Past Events

An intimate career conversation with Heller alumna Amy Hanes, MA SID'11, PhD'21 (GSAS), Cultural Anthropologist (wildlife conservation, social science research) & Development Editor. This was a wonderful opportunity to network, learn about a career in wildlife conservation, international development, social science research/design, and develop insight from a successful professional. Alumni Career Conversation events bring back Heller alumni to speak about their career trajectory, current employer, duties/responsibilities, industry insight, and career advice.

A conversation with Maria Madison, Interim Dean of the Heller School for Social Policy and Management, Brandeis Faculty member, former associate dean for equity, inclusion and diversity and director of the Institute for Economic and Racial Equity, and global public health researcher.

Hosted by Ariella S. Raviv '09, MA'11, President of the Brandeis Alumni Club of Israel. All Brandeis and Heller alumni are invited to join the official Facebook group for the Brandeis Alumni Club of Israel.

Co-hosted by the Brandeis Alumni Club of Israel and the Heller School.

A virtual conversation with Farhat Jilalbhoy, MA SID'14, Senior Director of Strategy at Save the Children, and current member on the Heller Alumni Association Board. Alumni Career Conversation events bring back Heller alumni to speak about their career trajectory, current employer, duties/responsibilities, industry insight, and career advice.

Aviva Chomsky, Professor of History and Coordinator of Latin American Studies, Salem State University, presented at the Heller School. Despite decades of international meetings, policy proposals, and scientific and technological advances, we can’t seem to do what we most need to do: lower the greenhouse gas emissions that are causing the climate catastrophe. Science and technology alone can’t address the social and economic causes of the crisis. Prof. Chomsky argued that we must place global climate justice at the center of our project of lowering emissions and shifting to an economy based on the common good and human survival within the planet's limits. This event was sponsored by the Office of the Dean, the Institute for Economic and Racial Equity, the Master of Public Policy Program, the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the Heller School, and the Brandeis University Office of Sustainability. It was part of the Year of Climate Action at Brandeis.

Marcela Pinilla, MS'07, MBA'08, Director of Sustainable Investing at Zevin Asset Management, talked about her experience in impact investing and her advice for how to navigate a career in the industry. Alumni Career Conversation events bring back Heller alumni to speak about their career trajectory, current employer, duties/responsibilities, industry insight, and career advice.

Students were invited to a special Q&A session with Heller alumni board president, Isaac Cudjoe, MA COEX'18, PhD, to discuss his leadership journey since graduating in 2018 and share insights from his current role as Co-CEO of Peace First. His presentation topic was "Fundraising for Social Justice: Re-shaping Philanthropy." Traditionally, donors are targeted based on their wealth and access. While their money has significantly impacted non-profit work, it has skewed the perspective of where, how, and when organizations should give money. This can rob people and communities of the agency when trying to collaboratively solve problems. Fundraising is a fundamental part of social justice work and must be democratized. School teachers, taxi drivers, waiters, and everyday people who keep our world running are just as worthy of being recognized as donors to this work. Yet, they haven’t been given the same opportunity as wealthy individuals. Peace First is working to change that within our organization and we are inviting others to take on this challenge too. Dr. Cudjoe shared his journey to Co-CEO of Peace First and more about Peace First’s shift from a US-only non-profit to a global organization with both staff and community members based all around the world. He also shared the evolution of Peace First’s funding model, moving away from traditional donors to a more democratized approach where everyone is a valued donor.

The 2022 Gittler Prize Recipient, Carol Anderson joined Heller for an engaging dialogue about the pursuit of racial equity, the barriers to achieving it, and the preservation of human rights in the face of obstruction. We explored the historical legacies of racism, examples of resilience and progress, and avenues to chart a way forward.

Carol Anderson, the Charles Howard Candler Professor of African American Studies at Emory University, is the 2022 winner of the Joseph B. and Toby Gittler Prize. She will present "White Rage: From Reconstruction to the January 6th Insurrection." She is the author of White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of our Racial Divide (Bloomsbury 2016). This book won the 2016 National Book Critics Circle Award for Criticism and is also a New York Times Bestseller, a New York Times Editor’s Pick, and listed on the Zora List of 100 Best Books by Black Woman Authors since 1850.  The Gittler Prize is hosted by the International Center for Ethics, Justice and Public Life on behalf of the Office of the President and Office of the Provost.

The Joshua A. Guberman Lecture has been established at Brandeis University to honor the memory of a man whose passionate concerns were for individual well-being and social justice.

Elizabeth Matos JD is the Executive Director of Prisoners’ Legal Services of Massachusetts and was a staff attorney with the organization for over seven years. Elizabeth has been involved in litigation about solitary confinement practices regarding prisoners with mental illness, discrimination against deaf and hard of hearing prisoners, draconian classification practices, guard on prisoner assaults, and lowering exorbitant and monopolistic prison phone rates. She works closely with coalitions and alongside those most impacted, and advocates with the state legislature on the organization’s legislative priorities, including ending the predatory charging for prison phone calls, expanding access to visitation and voting rights, ending solitary confinement, establishing a prison building moratorium, and providing meaningful access to mental health services, among others. Prior to practicing prisoners’ rights law at PLS Elizabeth practiced housing, education, disability, and immigration law at South Coastal Counties Legal Services. Preceding her legal career, she was a Fulbright Scholar in Mozambique and served as the Immigrant Rights Coordinator for the MIRA (Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy) Coalition. Presented by the Legal Studies Program and the Heller School. 

Innovative investing strategies hold the promise to revolutionize how we build a more inclusive society. One of the most successful approaches is Boston-based BlueHub Capital, a leading Community Development Institution (CDFI) which has invested more than $2.4 billion in low-income communities since 1985. As CEO of BlueHub Capital, Elyse Cherry has been a pioneer in the world of innovative finance for 35 years. She has also been a leading voice in the women’s and LGBTQ+ movements. This event is co-sponsored by the Heller MBA Program and the Heller Office of Equity, Inclusion and Diversity.

