's Sunday Magazine, New York Times, Boston Globe and Chicago Tribune. In 1999, the work of NCBI was designated a "best practice for racial reconciliation" by President Clinton's Initiative on Race. The U.S. Department of Education chose NCBI's work on race and gender issues on college campuses as one of only five organizations to receive a designation of "best practice".
Cherie Brown has directed training programs in the following countries: ISRAEL - trained Arab- Jewish Cooperation Groups in Israel, 1967-2006; SALAMANCA, SPAIN - led workshops at the International Conference on Muslim- Christian-Jewish Relations, 1991; ENGLAND - developed a Coalition Training Session for Anti-Racism Trainers on the London City Council, 1990-2006; NORTHERN IRELAND - led training programs for Catholic-Protestant Reconciliation at Holiday Project, Glencree Reconciliation Center 1989-1995; THE NETHERLANDS - led a prejudice reduction training at the Anne Frank House, 1992; SOUTH AFRICA - delivered keynote address at the Conference, "Building a New South Africa", 1993; and delivered speech on anti-Semitism at the U.N. Conference on Racism; Durban, South Africa, 2001; CHINA - United Nations Conference on Women, 1995
Cherie Brown has an M.Ed in Counseling and Consulting Psychology from Harvard University and is author of a number of publications, including: Healing Prejudicial Attitudes in Intergroup Conflicts: The NCBI Controversial Issues Process, 1996; Healing Into Action: A Leadership Guide for Creating Diverse Communities; 1997. The Art of Coalition Building: A Guide for Community Leaders, 1984; Working It Out: Blacks and Jews on the College Campus, 1985; Conflict Resolution in the Classroom: Training Elementary School Children to be Prejudice Reduction Leaders, 1986; Working It Out: Kids and Race, produced by Boston WBZ-TV; Racism on Campus: Confronting Racial Bias through Peer Intervention, 1991;
For more information please go to www.NCBI.org
Carl Wilkens
As a humanitarian aid worker, Carl Wilkens moved his young family to Rwanda in the spring of 1990. When the genocide was launched in April 1994, Carl refused to leave, even when urged to do so by close friends, his church and the United States government. Thousands of expatriates evacuated and the United Nations pulled out most of its troops. Carl was the only American to remain in the country. Venturing out each day into streets crackling with mortars and gunfire, he worked his way through roadblocks of angry, bloodstained soldiers and civilians armed with machetes and assault rifles in order to bring food, water and medicine to groups of orphans trapped around the city. His actions saved the lives of hundreds.
Carl returned to the United States in 1996. After being featured in the 2004 PBS Frontline documentary, "Ghosts of Rwanda", about the Rwanda genocide, he began to receive letters, phone calls and offers from teachers around the country to come and share his experiences with students.
In January 2008, with no end in sight to the ongoing genocide in Darfur, Sudan, Carl decided quit his job and dedicate himself full time to accepting these invitations. He and his wife Teresa have since formed an educational nonprofit, World Outside My Shoes, to facilitate this important work.
In September 2009 Carl & Teresa launched their current project, "Pedaling2Peace.org." They left their home in Spokane, WA, on recumbent bicycles. Their route is taking them through Seattle, then south to California and turning east through the southern states during the winter months, and finally turning north towards Washington, D.C. Approximately 4,600 miles from September to June.
Carl uses a storytelling format to talk about the genocide and the treacherous thinking that says we can solve a problem by excluding someone. During the Q&A time practical applications are made connecting his genocide stories with the challenges we face every day, inspiring and equipping listeners to stand up against injustices at home and abroad.
Carl returned to the United States in 1996. After being featured in the 2004 PBS Frontline documentary, "Ghosts of Rwanda", about the Rwanda genocide, he began to receive letters, phone calls and offers from teachers around the country to come and share his experiences with students.
In January 2008, with no end in sight to the ongoing genocide in Darfur, Sudan, Carl decided quit his job and dedicate himself full time to accepting these invitations. He and his wife Teresa have since formed an educational nonprofit, World Outside My Shoes, to facilitate this important work.
In September 2009 Carl & Teresa launched their current project, "Pedaling2Peace.org." They left their home in Spokane, WA, on recumbent bicycles. Their route is taking them through Seattle, then south to California and turning east through the southern states during the winter months, and finally turning north towards Washington, D.C. Approximately 4,600 miles from September to June.
Carl uses a storytelling format to talk about the genocide and the treacherous thinking that says we can solve a problem by excluding someone. During the Q&A time practical applications are made connecting his genocide stories with the challenges we face every day, inspiring and equipping listeners to stand up against injustices at home and abroad.
Modupe Akin-Deko, Ph.D., serves as the Associate Director and Clinical Coordinator of the Buffalo State College Counseling Center. She received her educational degrees from University of Ibadan, Nigeria, EasternMichigan University, Ypsilanti and University of lfe, lle-lfe, Nigeria. Dr. Akin-Deko is active in and has coordinated the BSC Critical Incident Support Team. Her clinical interests include: depression, anxiety, anger, sexual abuse/trauma issues, grief and loss, adjustment to college, relationship and multicultural issues.
Cecelia Barron, a sophomore Theater Major at Buffalo State College. She made her Buffalo State debut in Anything Goes (Angel). Cecelia has also performed locally in Ragtime (Sara), Man of La Mancha (Aldonza),Suessical the Musical (Sour Kangaroo), Once ON This Island (Dancer),Fame and Chicago (Chorus).
Lee Becker, sophomore theater major at Buffalo State College. In addition to his interest in theater, Lee has been an active part of the local music community for nearly fifteen years. His interest in music began in Kindergarten with his first vocal solo. He began playing trumpet in fourth grade and has since taught himself keyboard and guitar. Lee writes music and loves to jam with any interested local musician. He resides on Grand Island where he records music in his basement studio.
Lindsey Bessman, senior Arts and Letters major, Dance concentration at Buffalo State College. She has played an active role in the dance program and has been seen for the past three years in the Annual Spring Dance Concert as well as several outside performances in the Buffalo area. Originally from Hyde Park, NY, Lindsey has been trained in many dance styles and techniques. She hopes to pursue her dance career after graduation. This is Lindsay’s second year participating in The Anne Frank Project.
Rev. Jeff Carter, Jr., pastor of Ephesus Ministries, is a senior facilitator for the NFJC, and is an advocate and leader in the field of diversity/inclusion work.
