The Child Equity Agenda: Policy Solutions That Level the Playing Field for Vulnerable Children

This panel will discuss the current trend in child, youth and family policy research and practice toward putting more emphasis on the equity implications of policies and programs. We will discuss how to incorporate equity consideration into assessments of the evidence of program effectiveness. We will also discuss whether and how emphasizing equity (i.e., focus on the most vulnerable children and families) may be cost effective.

Moderator:
Pamela Joshi, PhD'01, Associate Director, Institute for Child, Youth and Family Policy

Panelists:
Renee Boynton-Jarrett, MD, ScD, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Boston University School of Medicine and BMC Vital Village Network, Director
Jerold Mogul '70, Executive Director, Massachusetts Advocates for Children
Megan Sandel, MD, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Boston University School of Medicine, Children’s Health Watch

Global Ethical Issues: Addressing the Multidimensional Impact of Climate Change

This panel will explore global social policies and governance innovations to address interrelated problems associated with global poverty, health and environmental sustainability.  We explore prospects for global justice, equity, inclusion and social welfare in response to emerging threats from climate change and the potential conflicts and destabilization that will result.

Moderator:
Raj Sampath, PhD, Assistant Professor of the Philosophy of Justice, Rights and Social Change

Panelists:
Isabella Jean, MA COEX'06, Adjunct Lecturer
Eric Olson, MFS, PhD, Senior Lecturer
Mihaela Papa, PhD, Adjunct Lecturer

The Health and Well-Being of Military Members and Veterans

This panel will discuss the well-being of military members and veterans with a focus on post-deployment health, such as traumatic brain injury, posttraumatic stress disorder, suicide, substance abuse and military sexual trauma. Diverse perspectives will be represented by Heller alumni conducting current research and a female officer of the National Guard who is researching gender and race/ethnicity issues in military service.   

Moderator:
Mary Jo Larson, MPA, PhD'92, Senior Scientist, Schneider Institutes for Health Policy

Panelists:
Rachel Sayko Adams, MPH, PhD’13, Senior Research Associate, Schneider Institutes for Health Policy
Margot Davis, MSW, PhD’08, Senior Research Associate, Schneider Institutes for Health Policy
Norah Mulvaney-Day, PhD’02, Associate Scientist, Abt Associates
Nikki R. Wooten, PhD, LISW-CP, Assistant Professor, University of South Carolina School of Social Work; Lieutenant Colonel, District of Columbia, Army National Guard

Opportunity Creation Through Business Innovation

Panelists will include three graduates from the Heller MBA and Masters in Management programs who are business leaders working to make a positive social impact in a sustainable manner. They represent a range of interests from healthcare to social enterprise and will discuss their respective approaches to strategic and operational innovation in achieving organizational objectives.

Moderator:
Brenda Anderson, PhD, Senior Lecturer and Director, MBA in Nonprofit Management

Panelists:
Lisa Bard Levine, MD/MBA'05, Senior Director, Physician Alignment Program Innovation, Evolent
Siiri Morley, MBA'10, Executive Director, Prosperity Catalyst
Sally Okun, MMHS'01, Vice President of Advocacy, Policy and Patient Safety, Patients Like Me

Innovating Wealth Equity

Panelists will explore how families and communities can address racial and gender wealth gaps, outline the nature of these wealth gaps and what we understand to be the key drivers. The session will provide case studies of communities and organizations that are implementing innovative policy solutions.

Moderator:
Thomas Shapiro, PhD, Pokross Professor of Law and Social Policy and Director, Institute on Assets and Social Policy

Panelists:
Alexandra Bastien, MPP'12, Program Associate, PolicyLink
Sherry Riva, MPP, Executive Director, Compass Working Capital

Celebrating 30+ Years of Improving Life Options for America’s Vulnerable Youth and Communities

A panel of Heller alumnae from the concentration in children, youth and families (CYF) in three different degree programs discuss their work with youth programs and policies across the country. Speakers will define challenges in addressing equity in access, opportunity and outcomes for preparing young people for college, work and life – including citizen leadership – and give examples of promising practice and policy implications for advancing social justice.

Moderator:
Susan P. Curnan, MFS, MS, Associate Professor and Chair, CYF Concentration; Executive Director, Center for Youth and Communities; Senior Advisor, Eli J. Segal Citizen Leadership Program

Panelists:
Sarah Phillips, PhD'13, Research Director, Tripod Education Partners
Sara Plachta Elliott, PhD'13, Executive Director, Youth Development Resource Center, Detroit, MI
Tamara Tai, MBA'06, Chief Program Officer, MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership, Boston, MA

Health Care of People with Disabilities in the Era of Health Reform

People with disabilities typically have an elevated need for health services, but the existing research indicates there are major disability-based inequities in care. The panel will discuss the impact of the Affordable Care Act on the health care access, quality, and service utilization of children and adults with disabilities in the United States and explore the extent to which the Affordable Care Act will improve health outcomes for people with disabilities.

Moderator:
Susan Parish, MSW, PhD, Nancy Lurie Marks Professor of Disability Policy; Director, Lurie Institute for Disability Policy; Associate Dean for Research

Panelists:
Gerben DeJong, PhD'81, FACRM, Senior Fellow for Health Policy & Post-acute Care, MedStar National Rehabilitation Hospital; Professor, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Georgetown University School of Medicine
Stephen Gulley, PhD'06, Lecturer in Health: Science, Society, and Policy, Brandeis University
Sandra Magaña, MSW, PhD'99, Professor, Disability and Human Development, University of Illinois at Chicago

Can Money Make a Difference in Creating Social Change?

As individual donors and foundations grapple with the impact that philanthropy can have on social justice, how do we ensure that our money makes a difference? Can we actually foster social change through philanthropy?

Moderator:
Andrew B. Hahn, PhD'78, Professor

Panelists:
Elenore Garton, PhD'11, Managing Director, Hope Team Works and Director, Business Development-Philanthropy, Keel Asset Management
Laurie Nsiah-Jefferson '80, PhD'06, Senior Scientist and Senior Lecturer
Julio Urbina, MPH, PhD'01, Director, Healthcare Program, Fan Fox and Leslie R. Samuels Foundation