This event included a conversation about the current state of abortion and the impact of the reversal of Roe in communities. Issues of bodily autonomy, limited resources, and the erosion of rights shape our pathways forward toward equity were discussed. Jamie Morgan, a doctoral candidate at the Heller School in the Economic and Racial Equity concentration and an instructor at the Tufts University School of Medicine, presented. Her forthcoming dissertation research examines the effects of contentious politics on gender-based violence at abortion clinics. Prior to her doctoral studies, Morgan served the City of South Bend as senior staff in the Office of Mayor Pete Buttigieg. As the director of Pro Choice South Bend, she spent three years helping Whole Woman’s Health Alliance open the only abortion clinic in Northern Indiana. Today, she volunteers her time to advance anti-racist clinic defense efforts and access to gender-inclusive queer-affirming reproductive care. This event is hosted by the Heller School Dean’s Office and is co-hosted by The Eli J. & Phyllis N. Segal Citizen Leadership Program, which is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year.

We celebrated this day of philanthropy with Heller students and sharing all the resources YOU make available to them. They will be learning about the Heller Student Enrichment Funds, Career Services Initiatives, Brandeis Food Pantry, and more! Gifts will be counted towards our Heller School Giving DEISday goal to reach 100 donors and $5,000 which will unlock an additional $5,000 from an anonymous donor!

This event featured a panel of recent Heller alumni working in the fields of ESG & Impact Investing. Panelists included: Kendra Berry, MBA/MA SID'22, ESG Specialist, Client Success ISS ESG; Ricki Levitus, MBA'21, Analyst, Atlas Impact Partners; Megan Probst, MBA'21, ESG Analyst, Framework ESG; Zack Young, MBA'19, Senior Impact Investing Associate, Boston Impact Initiative; and Elizabeth Nguyen, MBA/MA SID'20, Economic Opoortunity Practice Lead, Village Capital.

This talk and panel discussion included María Belén Power, Associate Executive Director of GreenRoots; presidential appointee to the White House Environmental Justice Adisory Council. GreenRoots is a community-based organization dedicated to improving and enhancing the urban environment and public health in Chelsea and surrounding communities. Heather McMann, MBA'12, Executive Director of Groundwork Lawrence. Through its environmental and open space movements, fresh food access programs, youth and adult education and employment initiatives, and community programming, GroundWork Lawrence creates the building blocks of a healthy community, and empowers Lawrence residents to improve their quality of life. Moderated by Susan P. Curnan, The Florence G. Heller Associate Professor of the Practice, Director, Center for Youth and Communities, and Chair, Environmental Justice MPP & MBA Concentration. Sponsored by The Year of Climate Action, Brandeis.edu/CLIMATE, and the Heller School.

Attendees heard from Brandeis and Heller Segal Fellows about their 2022 Segal Summer Internships and their growth as citizen leaders. This year's internships focused on: aging policy, Appalachian economic development, racial justice, US-Israeli relations, voting rights, and women's rights. Segal Fellow presenters include Heller MPP and Brandeis Undergraduate Fellows Catherine Gooding, Gabriella Lieberman, Vianny Rodriguez, Jolecia Saunderson, Shania Thomas, and Hannah Wilcove. Thank you to our internship partners ACLU of MA, AIPAC, Altarum, Center for Coalfield Justice, Mass NOW, and NAACP LDF’s Thurgood Marshall Institute for hosting them. To learn more about The Eli J. & Phyllis N. Segal Citizen Leadership Program.

Welcome and Installation of the Stuart H. Altman Chair in U.S. Health Policy with Ron and Jessica Liebowitz

Remarks by Dr. Stuart H. Altman
Stuart H. Altman is a national health economist and health policy expert, a former Heller School dean and the current Sol C. Chaikin Professor of National Health Policy. He has chaired national health policy organizations, including the Massachusetts Health Policy Commission, and acted as an advisor to five U.S. presidential administrations.

Lecture delivered by Karen Donelan, Stuart H. Altman Chair in U.S. Health Policy
Karen Donelan is a past founding director of the Harvard Opinion Research Program, Director of the Survey Research Unit at Massachusetts General Hospital, and is an internationally recognized expert on the healthcare workforce.

The Heller Alumni Association Board President, Isaac Cudjoe, MA COEX'18, celebrated the change-making potential of Africa's youth! Ghana-area alumni were invited to join Dr. Cudjoe at the University of Ghana for a Masterclass on Social Change. Panelists discussed the need for youth voices, a spirit of active citizenship, and a culture of service for sustainable community development. This event was a great opportunity to connect with other Heller alumni and change makers and meet the new Alumni Board president. Dr. Isaac Cudjoe is a community organizer, social entrepreneur, and champion for advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion. He is the Co-Chief Executive Officer of Peace First, an international non-profit organization which fosters the next generation of peacemakers. He recently completed his PhD in Public Policy and Administration from Walden University. As Heller Alumni Association Board President, he is looking forward to building bridges in the Heller community.

Alex Green '04, MPA, Adjunct Lecturer in Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School, is a widely recognized advocate, writer, and scholar on the history of disability institutions in America. He is the author of landmark legislation to create a first-of-its-kind disability-led human rights commission to investigate the history of state institutions for disabled people in Massachusetts. He is a Visiting Fellow at the Harvard Law School Project on Disability. Contact lurie@brandeis.edu with any questions.

Heller Alumni and Friends were invited to join the Brandeis Alumni of Color Network as we observed Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day, in the celebration of our collective freedom and inclusion. If you have any questions about this event you can call the Brandeis Office of Alumni Relations at 781-736-4012 or email alumnievents@brandeis.edu.

The Krauss Family invited Heller alumni and friends to join a celebration of life for professor emerita and former university provost, Marty Wyngaarden Krauss, PhD’81, who passed away the evening of January 12, 2022. A Brandeis lifer, Krauss completed her doctoral studies at the Heller School, then joined the faculty in 1984 and spent her entire academic career at Brandeis. Marty served as interim dean of the Heller School from 2014 to 2017 and as an emerita member of the board of advisors thereafter. Read more about Marty’s connection to Brandeis. In lieu of flowers, you can make a gift in Marty’s honor to the Lurie Institute for Disability Policy at the Heller School at Brandeis University. When you make your gift, select "Other" and designate Lurie Institute IMO Marty Krauss.