Sharon E. Cooper, award-winning playwright and teacher, has had theatre productions from coast to coast; most recently, she was produced in the Samuel French Off-Off Broadway Short Play Festival, 2009. She is published in Laugh Lines: Short Comic Plays and The Bedford Introduction to Literature and will soon be published in Literature to Go and The Best Short Plays of 2010. The topics of her plays range from Israel/Palestine to Gay liberation, to women’s roles in our society. She is a graduate ofLongwood College, studied at the Kennedy Center’s Playwriting Intensive Program and has been a proud member of the National Coalition Building Institute for ten years.
Eriketa Curilli, currently a senior at Buffalo State College in Arts and Letters, (Dance and Theater). Upon graduation she plans to pursue a career in dance performance, choreography and education. Eriketa has been involved in the Theater Department’s annual Spring Dance Concerts; The Myth of Miles, The World With: Collaboration of Dance and Fiber, andIllumination, as well as the musical Anything Goes. Other performances include Choreographers Showcase (2008) - performing with Janet Reed, Dr. Benjamin Christy-Dean of Arts and Humanities and Bryan Boyce-Music Department’s Percussion Ensemble in a piece about Jon Cage the musical composer for the late dancer/choreographer Merce Cunningham. She is a recipient of the Summer Undergraduate Research/Creativity Fellowship; Compare and Contrast Classical and Contemporary Jazz andparticipated in the 2010 Student Research and Creativity Celebration.
Diaspora Drumming, is a trio dedicated to learning, performing and teaching percussion music of the African Diaspora. Members Ringo Brill, Tiffany Nicely and Gabriel Gutierrez have studied in countries such asGuinea, Mexico and Brazil, as well as with African teachers in the U.S. They focus on tracing the connections between the musical traditions of Africa and Latin America. Tiffany Nicely teaches World Music, African Music and Cultures and the West African Drumming Ensemble at Buffalo State College.
Saul Elkin, Distinguished Service Professor at University of Buffalo and for many years was Chair of the Theater Department. He is Founder and Artistic Director of Shakespeare in Delaware Park, now in its 35th season, and Co-Founder and Artistic Director of the Jewish Repertory Theater of Western New York. Saul’s numerous acting include the memorable portrayal of Otto Frank in THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK at Theatre of Youth, Willy Loman in DEATH OF A SALESMAN at the Kavinoky Theatre, George in WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF at Ujima Company, Juror #11 in TWELVE ANGRY MEN at Studio Arena Theatre. In addition to being a well known actor, Saul is a respected director whose work has been enjoyed at many of the theaters in the region and beyond.
Ann Emo, Assistant Professor at Buffalo State College where she teaches Costume Design and Technical Theater. In addition to her design work at Buffalo State College, Ann has designed costumes for stage, film, opera and dance in the NYC area and locally at Studio Arena Theater, Geva TheaterCenter, Kavinoky, The Irish Classical Theater Company, and TOY. Her costume designs for The Tempest for Shakespeare in Delaware Park, 2009, earned her the ArtVoice, Artie Award. Ann is honored to be the Conference Coordinator for The Anne Frank Project and to have been involved in its development since its early days. Tae Kwon Do is among her other passions; she has earned a third degree black belt. She received her MFA from New York University, Tisch School of the Arts. Ann is proud to claim her three children as her greatest accomplishment.
Erica Fire, Costume Director for Buffalo State College Theater Department. She is responsible for construction, fitting and altering costumes for the department’s theater and dance productions and for teaching students costume construction. Ms. Fire has worked for theater and opera companies around the country, including, Glimmerglass Opera Company, Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington DC, The Santa Fe Opera, Geva Theatre Center and Studio Arena Theatre. As part of her professional work Ms. Fire has researched the clothing of many eras and cultures reproducing garments for stage using modern materials. Her own interest in textiles and their history, and a passion for knitting led her to learn to spin her own yarn a little over ten years ago. She teaches spinning classes in the area and serves as treasurer for the newly formed “Common Threads” guild for spinners and dyers.
Paul Gabriellini, a sophomore, theater major at Buffalo State College where he has had the opportunity to work with director Donn Youngstrom in Seven Keys to Baldpate as Lou Max, and director Joe Price, playing the of “Groucho Marx” version of Whitney in Anything Goes. He will be taking on the role of Richard in the upcoming production of Fuddy Meers.Through his participation, Paul hopes to contribute something very special to the Anne Frank Project.
Jill M. Gradwell, Assistant Professor and Coordinator of Social Studies Education in the Department of History and Social Studies at Buffalo State College, State University of New York. She teaches both undergraduate and graduate courses in the teaching of history and research in social studies education. Her research centers on teaching, learning, and assessing history and has been featured in such journals as Theory and Research in Education and Social Studies Research and Practice.
Peter J. Grieco, a native of Buffalo, NY, teaches writing in the College Writing Program at Buffalo State College. A musician, composer and PhD graduate of SUNY Buffalo, he has also taught in Ankara, Turkey, andSeoul, South Korea. His publications include, “Swirling Voices: Considerations of Working-Class Poetic Property”, and “Lyric Subject as Communal Fragment in the Works of Claude McKay”. He has published his poetry widely. Peter also keeps a personal journal.
Joy Guarino, Assistant Professor of Dance at Buffalo State College. Introduced to the arts at a very young age, she evolved into a dynamic member of the WNY arts community as a performer and choreographer of dance and musical theater. Her passion guided her career path and she pursued the Master’s of Fine Arts degree in dance from Temple University. Ms. Guarino teaches a variety of studio technique classes, dance history, choreography, and dance education. Actively involved both personally and as a mentor for her students in the extensive arts-in-education community, she is a practitioner and consultant for the arts-in-education profession; committed to finding creative and practical ways of designing and implementing meaningful children’s arts programs. She has developed courses, conducted research, and delivered professional development workshops on kinesthetic learning, movement integration, and youth development. She holds a NYS Teacher’s Certification in Dance.
Robert J. Heffern, Board Member of HRC, Vice President and Chair of the Education Committee. Retiree of Maryvale High School (Social Studies); formerly Adjunct at Daemen College teaching Methods of Secondary Social Studies.