This event in New York featured an illustrious panel who explored the ways that New York’s urban landscape could and should transform in the face of the rapid changes taking place in demographics, business habits, public health and safety needs and other aspects of city life. This event was sponsored by the Brandeis Alumni Association, the International Business School and the Heller School. Event chairs were Mitch Cohen ’76 and Stephen Rabinowitz ’83. Event panelists included Stephen Rabinowitz ’83, co-chair, Greenberg Traurig's Global Real Estate Practice; Dr. Lucretia Jones ’77, director, Communicable Diseases GSU, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene; David Hodes ’77, founder and managing partner, Hodes Weill & Associates; Bryna Sanger, Heller PhD’76, university professor of Policy and Management, The New School, New York City, and Heller Board of Advisors member; and Dr. Erik Blutinger ’09, emergency physician and medical director, Community Paramedicine, Mount Sinai Health System, NY.

How do you use your experience and insight from a long career to help others, create sustainable change and leave a lasting legacy? Panelists shared their stories, ideas and suggestions for next steps on how to offer expertise to the next generation. 

Panelists included Otis S. Johnson, PhD’80 - A former Dean at Savannah State University and previous Mayor of Savannah, Georgia; Helen Lo, PhD’80 - Founded Lo and Sons at the age of 65 with her family; and Rachel Winkeller, PhD'73 - A consultant with ESC and recently retired from her position as Director of Transportation, Policy and Planning at the US Department of Transportation (DOS).

The Heller School celebrated and honored the Class of 2022 to commemorate their achievements as students, celebrate them as graduates and welcome them as alumni. Read more about Commencement. Brandeis also celebrated past 2020 and 2021 graduates with an in-person [Re]Commencement.

The Heller School celebrated Professor Joan Dassin at her retirement celebration. She joined the Heller School faculty in Fall 2014 and was Director of the M.A. Program in Sustainable International Development (SID). Gifts in honor of Joan can be made to the Heller School Fellowship Fund to support tuition for SID and COEX students.

Dean David Weil has a conversation with incoming Interim Dean Maria Madison as they discuss the latest challenges. Help us honor Dean David Weil's 5-year term as Dean with a gift to the David and Miriam Weil Fellowship. This fellowship will provide an award to a Heller School graduate student, with a preference for a student who is studying labor, economic or environmental policy. Our goal is to raise a total of $200,000 by June 30, 2022, when David concludes his tenure as Dean. This amount will allow the fund to be endowed in perpetuity. If you have any questions about this event, contact Joanne Beswick. A recording will be posted in the near future. Watch the recording.

The Gender and Sexuality Center will celebrate the academic achievements of LGBTQ+ students at the Lavender Graduation Ceremony. Contact alumnievents@brandeis.edu with any questions.

Robert Kuttner's latest book explores the parallels between the presidencies of FDR and Biden. What is at stake for America in 2022 and beyond? With history and the extraordinary parallels between Biden and FDR as his guide, the veteran political analyst diagnoses what’s at stake for America in 2022 and beyond.

In the foreword Joseph E. Stiglitz writes, "Joe Biden has found his way back to Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal. After four decades of diminishing prospects for ordinary people, the public likes what Biden is offering. Yet American democracy is in dire peril as Republicans, increasingly the national minority, try to destroy democracy in order to cling to power. It is the best of times and the worst of times. In Going Big, bestselling author and political journalist Robert Kuttner assesses the promise and peril of this critical juncture. From a writer with an unparalleled understanding of the history and politics that have made this moment possible, this book is the essential guide to what is at stake for Joe Biden, for America, and for our democracy." This event is sponsored by the  Master of Public Policy Program.

We know a US job search for international students may present challenges. Yet, many international Heller alumni have successfully connected to a job or other professional opportunities in the US. How did they do it? What strategies and tips made them successful? What resources were helpful? What were some of the challenges in connecting to opportunities in the US? The Heller Career Development Center and this panel shared key tips, strategies, and resources for navigating your job search in the US by hearing from international Heller alumni who have made connections and opportunities work in their favor. Moderated by Bryan Kanney, Assistant Director, Heller Career Development Center with featured panelists Dalia Eryani, MS'08, Senior Director, Business Development and Operations Support, Akesis and Wafaa Arbash, MA SID/MA COEX'16, Head of Product Workforce-Strategy, CloudFactory.

The Global Studies Research Seminar (GSRS) inaugural event hosted Daniel Agbiboa, Assistant Professor of African and African American Studies at Harvard University, to discuss Beyond the Spectacle of the Real: Police Brutality and Spectral Violence. Global Studies Research Seminar Co-Chairs, Professor Pamina Firchow, PhD, and Professor Joseph Assan, PhD, moderated the session. The year 2020 ushered in a new era of pandemic world (dis)order. But it will also be remembered as a pivotal period that catalyzed police brutality and anti-police brutality protests across the globe, as evidenced by the Black Lives Matter and #EndSARS social movements in the United States and Nigeria respectively.

The Heller School announced the winners of this year's Heller Teaching; Teaching Assistant; Mentoring; Staff Service; Equity, Inclusion and Diversity; Early Investigator Awards; and the Barbara Wakefield Award. Read more about these exemplary members of our community!

The Black Action Plan (BAP) and the Intercultural Center (ICC) hosted “The State of Blackness,” a very special celebration of 69 years of diversity, art, activism and culture at Brandeis University! These unique events commemorated the many contributions that Black, Brown, Asian, and Indigenous students, faculty, staff and alumni have made over nearly seven decades, making Brandeis a diverse, equitable and inclusive space. They honored the countless intellectual, emotional, spiritual and physical improvements that members of this remarkable community–including Brandeis’s first Black student, Herman Hemingway ’53–have made to the university. They also celebrated the 30th anniversary of the Intercultural Center (a brain-child of student activism in the 1990’s). Please join us as we show our deep appreciation for the timeless legacies of those who have gone before, whose activism, courage, and vision created generational ripples of impact, making way for future legacies to take root and flourish.

Heller School alumni, current students, friends, faculty, and staff gathered at Artists for Humanity in Boston for drinks and hors d’oeuvres to laugh, converse, and enjoy a night of Heller in the City! Alumni and friends supported current Heller School students by sharing their expertise, insight, stories, and connections as they prepare for internships and other post-graduate opportunities this summer! This event was co-sponsored by the Heller Career Development Center, Development and Alumni Relations Offices and the Heller Student Association.

The National Research Center for Parents with Disabilities and the Lurie Institute for Disability Policy hosted a webinar entitled "Black, Disabled, Deaf & Proud." Presenters included three parents who are Black and disabled or Deaf about their experiences, and listeners learned about how service providers can best serve these parents and their families. Moderated by: Linda Long-Bellil, PhD'07, Assistant Professor, University of Massachusetts Medical School. Panelists included Earl Allen, Senior Staff Specialist, Rochester Institute of Technology; Morenike Giwa-Onaiwu, Academic Instructor, Texas Higher Education; and Heather Watkins, Disability Advocate, Speaker, Consultant. For more information about Lurie Institute events contact Miriam Heyman.

A virtual discussion that featured honoree Stephanie Tilenius ’89, MA’90, founder and CEO of Vida Health, and moderator Louis Woolf ’76, president and CEO of Hebrew SeniorLife. This event was sponsored by the President's Office, Brandeis University and the Asper Center for Global Entrepreneurship at the International Business School.

Professor Mari Fitzduff's book, "Our Brains at War: The Neuroscience of Conflict and Peacebuilding" (Oxford University Press 2021) suggests that we need a radical change in how we think about war, leadership, and politics. Most of us, political scientists included, fail to appreciate the extent to which instincts and emotions, rather than logic, factor into our societal conflicts and international wars. Many of our physiological and genetic tendencies, of which we are mostly unaware, can all too easily fuel our antipathy towards other groups, make us choose 'strong' leaders over more mindful leaders, assist recruitment for illegal militias, and facilitate even the gentlest of us to inflict violence on others. The book identifies the sources of compelling instincts and emotions, and how we can acknowledge and better manage them so as to develop international and societal peace more effectively.

Mari Fitzduff is Professor Emerita and founding director of the master’s professional programs in Conflict Resolution and Coexistence at Brandeis University. She has worked on conflicts in the Basque Country, the Caucasus, Northern Ireland, Sri Lanka, Middle East, Indonesia, Crimea, Korea, Japan, Cameroon, Philippines, Peru, and Colombia. 

Co-sponsored by The Heller School and the Brandeis Alumni Club of Greater Boston. If you have a question please contact helleralumni@brandeis.edu. The recording will be posted here soon.

A virtual event featuring:

• Anatole Manzi, Deputy CMO, Partners in Health
• Maria Madison, Associate Dean, DEI and Director, Institute for Economic and Racial Equity, The Heller School
• Tinashe Goronga, National Specialist, UNDP
• Joia Muckherjee, Chief Medical Officer, Partners in Health
• Kumba Sennaar, PhD Candidate, The Heller School
• Valeria Macias, Executive Director, Compañeros en Salud, PIH
• Jesus Peinado, Director, Program Management, PIH-Peru
• A.K. Nandakumar, Director, Institute for Global Health and Development, The Heller School

Co-hosted by Partners in Health and The Heller School.

The Gender Working Group facilitated a reading group for professor Anita Hill’s book “Believing: Our Thirty-Year Journey to End Gender Violence,” a powerful story of America’s endemic gender-based violence. Graduate students will facilitate each session for meaningful discussion and alumni were invited to join the group. Anita Hill will be a facilitator for the final meeting. Contact the Gender Working Group with any questions.

This workshop was lead by Edith Pick, Research Associate at Hadassah-Brandeis Institute and a PhD Researcher in the School of Business and Management at Queen Mary University of London. It explored some of the contentious meeting points between diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) discourse and the Jewish context. Moving between the worlds of theory and practice, debating conceptual and real-world questions, we investigated the dilemmas that the elusive nature of “Jewish difference” pose to the management of difference. We examined tensions between whiteness and otherness, privilege and marginality, difference and sameness, and unravel intersections between work, identity and social justice in Jewish organizational life, and beyond. Sponsored by the Heller Office of Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity and the Brandeis Intercultural Center.

Negotiating a salary for a new job or even a promotion can seem challenging and anxiety-inducing. Questions arise such as what should I ask for? How should I approach the negotiation conversation? Should I negotiate salary at all? What should I do if the organization doesn’t move from the current salary offering? This workshop will highlight some helpful strategies, insights, and resources which will make you more comfortable approaching the salary negotiation, informed of how organizations think about salaries for applicants, knowledgeable about the other layers of a salary package, and successful in getting the salary you deserve. This event was held on Handshake.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) is the world’s court for adjudicating the worst violence known to humankind: genocide, rape as a weapon of war, mass murder, pillage and more. It is also an international organization staffed by hundreds of dedicated lawyers, civil servants and others who live worlds away from the people impacted by these crimes. How do ICC staff confront the distance between themselves and those impacted by war? What is it like on a daily basis to work on behalf of populations they may never meet or see? This event brought together a broad array of ICC staff members who work or worked as investigators, trial lawyers, victims’ advocates, judges assistants and more to reflect on managing “distance” in their work at the Court. They brought together personal stories and strategies about daily life at the ICC to reflect more strategically on the Court’s broader challenges as it expands into new contexts around the world. Sponsored by the Heller COEX Program, and the Heller Office of Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity.

Interested in learning more about a career as a policy analyst? The work of a policy analyst involves using research, analysis and problem solving in order to shape society and contribute to solutions to challenges and complex social questions. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment for public policy workers is expected to grow by around 13% until 2024, which is faster than the average for most other occupations. This workshop provided an inside look into what it is like working in public policy and being a policy analyst, how to get there, and what to keep in mind. Panelists included Edward Curis, MPP'13, Senior Policy Analyst, Neighborhood Health Plan of Rhode Island; Moise Bourdeau, MS'14, Policy & Governmental Affairs Manager, Office of Healthy Aging, State of Rhode Island; and Elizabeth Olson, MPP'18, Policy Analyst, The Washington State Budget & Policy Center. This event was held on Handshake.

The Heller BIPOC Mentoring Marketplace Committee and Professors Joseph K. Assan, Maria Madison, Alexandra Piñeros Shields, and Rajesh Sampath held a conversation about mentorship and navigating higher education as a BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) Student. While the content will center on the experiences of BIPOC students, the knowledge gained will be relevant to all. We hope you will join us!

Panelists included Rajesh Sampath, PhD, Associate Director of Philosophy and Justice, Rights, and Social Change; Maria Madison, PhD, Associate Dean of EID and Director, Institute for Economic and Racial Equity; Alexandra Pineros Shields, PhD'07, Professor of Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity;  and Joseph Assan, PhD, SID Program Director and Senior Lecturer.