Jeffrey Hirschberg, Assistant Professor and Director of the Television and Film Arts program at Buffalo State College. He has been a professional screenwriter for eighteen years and has written fifteen feature length screenplays and numerous television scripts. A member of the Writer's Guild of America and judge for the WGA Awards, Jeffrey has had screenplays optioned by Hollywood production companies and has written and/or created shows for Showtime Networks, Lifetime Television, and ABC. Jeffrey is a winner of the Broadcast Education Association's National Writing Division Paper Competition and has been a finalist in the Scriptapalooza national screenwriting competition. He has worked at NBC, Warner Bros., and Viacom and has taught at Cornell University, SyracuseUniversity's Newhouse School, and R.I.T.'s School of Film and Animation. Jeffrey is also the founder and Managing Partner of ThreeAct Partners, a script consulting service (www.ThreeAct.com). Prior to founding ThreeAct, Jeffrey held numerous executive marketing and advertising positions inNew York City and Rochester, NY. Jeffrey holds an M.A. in TV-Radio-Film from Syracuse University's Newhouse School and a B.S. from CornellUniversity.
Natalie Jordan, graduated from Buffalo state College in 2008 with a BA in Sociology and a BS in Criminal Justice. She is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Student Personnel Administration at Buffalo State. As an undergraduate student she was involved in many areas around campus including: serving as the Program Coordinator for Weeks of Welcome, working as Teaching Assistant in the Sociology Department and serving as President of the Residence hall Association. She has completed internships with the Erie County District Attorney’s Office and with the Buffalo State Judicial Affairs Office. Natalie currently works as the VIVA Project Assistant.
Carlos Jones, Assistant Professor, is a SUNY Diversity Faculty Fellow in the Theater Department at Buffalo State. Professor Jones teaches Musical Theater and Dance and has a passion for progressive integrated arts education. Prior to his arrival at Buffalo State, Jones enjoyed a professional career in film, television, regional theater, and concert dance. Among his credits are the Nanny, the Drew Carey Show, Shut up and Dance, Once Upon a Mattress under the direction of Carol Burnett and guest soloist with the Great Falls Symphony to name a few. Jones’ current creative research lies in the composing of cross cultural dance works.
Drew Kahn, is Chair and Professor in the Theater Department at Buffalo State College where he teaches acting (President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching) and directs main stage productions (Kennedy Center Award). He is the Founding Director of The Anne Frank Project, an idea that has evolved out of a unique production of The Diary of Anne Frank he directed at Buffalo State in 2006. He presents nationally and internationally on the universal language of theater and the intersection of the arts and genocide as a means towards meaningful social change. Drew has extensive acting experience in regional theatre and off-Broadway (part of Andre’ DeShields’ original cast of Saint Tous), feature film (Paramount Pictures’ Necessary Roughness) as well as several television and commercial credits. In Buffalo, New York, Drew was the host of WKBW-TV’s (ABC) AM Buffalo for six years, hosted the WNED (PBS) documentary Saving a Landmark: The Darwin Martin House (Telly Award) and has numerous local stage credits including Lobby Hero, A Cat On A Hot Tin Roof andBaltimore Waltz (ArtVoice Artie Award). He received an MFA in Acting from Southern Methodist University and a BA in Drama from San DiegoState University. His favorite roles are husband to his wife Maria and dad to his children Sam and Nate.
Samantha Kahn, currently a junior at Grand Island Senior High School. She has been a part of her school art shows for many years and has a few of her ceramics on sale at the Burchfield-Penney Art Center Gift Shop. She is also very involved in theater, music and conservation. Sam is a volunteer at a NYSDEC camp in Rushford and a part of her High School Orchestra as well as being involved in her school’s theater program. She plans on going to college to pursue a career in art education.
Charles B. Kenyon, Ed.D., is the Associate Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students at Buffalo State College, where he is responsible for overseeing student judicial affairs, the counseling and health centers, career services and disability services, along with four grant-funded pre-college programs and a U.S. Department of Justice grant to prevent violence against women on campus. Dr. Kenyon earned his Master’s and Doctoral degrees from Harvard University with a concentration on organizational behavior and labor relations in higher education. He previously served as Director of Academic Support Services at theUniversity of Massachusetts, Dartmouth, MA, during which time he was elected President of the New England Association of Educational Opportunity Program Personnel and served as a board member of the Council for Opportunity in Education, based in Washington, D.C. Dr. Kenyon obtained a specialization in negotiation and dispute resolution from the Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School and has taught courses on negotiation and organizational behavior at both the University ofMassachusetts and at Buffalo State College.
Tammy Kresge, has a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from University atBuffalo and a Master’s degree in Student Personnel Administration fromCanisius College. Before joining the Buffalo State College staff she worked at Rochester Institute of Technology coordinating their Department of Justice Violence Against Women on Campus Grant. Tammy began working at Buffalo State in 2002 as the Coordinator for Alcohol, Other Drugs and Violence Prevention. She was promoted to Coordinator for Health Promotions in 3004 and continues to hold that position
Joe Marren, Associate Professor in the Communication Department of Buffalo State College where he teaches courses in journalism ethics, history, editing, literary journalism and convergent media. He has also taught humanities and communication courses in the Social Justice Learning Community at Buffalo State College. Prior to his academic career he worked as a newspaper journalist for 18 years at several Western New York community and business newspapers and as a sports stringer for the Associated Press in Buffalo. He also does occasional commentaries on WBFO, the National Public Radio affiliate in Buffalo.
Mary Jane Masiulionis, an alumna of State University of New York College at Buffalo, she earned both her Masters and Undergraduate degrees at Buffalo State, majoring in English. While attending Buffalo State College, she earned numerous awards and scholarships, including the Estelle Engel Scholarship for Writing, the McNair Scholarship, the Summer Research and Creativity Fellowship, and the prestigious Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence. She has presented at various state and local conferences including the Association for Theatre in Higher Education, The McNair Summer Research Conference, The Union for Democratic Communication Conference, the State University of New York College atBuffalo’s Conference for Children and Social Justice, the National Association of African American Studies Conference and several Research and Creativity Student Conferences. She is presently on faculty at Bryant and Stratton College, teaching courses in Research Methods and Oral Presentations. Ms. Masiulionis is currently engaged in a collaborative interdisciplinary project with Melanie Aceto and Jon Lehrer, writing on their choreographic works in book entitled “The Voice of Dance in the 21stCentury”.
Brenna McCabe, junior at Buffalo State College majoring in Music Education. She plays flute and iccolo in various ensembles, including Buffalo State College Wind Ensemble, BSC Philharmonia and Woodwind Quintet. This past summer Brenna attended Imani Winds Chamber Music Institute at Juilliard in New York City. Currently, Brenna is vice President of the Collegiate Music Educators National Conference, Buffalo State Chapter. The Chapter supports activities of music education majors, allowing students to network with colleagues, local school music educators and future employers. Outside of music Brenna is a champion level Irish Dancer performing in local parades, festivals, nursing homes, hospitals and other venues.