Professors Carole Carlson, Professor Joel Cutcher Gershenfeld, and Matthew Kriegsman ’11, MBA’20, are pleased to announce that we have just signed an agreement with Brandeis University Press to publish the first Heller Social Impact Case Collection. This collection of short social impact cases, with supporting materials, is (to our knowledge) the first collection of its kind and will help to establish Heller as a world leader for social impact teaching. The cases will fall into several categories: Social Entrepreneur Start-up Cases, Social Entrepreneur Scaling Cases, Social Impact Leadership Cases, Social Impact Operations Cases, Social Impact Financial Management Cases, Social Impact Human Resources Cases, Social Impact Data Analytics Cases, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion / Addressing Bias and other topics of interest. Please reach out to Carole Carlson with any questions. The collection of these cases has now closed.

Dr. Richard Frank, PhD, Margaret Morris Professor of Health Economics (emeritus) at Harvard Medical School, discussed Prescription Drug Affordability and the Supply of Cures. Dr. Frank is currently a Senior Fellow in Economic Studies and Director of the Schaeffer Initiative on Health Policy at the Brookings Institution. Stuart H. Altman, PhD, Sol C. Chaikin Professor of National Health Policy, moderated the discussion. To make a gift to the Stanley Wallack Distinguished Memorial Lecture Series, contact the Heller Development Office at 781-736-3808 or give online. Watch the recording.

In observance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, the Office of the Dean and the Heller Office of Equity, Inclusion and Diversity welcomed Dr. Alan Mueller, a passionate advocate for authentic transformation. He started Adaptive Challenge Consulting in 2014 to help organizations navigate their greatest challenges through listening and real conversations. This workshop explored the meaning of ‘race’ and ‘racism'; how overt racism appears in our language, symbols, and messaging; and where race and colonization intersect with gender and other identities. At the end of the workshop, participants should feel more empowered to work toward creating more inclusive environments at home, at work, and in their communities. Registrants can access the resources for the 7-Day Challenge online. Heller staff, faculty, students, and alumni were strongly encouraged to attend. If you have questions, contact Tynika Booth or Victoria Felson.

Career exploration for doctoral students is more than just research and teaching, though that is a big part of it. Heller School PhD alumni work across a variety of different organizations and industries as consultants, researchers, administrators, project managers, policy analysts, economists, and other professional endeavors. The Heller Career Development Center sponsors this virtual career program where four alumni working in varied fields will shared their experience and insight going from their doctoral program to their current role, some of the challenges they faced as they balanced the need for career preparation with their studies, and helpful tips, strategies, and resources they found helpful as they developed their careers after receiving their PhD. Alumni presenters include: Ye Pogue, PhD'19, Research Public Health Analyst, RTI International, Maria Timberlake, MA'10, PhD'13, Associate Professor, Foundations & Social Advocacy Department, SUNY-Cortland; Sara Chaganti, PhD'18, Deputy Director of Research in Regional & Community Outreach, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston; and Gail Strickler, MMHS'94, MA'00, PhD'07, Research Scientist and Deputy Director, Opioid Policy Research Collaborative, The Heller School.

This year, we asked all Heller faculty, staff, friends, alumni, and students to come together to help us reach our goal of 100 donors and $5,000. Once we reach this goal we'll unlock another $5,000 from an anonymous match donor! The best part? All of these funds go towards supporting Heller students. This year, our community will unite to support Heller students with gifts designated for three essential pillars that support Heller students: Where the need is greatest, Heller Student Enrichment Funds, and the FRESH Brandeis Food Pantry. Thank you to all of our alumni, students, staff, friends and faculty who made this day a success! You can still make a gift anytime to the Heller School and if you have questions, please contact us at helleralumni@brandeis.edu.

The Heller School cordially invited alumni to join a conversation on racial literacy, with Howard C. Stevenson, a nationally recognized clinical psychologist and researcher of racial stress and trauma, and the 2020 winner of the Joseph B. and Toby Gittler Prize. Dr. Stevenson is the Constance Clayton Professor of Urban Education at the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education, where he serves as executive director of the Racial Empowerment Collaborative and directs Forward Promise, a national philanthropic office that promotes a culture of health for boys and young men of color, to help them heal from the trauma of historical and present-day dehumanization, discrimination and colonization. Dr. Stevenson has led mental health research projects funded by the National Institutes of Health to examine the benefits of racial literacy, and is the author of the bestselling book “Promoting Racial Literacy in Schools: Differences That Make a Difference,” which offers solutions to reduce racial threat reactions in face-to-face encounters. Watch the recording.

About the Joseph B. and Toby Gittler Prize
The Joseph B. and Toby Gittler Prize was created by the late Professor Joseph B. Gittler to recognize outstanding and lasting scholarly contributions to racial, ethnic and/or religious relations. The Joseph B. and Toby Gittler Endowed Fund at Brandeis University supports this annual award. The Gittler Prize is hosted by the International Center for Ethics, Justice and Public Life on behalf of the Office of the President and Office of the Provost.

The Master of Public Policy program and the MPP Student Association sponsored this event titled "The Political and Economic Implications of the Biden Initiatives," a discussion about President Biden's early initiatives with Lisa Lynch, Maurice B. Hexter Professor of Social and Economic Policy, and Robert Kuttner, Meyer and Ida Kirstein Professor in Social Planning and Administration, and moderated by Pierrce Holmes, MPP'22, 2021 Heller MPP Segal Program Fellow.

The MBA Distinguished Management Lecture features Tracy Palandjian, the CEO and Co-Founder of Social Finance. Tracy will share how she and her team at Social Finance have worked with leaders in the public, private and social sectors to use funding and data in innovative ways to create lasting impact. Since its founding, Social Finance has catalyzed over $225 million to help more than 35,000 individuals realize improved outcomes in education, economic mobility, health, and housing.

Social Finance is a national impact finance and advisory nonprofit that builds innovative partnerships and investments to measurably improve lives. The firm became a fund manager in 2019 to launch its Career Impact Bond strategy, a financing model that improves economic mobility for unemployed and underemployed individuals. Prior to Social Finance, Tracy was a Managing Director at The Parthenon Group, where she established and led the Nonprofit Practice. She also worked at Wellington Management Company and McKinsey & Company. Tracy is Vice Chair of the U.S. Impact Investing Alliance, a Trustee of the Global Steering Group on Impact Investing, and a Director at both The Boston Foundation and Mass General Brigham. A native of Hong Kong, Tracy graduated from Harvard College with a B.A. magna cum laude in Economics and holds an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School, where she was a Baker Scholar. She is a recipient of the HBS Alumni Achievement Award, the School’s highest honor. If you have any questions, please contact Norma DeMattos.

The Heller School held a virtual discussion with University Professor Anita Hill about her latest book, “Believing: Our Thirty-Year Journey to End Gender Violence” in conversation with Professor ChaeRan Freeze, the Frances and Max Elkon Chair in Modern Jewish History and chair of the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Department at Brandeis. “Believing,” Professor Hill’s third book, is a comprehensive examination of how gender-based violence infiltrates and damages lives, communities and social structures. In it, Hill connects the dots from elementary school bullying to college sexual assault, workplace harassment and intimate partner violence, laying bare the broken systems that often fail to provide accountability or properly investigate complaints. Along the way she interweaves stories from her own life and others’, poignant reminders that although gender-based violence is almost too big to fully comprehend, its consequences are meted out on individual lives, families, communities and our society at large. Contact helleralumni@brandeis.edu if you have any questions. Watch the recording and read the feature article.

The Heller Alumni Association hosts the Student Coffee Break to welcome back new and returning students by inviting them to enjoy coffee and the legendary muffins from the Gingerbread Construction Co. Many young alumni will remember this event from when they were a student. We are inviting alumni to attend and also share their advice for students! Students will be there to meet alumni and also learn about the resources available for students, including the Heller Enrichment Funds, connecting with alumni, and ways to continue to be engaged with Heller after they graduate. Contact the Heller Alumni Relations Office if you have any questions.  This event is co-sponsored by the Heller Alumni Association, the Heller Development and Alumni Relations, the Career Development Center, Office of Equity, Inclusion and Diversity, Heller Student Services, and Brandeis Graduate Affairs.

Three Georgia residents with disabilities fight to access Now/Comp Waiver funding that would allow them to live life on their own terms. A life guaranteed by their Olmstead rights. What happens when people with disabilities want to live outside of nursing facilities and in the community? This event included a 30 minute discussion with Naomi, Ben, and Nick, featured in the film. CART and ASL services will be provided. This event is sponsored by the Lurie Institute for Disability Policy.

Brandeis alumni and current students from across the Greater Chicago area gathered for a virtual evening of business and career networking. This event will featured a panel discussion and breakout rooms where alumni connected across sectors. Panelists include: Jesse Leung ’14, Michael Resnick ’86, Laura Neiman ’97, and Andrea Fishman ’97. Learn more about the panelists here. This event is presented by the Brandeis Alumni Club of Chicago and the Hiatt Career Center.

A book launch discussion of Jan Nisbet's Pain and Shock in America: Politics, Advocacy, and the Controversial Treatment of People with Disabilities. This is the first book on the Judge Rotenberg Center and their use of painful interventions to control the behavior of children and adults with disabilities. This event included an interview-style conversation between the author Jan Nisbet and Ari Ne'eman, visiting scholar at the Lurie Institute for Disability Policy and co-founder of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network. There was also a panel discussion of professionals on the legal and disability policy impacts of this ongoing fight. They included Jennifer Mathis, Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law; Nancy Weiss, Director of National Leadership Consortium on Developmental Disabilities; and Finn Gardiner, Lurie Institute for Disability Policy. Contact lurie@brandeis.edu with any questions. This event is sponsored by the Lurie Institute for Disability Policy.

Speakers included Kevin Irvine, Earl Allen, and Dominick Evans. The webinar was facilitated by Linda Long-Bellil, PhD'07, JD. For more information contact Miriam Heyman. This event is sponsored by the Lurie Institute for Disability Policy.

Three alumni changemakers whose personal and professional efforts have had significant impact in the LGBTQ community discussed how their Brandeis experiences shaped their advocacy work and how the concept of “repairing the world” or “tikkun olam” has driven and inspired them.

Panelists included Aliya Bean ’16 who was immersed in policy-making on Capitol Hill as interim executive director of the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus in the U.S. House of Representatives. Marvin Kabakoff ’68, a historian and veteran of the gay rights movement who serves on the board of Boston’s LGBTQ archives and chairs his synagogue’s Rainbow Committee. Alexis “Lexi” Matza ’98 who provides welcoming healthcare services for LGBT veterans as deputy director of the federal Veterans Health Administration’s LGBT health program. The program was moderated by Josh Wright-Huynh, MBA’22, co-president of the LGBTQ+ Business Student Association. This event is co-sponsored by the Brandeis Alumni Association, the LGBTQ+ Business Student Association, The Heller School and the Brandeis International Business School. For more information, contact the Brandeis Office of Alumni Relations at 781-736-4012 or email alumnievents@brandeis.edu.

Candice C. Jones is the President and CEO of the Public Welfare Foundation. As noted on their website, "For over seventy years, Public Welfare Foundation has supported efforts to advance justice and opportunity for people in need. Today, our efforts focus on catalyzing a transformative approach to justice that is community-led, restorative, and racially just through investments in criminal justice and youth justice reforms." Jones previously "served as Senior Advisor at Chicago CRED, an organization that focuses on gun violence in Chicago... [and] as Director of the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice.... She also served as a White House Fellow [and]... a program officer with the MacArthur Foundation.... Jones received her J.D. from New York University School of Law and her B.A. from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri." This event is sponsored by The Eli J. & Phyllis N. Segal Citizen Leadership Program at The Center for Youth and Communities.

Survivors shared their testimonies, academicians discussed mechanisms of the Genocide denial and how to fight it and to prevent the Genocide. Panelists included Rwandan Embassy Representative Survivors and Scholars: Didier Bizimungu, Survivor, Author & Activist; Dr. Sara E. Brown, Executive Director, The Center for Holocaust, Human Rights & Genocide Education (Chhange); Dr. Karegeye Jean-Pierre, Genocide Scholar; Dr. Zachary Kaufman, Associate Professor of Law and Political Science at the University of Houston Law Center; Omar Ndizeye, Survivor and Author; and Ms. Consolee Nishimwe, Survivor, Author & Activist. Moderatorated by: Dr. Maria Madison, Associate Dean for Equity, Inclusion and Diversity, The Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University; Director, Institute for Economic and Racial Equity.