Joan McCool, Ph.D., serves as the Director of the BSC CounselingCenter and is a licensed psychologist. She received her doctorate at SUNY as Buffalo in Counseling Psychology and her undergraduate degree in Social Psychology from Cornell University. Dr. McCool’s expertise and interests are in stress management and coping, trauma, academic achievement, student development, violence prevention, anxiety, mood disorders, relationships and parenting. She is beginning her 30th year at BSC where she enjoys working with students and the BSC community regarding mental health and adjustment to college issues.
Liz McGough, has a BS in Recreation Administration from EasternMichigan University, an MS in Clinical and Humanistic Psychology from the Michigan School of Professional Psychology, a Graduate Certificate in Addiction Studies from University of Detroit Mercy and a PhD in Counseling Psychology from the University at Buffalo. Before moving toBuffalo to pursue her PhD, Liz spent about 10 years working for HIV/AIDS service and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender organizations in the Detroit area. Liz completed her pre-doctoral internship at the BuffaloState College Counseling Center. She has worked on Violence against women issues at Buffalo state since 2007 and is currently the VIVA Program Coordinator/Case Manager.
Laura Mooney, a sophomore theater major at Buffalo State College. She is a graduate from Kenmore West High School where she performed in The Spoon River Anthology and Shakespeare Abridged, under the direction of Vanessa Bargness-Scinta. She has worked with the Town Players on several productions, including A Man for All Seasons, You Can’t Take it With You, Stage Girls and Murder in the Cathedral. Most recently she was a part of Subversive Theater’s Subversive Shorts series playing Jean in the original play by Joan Broadman, Honey Bakes Ham. Laura was also the Stage Manager for Subversive Theater’s production of The Mother for the Infringement Festival.
Gabriella Moreno, currently a student at Buffalo State College. She pursues a career in the Theater Arts in conjunction with French Language and Anthropology. She has been part of several Casting Hall Productions shows as House Manager, Understudy and Assistant Stage Manager. Her passion for diverse disciplines such as theater, visual arts, literature, language, dance, etc. along with her responsibility to the world, inspired her to write a piece specifically for The Anne Frank Project (AFP). After volunteering for last year’s conference, she became attached to the AFP’s cause and is enthusiastic to remain involved in the Project. The experience revealed to her a responsibility to humanity and now she searches for the opportunity to share her discovery and maybe engender that same sense of duty in others.
Candace Morrison, recent alum of Buffalo State College. Upon graduation last May, Miss Morrison was awarded the Dean’s Award for Excellence in Theater. During her time at Buffalo State, she was a part of the All College Honors Program and Arts and Humanities Dean’s Student Council. She was an active member of the Theater Department and Casting Hall, the student side of the season production, honing her leadership skills as Vice President in her senior year. As an actor she was busy learning how to be superhuman both onstage and off. Early in her theater training, Morrison discovered a love for theater outreach. She has worked on the Olmsted World Arts Fair, Take Back the Night and, most recently, the Anne Frank Project. Morrison hopes to continue working for social change.
Yahye Omar, is from Somalia and is a leader in the Muslim community inWestern New York and also the Executive Director of HEAL International (Help Ensure Africa Looms), a community-based organization that provides direct service to refugees. He is also a founding member of BIREC.
Ken Orosz, holds a PhD in modern European history from BinghamtonUniversity specializing research in French and German colonial Africa. He received a 1995 Fulbright Grant to conduct dissertation research in Germany and is currently a member of the Department of History and Social Studies Education where he teaches courses in European, African, world and colonial history. His book Religious Conflict and the Evolution of Language Policy in German and French Cameroon, 1885-1939 was awarded the 2009 Heggoy Prize for the best work in French colonial history.
Fred Pascolini, senior Theater Department at Buffalo State College. He has designed scenery for the BSC Theater Department’s production of The Shape of Things, and Fuddy Meers (upcoming), and has designed lighting for “Bitches Brew” a piece choreographed by Janet Reed and performed during The Myth of Miles, spring dance concert. Fred has also worked for Walt Disney World, Theater of Youth and designed the lighting for Evil Dead at the ALT Theater. He earned an AS degree in Technical Theater form Niagara County Community College. He would like to acknowledge his friends, family and colleagues at People Inc.
Marc Rummenie, the Program Director at The NFJC of WNY, Inc., a graduate of UB, and a NYS certified teacher.
Sylvia Schwartz, a native of New York City. Her parents were Holocaust survivors. She received her BA in Communications/Broadcasting from Buffalo State College. She has worked as Executive Director of the Holocaust Resource Center of Buffalo since 1999.
Dan Shanahan, Adjunct Professor, Theater, is founder and artistic director of Torn Space Theater. He has directed over 25 plays; many were U.S. and area premieres. He has written and produced five original works for the stage that have been performed in Buffalo and New York City. He created two site-specific installation performances that took place in the Central Train Terminal and the grand ballroom of the Dnipro Ukrainian Home. Shanahan was chosen Best Director by Artvoice for direction of his original work Terminus, which also received Best Production of WNY from Buffalo Spree magazine. He is the recipient of NYSCA’s Individual Artist grant for playwriting and has been nominated for Artie Awards in stage direction and for Best New Play.
Derick Sherrier, a second year Theater major at Buffalo State College. He has been involved in theater since the age of eight. While his main focus is acting, Derrick also participates in the dance program.
Irene Sipos, full-time lecturer in the College Writing Program at BuffaloState. For the last four years she has taught writing in the social justice learning community. In spring 2010, Irene presented on teaching social justice in the writing classroom at both the SUNY Council on Writing and the Pennsylvania College English Association. For eleven years, Irene was Academic Coordinator in Student Support Services Program while teaching writing as an adjunct. As a poet, Irene is a participant in poetry events in Western New York, including Buffalo State’s Rooftop Poetry. Last year two of her poems appeared in Waging Words for Peace: Buffalo Poets Against War.
Julia Squilla, a sophomore Television and Film Arts student at Buffalo State College. She has great love for all things “Movies”. Julia is originally from Rochester, NY and in addition to her film work she swims for Buffalo State College.
Kimberly Taylor, secretary for the Buffalo State College Theater Department. Kimberly is the newest member of the department, joining them in August 2009 after transferring from Student Accounts. She has been primarily involved in assisting the conference director and coordinators in the planning and behind-the-scenes aspects of the Anne Frank Project. Kimberly is also a part-time student here at Buffalo State.
Emily Tennant-Koller, has B.S degree from SUNY Brockport in Political Science and Women’s Studies, and is currently a graduate student at Buffalo State College in the Student Personnel Administration program. She has been a Graduate Assistant in the Equity & Diversity Office on campus. Prior to that, she worked for 4 years in the Drop-In Center Coordinator of Gay & Lesbian Youth Services in downtown Buffalo, taking over 100 youth to Albany, she supported them in learning how to lobby our legislators for bills such as the Safe Schools/Anti-Bullying bill, Marriage Equality bill, and GENDA and supported them in creating a safe space for LGBTQ youth at the Drop-In Center. Her passion in higher education is reaching out to underserved youth and trying to engage them in the college experience.
Nshagayintwari Thomas, is from Rwanda. He is a Refugee Case Worker for Catholic Charities and has been involved with BIREC from the beginning. He is currently BIREC Interim Board President.
Sophia Veffer, lived in Amsterdam, Holland during the Holocaust. She came to the United States in 1954 and settled in Buffalo. Now a retired Special Education teacher, a past President of the Holocaust Resource Center of Buffalo and is presently on the Executive Board of the HolocaustResource Center. She was the President of the Women of Studio Arena Theatre. Currently, Sophia is on the Advisory Committee of the Jewish Repertory Theatre of Western New York.
Amitra Wall, Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology atBuffalo State College. In the classroom she embraces the orientation that encourages and empowers students to be active participants in society. She teaches social statistics, social thought, internship, research methods, introduction to sociology, race and ethnic relations, and women in society. She considers herself an applied sociologist who is often found working alongside community organizations. She spends most of her energies on addressing issues that affect women and children. She serves on ErieCounty’s Commission on the Status of Women.
Merritt Weisenburger, Program Specialist at the NFJC of WNY, Inc., a graduate of the Tisch School of the Arts, and is currently enrolled in the MA Counseling Program at Canisius College.
Gary Welborn, teaches sociology at Buffalo State College and is Faculty Coordinator for Service-Learning on the campus. He has also been a community activist on the West Side of Buffalo for 25 years.
Timothy White, a recent graduate of the Visual Arts Department at theUniversity of Buffalo. He was involved with the production of Organic as an onsite photographer and as the projectionist during performances. White has also served as the web photographer for College Relations at Buffalo State College. He currently works as a freelance photographer.
Cecelia Barron, a sophomore Theater Major at Buffalo State College. She made her Buffalo State debut in Anything Goes (Angel). Cecelia has also performed locally in Ragtime (Sara), Man of La Mancha (Aldonza),Suessical the Musical (Sour Kangaroo), Once ON This Island (Dancer),Fame and Chicago (Chorus).
Lee Becker, sophomore theater major at Buffalo State College. In addition to his interest in theater, Lee has been an active part of the local music community for nearly fifteen years. His interest in music began in Kindergarten with his first vocal solo. He began playing trumpet in fourth grade and has since taught himself keyboard and guitar. Lee writes music and loves to jam with any interested local musician. He resides on Grand Island where he records music in his basement studio.
Lindsey Bessman, senior Arts and Letters major, Dance concentration at Buffalo State College. She has played an active role in the dance program and has been seen for the past three years in the Annual Spring Dance Concert as well as several outside performances in the Buffalo area. Originally from Hyde Park, NY, Lindsey has been trained in many dance styles and techniques. She hopes to pursue her dance career after graduation. This is Lindsay’s second year participating in The Anne Frank Project.
Rev. Jeff Carter, Jr., pastor of Ephesus Ministries, is a senior facilitator for the NFJC, and is an advocate and leader in the field of diversity/inclusion work.
Sharon E. Cooper, award-winning playwright and teacher, has had theatre productions from coast to coast; most recently, she was produced in the Samuel French Off-Off Broadway Short Play Festival, 2009. She is published in Laugh Lines: Short Comic Plays and The Bedford Introduction to Literature and will soon be published in Literature to Go and The Best Short Plays of 2010. The topics of her plays range from Israel/Palestine to Gay liberation, to women’s roles in our society. She is a graduate ofLongwood College, studied at the Kennedy Center’s Playwriting Intensive Program and has been a proud member of the National Coalition Building Institute for ten years.
Eriketa Curilli, currently a senior at Buffalo State College in Arts and Letters, (Dance and Theater). Upon graduation she plans to pursue a career in dance performance, choreography and education. Eriketa has been involved in the Theater Department’s annual Spring Dance Concerts; The Myth of Miles, The World With: Collaboration of Dance and Fiber, andIllumination, as well as the musical Anything Goes. Other performances include Choreographers Showcase (2008) - performing with Janet Reed, Dr. Benjamin Christy-Dean of Arts and Humanities and Bryan Boyce-Music Department’s Percussion Ensemble in a piece about Jon Cage the musical composer for the late dancer/choreographer Merce Cunningham. She is a recipient of the Summer Undergraduate Research/Creativity Fellowship; Compare and Contrast Classical and Contemporary Jazz andparticipated in the 2010 Student Research and Creativity Celebration.
Diaspora Drumming, is a trio dedicated to learning, performing and teaching percussion music of the African Diaspora. Members Ringo Brill, Tiffany Nicely and Gabriel Gutierrez have studied in countries such asGuinea, Mexico and Brazil, as well as with African teachers in the U.S. They focus on tracing the connections between the musical traditions of Africa and Latin America. Tiffany Nicely teaches World Music, African Music and Cultures and the West African Drumming Ensemble at Buffalo State College.
Saul Elkin, Distinguished Service Professor at University of Buffalo and for many years was Chair of the Theater Department. He is Founder and Artistic Director of Shakespeare in Delaware Park, now in its 35th season, and Co-Founder and Artistic Director of the Jewish Repertory Theater of Western New York. Saul’s numerous acting include the memorable portrayal of Otto Frank in THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK at Theatre of Youth, Willy Loman in DEATH OF A SALESMAN at the Kavinoky Theatre, George in WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF at Ujima Company, Juror #11 in TWELVE ANGRY MEN at Studio Arena Theatre. In addition to being a well known actor, Saul is a respected director whose work has been enjoyed at many of the theaters in the region and beyond.