Professors Harleen Singh, Women’s Studies Research Center (WSRC) director and associate professor of South Asian Literature and Women's Studies and Rajesh Sampath, associate professor of the Philosophy of Justice, Rights, and Social Change at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis, had a discussion about the role of Dalit women in India's Anti-Colonial movement; the participation by members of what once was called the “untouchable” caste in modern Indian government and their conflicted status in Indian society. Explore gender inequality, the caste system, and their intersections in India and the pursuit of justice and equality today. This event is co-sponsored by the Brandeis Women’s Network and a Brandeis Alumni College 2021 event. Watch the recording.

A webinar on the Biden-Harris Administration's historic proposal to invest $400 billion in the Medicaid Home and Community Based Services program (HCBS). The session featured remarks from the Acting Administrator of the Administration for Community Living, Alison Barkoff. Following remarks from the administration's leadership, there were brief presentations from a panel representing the perspectives of consumers, their advocates, and members of the workforce. Sandy Ho, Research Associate at the Lurie Institute, led a panel discussion and moderated a Q&A from the audience. This event is sponsored by the Community Living Policy Center (CLPC), housed at the Lurie Institute for Disability Policy. Contact lurie@brandeis.edu with any questions.

This event featured a panel of alumni and a current student for a discussion of Latina/o/x students at Brandeis. The panel shared their experiences on campus spanning 50 years including student activism - off and on campus - and a history of the student organization, GRITO. The moderator is Heller alum Fernando Torres-Gil, MSW'72, PhD'76. Panelists include undergraduate alumni Naomi Vega '73, Norma Sanchez '84, Blanca Elizabeth Vega '98, Cesar Ramirez '04 and Irma Reyes '21. If you have any questions, please reach out to Elsie Morales Ramos '72. Hosted by the Brandeis Alumni of Color Network. Watch the recording.

University Professor Anita Hill moderated a discussion with Dean David Weil, and past Deans, Lisa Lynch, Stuart Altman and Jack Shonkoff. The multiple pandemics of this past year have pushed the Heller School to innovate, to adapt, and to dig deep into reservoirs of strength, creativity and grit. They also remind us of the importance of the work that happens at Heller as a response to public crises of all kinds as well as the need to care for members of the Heller community during difficult times. The current and past Heller Deans shared their perspectives about how they navigated periods of growth, adversity and change, and what they hold up as major accomplishments during their tenure. Based on their experiences across numerous decades, it was an interesting discussion to hear their personal recounts and how we can learn from our past to influence our future. Read the featured story and watch the recording.

The Heller School celebrated and honored the Class of 2021 at this year's virtual ceremony to commemorate their achievements as students, celebrate them as graduates and welcome them as alumni. This year’s graduates are entering a world sorely in need of their knowledge, skills and dedication to our social justice mission. Watch the videos or read the transcripts of all presenters here.

This event touched on the early accomplishments in health of the Biden Administration and what we might expect going forward. Heller’s Stuart H. Altman, PhD, Sol C. Chaikin Professor of National Health Policy lead the discussion and David Weil, Dean and Professor Heller School for Social Policy and Management gave opening remarks. This event discussed the impact of COVID on health policy and the health care delivery system. This event is sponsored by the Schneider Institutes for Health Policy and Research. Watch the recording.

The Biden Administration has prioritized the rapid scale up and administering of the COVID vaccine as a key part of the strategy to deal with the virus and create conditions conducive for reopening the economy. At the same time global efforts, through the Covax initiative as well as at country levels, are trying to use collective actions to make the COVID vaccine available to billions of people living in low and middle-income settings. The Biden administration has signalled its commitment to the global effort through a financial commitment in the billions of dollars. The domestic and global responses have come with questions on the rollout itself but equally with issues around ensuring equity and the responsibility of high income countries to low and middle-income countries. This panel brought together representatives from various sectors, domestic and global, to share their perspectives and discuss the issues. Moderated by Dr. Maria Madison, Associate Dean for Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity and Director, Institute for Economic and Racial Equity.

Panelists included Senator Jo Comerford, Massachusetts State Senator for Hampshire, Franklin, and Worcester Districts; Dr. Oneeka Williams, MD, MPH, Practicing surgeon, St. Elizabeth Medical Centre, Boston; Assistant Clinical Professor of Urology, Tufts University School of Medicine; Founder and CEO at Dr. Dee Dee Dynamo, LLC; Vice Chair, Board of Advisors, Museum of Science, Boston; Ms. Sangita Patel, Director Health Office, USAID India; Dan Kress, Vice President for Health Systems Innovation, Management Sciences for Health; Christian von Stolk, Vice President, RAND, & co-author, RAND vaccine nationalism study. This event is co-sponsored by the Institute of Global Health and Development and Institute for Economic and Racial Equity. Questions? Email Monica Jordan. Watch the recording.

Recognizing and celebrating excellence in our community is of crucial importance. One way we do so is through our annual Heller awards. Dean David Weil announced the staff, faculty and student winners of the Heller Teaching; Teaching Assistant; Mentoring; Staff Service; Equity, Inclusion and Diversity; and Early Investigator Awards for Academic Year 2020-2021. Congratulations to these exemplary members of our community!

Today’s black-white wealth gap originated with the unfulfilled promise of 40 acres in 1865. The payment of this debt in the 21st century is feasible—and at least 156 years overdue. In their award-winning book, From Here to Equality: Reparations for Black Americans in the Twenty-First Century, William Darity Jr. and A. Kirsten Mullen advance a general definition of reparations as a program of acknowledgment, redress, and closure. Acknowledgment constitutes the culpable party’s admission of responsibility for the atrocity; admission should include recognition of the damages inflicted upon the enslaved and their descendants and the advantages gained by the culpable party. Redress constitutes the acts of restitution; the steps taken to “heal the wound.” In this context, it means the erasure of the black-white wealth gap. Closure constitutes an agreement by both the victims and the perpetrators that the account is settled. Sponsored by the the Center for Global Development and Sustainability and their event series titled A Global Policy and Justice Series.