Ann Emo, Assistant Professor at Buffalo State College where she teaches Costume Design and Technical Theater. In addition to her design work at Buffalo State College, Ann has designed costumes for stage, film, opera and dance in the NYC area and locally at Studio Arena Theater, Geva TheaterCenter, Kavinoky, The Irish Classical Theater Company, and TOY. Her costume designs for The Tempest for Shakespeare in Delaware Park, 2009, earned her the ArtVoice, Artie Award. Ann is honored to be the Conference Coordinator for The Anne Frank Project and to have been involved in its development since its early days. Tae Kwon Do is among her other passions; she has earned a third degree black belt. She received her MFA from New York University, Tisch School of the Arts. Ann is proud to claim her three children as her greatest accomplishment.
Erica Fire, Costume Director for Buffalo State College Theater Department. She is responsible for construction, fitting and altering costumes for the department’s theater and dance productions and for teaching students costume construction. Ms. Fire has worked for theater and opera companies around the country, including, Glimmerglass Opera Company, Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington DC, The Santa Fe Opera, Geva Theatre Center and Studio Arena Theatre. As part of her professional work Ms. Fire has researched the clothing of many eras and cultures reproducing garments for stage using modern materials. Her own interest in textiles and their history, and a passion for knitting led her to learn to spin her own yarn a little over ten years ago. She teaches spinning classes in the area and serves as treasurer for the newly formed “Common Threads” guild for spinners and dyers.
Paul Gabriellini, a sophomore, theater major at Buffalo State College where he has had the opportunity to work with director Donn Youngstrom in Seven Keys to Baldpate as Lou Max, and director Joe Price, playing the of “Groucho Marx” version of Whitney in Anything Goes. He will be taking on the role of Richard in the upcoming production of Fuddy Meers.Through his participation, Paul hopes to contribute something very special to the Anne Frank Project.
Jill M. Gradwell, Assistant Professor and Coordinator of Social Studies Education in the Department of History and Social Studies at Buffalo State College, State University of New York. She teaches both undergraduate and graduate courses in the teaching of history and research in social studies education. Her research centers on teaching, learning, and assessing history and has been featured in such journals as Theory and Research in Education and Social Studies Research and Practice.
Peter J. Grieco, a native of Buffalo, NY, teaches writing in the College Writing Program at Buffalo State College. A musician, composer and PhD graduate of SUNY Buffalo, he has also taught in Ankara, Turkey, andSeoul, South Korea. His publications include, “Swirling Voices: Considerations of Working-Class Poetic Property”, and “Lyric Subject as Communal Fragment in the Works of Claude McKay”. He has published his poetry widely. Peter also keeps a personal journal.
Joy Guarino, Assistant Professor of Dance at Buffalo State College. Introduced to the arts at a very young age, she evolved into a dynamic member of the WNY arts community as a performer and choreographer of dance and musical theater. Her passion guided her career path and she pursued the Master’s of Fine Arts degree in dance from Temple University. Ms. Guarino teaches a variety of studio technique classes, dance history, choreography, and dance education. Actively involved both personally and as a mentor for her students in the extensive arts-in-education community, she is a practitioner and consultant for the arts-in-education profession; committed to finding creative and practical ways of designing and implementing meaningful children’s arts programs. She has developed courses, conducted research, and delivered professional development workshops on kinesthetic learning, movement integration, and youth development. She holds a NYS Teacher’s Certification in Dance.
Robert J. Heffern, Board Member of HRC, Vice President and Chair of the Education Committee. Retiree of Maryvale High School (Social Studies); formerly Adjunct at Daemen College teaching Methods of Secondary Social Studies.
Jeffrey Hirschberg, Assistant Professor and Director of the Television and Film Arts program at Buffalo State College. He has been a professional screenwriter for eighteen years and has written fifteen feature length screenplays and numerous television scripts. A member of the Writer's Guild of America and judge for the WGA Awards, Jeffrey has had screenplays optioned by Hollywood production companies and has written and/or created shows for Showtime Networks, Lifetime Television, and ABC. Jeffrey is a winner of the Broadcast Education Association's National Writing Division Paper Competition and has been a finalist in the Scriptapalooza national screenwriting competition. He has worked at NBC, Warner Bros., and Viacom and has taught at Cornell University, SyracuseUniversity's Newhouse School, and R.I.T.'s School of Film and Animation. Jeffrey is also the founder and Managing Partner of ThreeAct Partners, a script consulting service (www.ThreeAct.com). Prior to founding ThreeAct, Jeffrey held numerous executive marketing and advertising positions inNew York City and Rochester, NY. Jeffrey holds an M.A. in TV-Radio-Film from Syracuse University's Newhouse School and a B.S. from CornellUniversity.
Natalie Jordan, graduated from Buffalo state College in 2008 with a BA in Sociology and a BS in Criminal Justice. She is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Student Personnel Administration at Buffalo State. As an undergraduate student she was involved in many areas around campus including: serving as the Program Coordinator for Weeks of Welcome, working as Teaching Assistant in the Sociology Department and serving as President of the Residence hall Association. She has completed internships with the Erie County District Attorney’s Office and with the Buffalo State Judicial Affairs Office. Natalie currently works as the VIVA Project Assistant.
Carlos Jones, Assistant Professor, is a SUNY Diversity Faculty Fellow in the Theater Department at Buffalo State. Professor Jones teaches Musical Theater and Dance and has a passion for progressive integrated arts education. Prior to his arrival at Buffalo State, Jones enjoyed a professional career in film, television, regional theater, and concert dance. Among his credits are the Nanny, the Drew Carey Show, Shut up and Dance, Once Upon a Mattress under the direction of Carol Burnett and guest soloist with the Great Falls Symphony to name a few. Jones’ current creative research lies in the composing of cross cultural dance works.
Drew Kahn, is Chair and Professor in the Theater Department at Buffalo State College where he teaches acting (President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching) and directs main stage productions (Kennedy Center Award). He is the Founding Director of The Anne Frank Project, an idea that has evolved out of a unique production of The Diary of Anne Frank he directed at Buffalo State in 2006. He presents nationally and internationally on the universal language of theater and the intersection of the arts and genocide as a means towards meaningful social change. Drew has extensive acting experience in regional theatre and off-Broadway (part of Andre’ DeShields’ original cast of Saint Tous), feature film (Paramount Pictures’ Necessary Roughness) as well as several television and commercial credits. In Buffalo, New York, Drew was the host of WKBW-TV’s (ABC) AM Buffalo for six years, hosted the WNED (PBS) documentary Saving a Landmark: The Darwin Martin House (Telly Award) and has numerous local stage credits including Lobby Hero, A Cat On A Hot Tin Roof andBaltimore Waltz (ArtVoice Artie Award). He received an MFA in Acting from Southern Methodist University and a BA in Drama from San DiegoState University. His favorite roles are husband to his wife Maria and dad to his children Sam and Nate.
Samantha Kahn, currently a junior at Grand Island Senior High School. She has been a part of her school art shows for many years and has a few of her ceramics on sale at the Burchfield-Penney Art Center Gift Shop. She is also very involved in theater, music and conservation. Sam is a volunteer at a NYSDEC camp in Rushford and a part of her High School Orchestra as well as being involved in her school’s theater program. She plans on going to college to pursue a career in art education.
Charles B. Kenyon, Ed.D., is the Associate Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students at Buffalo State College, where he is responsible for overseeing student judicial affairs, the counseling and health centers, career services and disability services, along with four grant-funded pre-college programs and a U.S. Department of Justice grant to prevent violence against women on campus. Dr. Kenyon earned his Master’s and Doctoral degrees from Harvard University with a concentration on organizational behavior and labor relations in higher education. He previously served as Director of Academic Support Services at theUniversity of Massachusetts, Dartmouth, MA, during which time he was elected President of the New England Association of Educational Opportunity Program Personnel and served as a board member of the Council for Opportunity in Education, based in Washington, D.C. Dr. Kenyon obtained a specialization in negotiation and dispute resolution from the Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School and has taught courses on negotiation and organizational behavior at both the University ofMassachusetts and at Buffalo State College.
Tammy Kresge, has a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from University atBuffalo and a Master’s degree in Student Personnel Administration fromCanisius College. Before joining the Buffalo State College staff she worked at Rochester Institute of Technology coordinating their Department of Justice Violence Against Women on Campus Grant. Tammy began working at Buffalo State in 2002 as the Coordinator for Alcohol, Other Drugs and Violence Prevention. She was promoted to Coordinator for Health Promotions in 3004 and continues to hold that position
Joe Marren, Associate Professor in the Communication Department of Buffalo State College where he teaches courses in journalism ethics, history, editing, literary journalism and convergent media. He has also taught humanities and communication courses in the Social Justice Learning Community at Buffalo State College. Prior to his academic career he worked as a newspaper journalist for 18 years at several Western New York community and business newspapers and as a sports stringer for the Associated Press in Buffalo. He also does occasional commentaries on WBFO, the National Public Radio affiliate in Buffalo.
Mary Jane Masiulionis, an alumna of State University of New York College at Buffalo, she earned both her Masters and Undergraduate degrees at Buffalo State, majoring in English. While attending Buffalo State College, she earned numerous awards and scholarships, including the Estelle Engel Scholarship for Writing, the McNair Scholarship, the Summer Research and Creativity Fellowship, and the prestigious Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence. She has presented at various state and local conferences including the Association for Theatre in Higher Education, The McNair Summer Research Conference, The Union for Democratic Communication Conference, the State University of New York College atBuffalo’s Conference for Children and Social Justice, the National Association of African American Studies Conference and several Research and Creativity Student Conferences. She is presently on faculty at Bryant and Stratton College, teaching courses in Research Methods and Oral Presentations. Ms. Masiulionis is currently engaged in a collaborative interdisciplinary project with Melanie Aceto and Jon Lehrer, writing on their choreographic works in book entitled “The Voice of Dance in the 21stCentury”.
Brenna McCabe, junior at Buffalo State College majoring in Music Education. She plays flute and iccolo in various ensembles, including Buffalo State College Wind Ensemble, BSC Philharmonia and Woodwind Quintet. This past summer Brenna attended Imani Winds Chamber Music Institute at Juilliard in New York City. Currently, Brenna is vice President of the Collegiate Music Educators National Conference, Buffalo State Chapter. The Chapter supports activities of music education majors, allowing students to network with colleagues, local school music educators and future employers. Outside of music Brenna is a champion level Irish Dancer performing in local parades, festivals, nursing homes, hospitals and other venues.
Joan McCool, Ph.D., serves as the Director of the BSC CounselingCenter and is a licensed psychologist. She received her doctorate at SUNY as Buffalo in Counseling Psychology and her undergraduate degree in Social Psychology from Cornell University. Dr. McCool’s expertise and interests are in stress management and coping, trauma, academic achievement, student development, violence prevention, anxiety, mood disorders, relationships and parenting. She is beginning her 30th year at BSC where she enjoys working with students and the BSC community regarding mental health and adjustment to college issues.
Liz McGough, has a BS in Recreation Administration from EasternMichigan University, an MS in Clinical and Humanistic Psychology from the Michigan School of Professional Psychology, a Graduate Certificate in Addiction Studies from University of Detroit Mercy and a PhD in Counseling Psychology from the University at Buffalo. Before moving toBuffalo to pursue her PhD, Liz spent about 10 years working for HIV/AIDS service and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender organizations in the Detroit area. Liz completed her pre-doctoral internship at the BuffaloState College Counseling Center. She has worked on Violence against women issues at Buffalo state since 2007 and is currently the VIVA Program Coordinator/Case Manager.
Laura Mooney, a sophomore theater major at Buffalo State College. She is a graduate from Kenmore West High School where she performed in The Spoon River Anthology and Shakespeare Abridged, under the direction of Vanessa Bargness-Scinta. She has worked with the Town Players on several productions, including A Man for All Seasons, You Can’t Take it With You, Stage Girls and Murder in the Cathedral. Most recently she was a part of Subversive Theater’s Subversive Shorts series playing Jean in the original play by Joan Broadman, Honey Bakes Ham. Laura was also the Stage Manager for Subversive Theater’s production of The Mother for the Infringement Festival.
Gabriella Moreno, currently a student at Buffalo State College. She pursues a career in the Theater Arts in conjunction with French Language and Anthropology. She has been part of several Casting Hall Productions shows as House Manager, Understudy and Assistant Stage Manager. Her passion for diverse disciplines such as theater, visual arts, literature, language, dance, etc. along with her responsibility to the world, inspired her to write a piece specifically for The Anne Frank Project (AFP). After volunteering for last year’s conference, she became attached to the AFP’s cause and is enthusiastic to remain involved in the Project. The experience revealed to her a responsibility to humanity and now she searches for the opportunity to share her discovery and maybe engender that same sense of duty in others.
Candace Morrison, recent alum of Buffalo State College. Upon graduation last May, Miss Morrison was awarded the Dean’s Award for Excellence in Theater. During her time at Buffalo State, she was a part of the All College Honors Program and Arts and Humanities Dean’s Student Council. She was an active member of the Theater Department and Casting Hall, the student side of the season production, honing her leadership skills as Vice President in her senior year. As an actor she was busy learning how to be superhuman both onstage and off. Early in her theater training, Morrison discovered a love for theater outreach. She has worked on the Olmsted World Arts Fair, Take Back the Night and, most recently, the Anne Frank Project. Morrison hopes to continue working for social change.
Yahye Omar, is from Somalia and is a leader in the Muslim community inWestern New York and also the Executive Director of HEAL International (Help Ensure Africa Looms), a community-based organization that provides direct service to refugees. He is also a founding member of BIREC.
Ken Orosz, holds a PhD in modern European history from BinghamtonUniversity specializing research in French and German colonial Africa. He received a 1995 Fulbright Grant to conduct dissertation research in Germany and is currently a member of the Department of History and Social Studies Education where he teaches courses in European, African, world and colonial history. His book Religious Conflict and the Evolution of Language Policy in German and French Cameroon, 1885-1939 was awarded the 2009 Heggoy Prize for the best work in French colonial history.
Fred Pascolini, senior Theater Department at Buffalo State College. He has designed scenery for the BSC Theater Department’s production of The Shape of Things, and Fuddy Meers (upcoming), and has designed lighting for “Bitches Brew” a piece choreographed by Janet Reed and performed during The Myth of Miles, spring dance concert. Fred has also worked for Walt Disney World, Theater of Youth and designed the lighting for Evil Dead at the ALT Theater. He earned an AS degree in Technical Theater form Niagara County Community College. He would like to acknowledge his friends, family and colleagues at People Inc.
Marc Rummenie, the Program Director at The NFJC of WNY, Inc., a graduate of UB, and a NYS certified teacher.
Sylvia Schwartz, a native of New York City. Her parents were Holocaust survivors. She received her BA in Communications/Broadcasting from Buffalo State College. She has worked as Executive Director of the Holocaust Resource Center of Buffalo since 1999.
Dan Shanahan, Adjunct Professor, Theater, is founder and artistic director of Torn Space Theater. He has directed over 25 plays; many were U.S. and area premieres. He has written and produced five original works for the stage that have been performed in Buffalo and New York City. He created two site-specific installation performances that took place in the Central Train Terminal and the grand ballroom of the Dnipro Ukrainian Home. Shanahan was chosen Best Director by Artvoice for direction of his original work Terminus, which also received Best Production of WNY from Buffalo Spree magazine. He is the recipient of NYSCA’s Individual Artist grant for playwriting and has been nominated for Artie Awards in stage direction and for Best New Play.
Derick Sherrier, a second year Theater major at Buffalo State College. He has been involved in theater since the age of eight. While his main focus is acting, Derrick also participates in the dance program.
Irene Sipos, full-time lecturer in the College Writing Program at BuffaloState. For the last four years she has taught writing in the social justice learning community. In spring 2010, Irene presented on teaching social justice in the writing classroom at both the SUNY Council on Writing and the Pennsylvania College English Association. For eleven years, Irene was Academic Coordinator in Student Support Services Program while teaching writing as an adjunct. As a poet, Irene is a participant in poetry events in Western New York, including Buffalo State’s Rooftop Poetry. Last year two of her poems appeared in Waging Words for Peace: Buffalo Poets Against War.
Julia Squilla, a sophomore Television and Film Arts student at Buffalo State College. She has great love for all things “Movies”. Julia is originally from Rochester, NY and in addition to her film work she swims for Buffalo State College.
Kimberly Taylor, secretary for the Buffalo State College Theater Department. Kimberly is the newest member of the department, joining them in August 2009 after transferring from Student Accounts. She has been primarily involved in assisting the conference director and coordinators in the planning and behind-the-scenes aspects of the Anne Frank Project. Kimberly is also a part-time student here at Buffalo State.
Emily Tennant-Koller, has B.S degree from SUNY Brockport in Political Science and Women’s Studies, and is currently a graduate student at Buffalo State College in the Student Personnel Administration program. She has been a Graduate Assistant in the Equity & Diversity Office on campus. Prior to that, she worked for 4 years in the Drop-In Center Coordinator of Gay & Lesbian Youth Services in downtown Buffalo, taking over 100 youth to Albany, she supported them in learning how to lobby our legislators for bills such as the Safe Schools/Anti-Bullying bill, Marriage Equality bill, and GENDA and supported them in creating a safe space for LGBTQ youth at the Drop-In Center. Her passion in higher education is reaching out to underserved youth and trying to engage them in the college experience.
Nshagayintwari Thomas, is from Rwanda. He is a Refugee Case Worker for Catholic Charities and has been involved with BIREC from the beginning. He is currently BIREC Interim Board President.
Sophia Veffer, lived in Amsterdam, Holland during the Holocaust. She came to the United States in 1954 and settled in Buffalo. Now a retired Special Education teacher, a past President of the Holocaust Resource Center of Buffalo and is presently on the Executive Board of the HolocaustResource Center. She was the President of the Women of Studio Arena Theatre. Currently, Sophia is on the Advisory Committee of the Jewish Repertory Theatre of Western New York.
Amitra Wall, Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology atBuffalo State College. In the classroom she embraces the orientation that encourages and empowers students to be active participants in society. She teaches social statistics, social thought, internship, research methods, introduction to sociology, race and ethnic relations, and women in society. She considers herself an applied sociologist who is often found working alongside community organizations. She spends most of her energies on addressing issues that affect women and children. She serves on ErieCounty’s Commission on the Status of Women.
Merritt Weisenburger, Program Specialist at the NFJC of WNY, Inc., a graduate of the Tisch School of the Arts, and is currently enrolled in the MA Counseling Program at Canisius College.
Gary Welborn, teaches sociology at Buffalo State College and is Faculty Coordinator for Service-Learning on the campus. He has also been a community activist on the West Side of Buffalo for 25 years.
Timothy White, a recent graduate of the Visual Arts Department at theUniversity of Buffalo. He was involved with the production of Organic as an onsite photographer and as the projectionist during performances. White has also served as the web photographer for College Relations at Buffalo State College. He currently works as a freelance photographer.