The theme for this year is Reflections on Im/Migration. Each of us, directly or through our family members and ancestors, have experienced international and intranational movement. Some of these movements are voluntary and engaged with honor, while others are coerced, fueled by, and often met with, violence. Deis Impact 2021 will focus on our collective lived experiences as we navigate the dynamics of power, privilege, and exclusion contained within them. Visit the website for these events and for more information on Deis Impact’s history. Email Dr. Aretina Hamilton, Director of Programming, Training, Education, and Development with questions or inquiries.

President Ron Liebowitz and his wife Jessica celebrated the Perlmutter Award for Excellence in Global Business Leadership with recipient Aron J. Ain, CEO and Chairman of UKG (Ultimate Kronos Group) and author of "WorkInspired: How to Build an Organization Where Everyone Loves to Work.” The Perlmutter Award for Excellence in Global Business Leadership is given to a highly select group of individuals who have demonstrated exceptional leadership worldwide. It particularly honors those whose careers in business, finance, government and related fields embody the values promoted by the Perlmutter Institute for Global Business Leadership — a vision that transcends national borders, the highest levels of professionalism and a commitment to the global community and its prosperity. Sponsored by the President's Office, Brandeis University and the Perlmutter Institute for Global Business Leadership at Brandeis International Business School. Watch the recording.

In this Conversation with the Dean, David Weil spoke to Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut about her commitment to creating good middle class jobs, promoting employee and union rights, expanding the child tax credit and more. DeLauro became the Chair of the House Appropriations Committee in 2020 and sits on the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee, and she is the Chair of the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Subcommittee, where she oversees our nation’s investments in education, health, and employment. Read about the event and watch the recording here.

Read more about Rep. DeLauro, her expertise, and biography here.

The Covid-19 pandemic is having devastating impacts on the livelihoods of millions of households across the globe. The session examined these dynamics and discussed some case studies on these devastating impacts. It also highlighted the discriminatory patterns underlying current interventions and consider policy options to redress the situation, especially for female/youth headed households. Presenter includes Professor Joseph K. Assan and discussant Constance Fairweather Kane, PhD'85, chair of the Heller Board of Advisors at the Heller School. Sponsored by the the Center for Global Development and Sustainability and their event series titled A Global Policy and Justice Series.

The Biden-Harris administration has issued a directive requiring federal agencies to identify barriers to racial equity and to put in place plans to address them. This new policy could have far-reaching implications for U.S. conflict resolution and development programs, which will need to become more participatory and inclusive—particularly in fragile states, where aid delivery tends to be top down. The Global Fragility Act and U.S. Strategy on Women, Peace and Security offer tools for realizing these goals and build upon decades of lessons learned from research and programming in the field. USIP and the Heller School had a discussion on how applying the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion can contribute to more effective U.S. peace and development programs around the world. Panelists considered efforts to meaningfully engage marginalized or underrepresented groups such as women, youth, and social movement actors to support locally driven peacebuilding. Moderated by Dr. Pamina Firchow with panelists Dr. Corinne Graff (USIP), Dr. Susanna Campbell (American University), Rosa Emilia Salamanca (Corporación de Investigación y Acción Social y Económica (CIASE) in Colombia), and Joseph Sany (USIP).

The Center for Global Development and Sustainability is hosting a series of webinars, A Global Policy and Justice Series, confronting critical national and global issues that will shape sustainable development efforts for decades. This webinar featured Professor Alfred Zack-Williams with Heller Moderators/Discussants: Professor Joseph Assan and Dr. Maria Madison. This talk focused on the structural racial discrimination, ethnic supremacy, and xenophobia, globally and how such tendencies undermine the development of oppressed minorities and marginalized groups. They examined policy strategies in achieving anti-racist development and discuss efforts to ensure social mobility and the attainment of racial and economic equity.

The three Brandeis Graduate Schools hosted a live conversation with Dr. Eddie Moore, Jr., creator of the 21-Day Equity Habit Building Challenge©. Dr. Moore, along with our guest panelists, discussed the roots of the 21-Day Challenge and its significance in this moment of escalated hate crimes - including anti-Asian hate crimes - and racial reckoning. The conversation included how to use this resource to be a more effective champion for equity and justice in life, school and career. Read about the Heller 21-day Challenge here. Panelists included Dr. Eddie Moore, Jr., Founder & Educational Consultant, America & MOORE, LLC; Founder and Director, The White Privilege Conference; Creator of the 21-Day Racial Equity Habit Building Challenge©; Barbara Nobles Crawford, PhD '84, Professor of the Practice in Organizational Behavior and Director of Executive & Leadership Coaching for MBA Working Professional Programs, University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School, and Heller Board of Advisors Member; Teresa Rodriguez, Associate Director of International and Diversity Recruitment, Brandeis International Business School; and Pierrce Holmes, Master of Public Policy Candidate 2022, Eli J. & Phyllis N. Segal Citizen Leadership Fellow, The Heller School for Social Policy and Management. Watch the recording.

Calling all alumni in Africa!  Brandeis President Ron Liebowitz and his wife Jessica hosted a Zoom Reception and Q&A for Heller and Brandeis Alumni, Parents, and Friends in Africa. "Brandeis in the Time of COVID-19 and Beyond" Moderated by Heller alum and Board of Advisors member, Charles Nalyaali, MA SID’98, P’20. Heller Professor Joseph Assan joined as moderator for the Q&A portion of the program. Watch the recording.

The Lurie Institute for Disability Policy and the Community Living Policy Center hosted a webinar discussion between disability community members, self-advocates, and policy researchers. This conversation will elevate the policy and lived experience impacts of COVID-19 among people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Leaders and experts from the disability community will consider lessons learned, future federal policies, and ways that policies that promote Home and Community-based Services can provide more equitable social justice during this pandemic. This discussion will include: Moderator: Joe Caldwell, Director of the Community Living Policy Center; Angel Miles, Healthcare/home and Community Based Services Policy Analysis at Access Living; Julia Bascom, Executive Director at Autistic Self Advocacy Network; Nicole LeBlanc, National Center on Advancing Person-Centered Practices and Systems Group Coordinator, Disability Policy expert; and Scott Landes, Associate Professor of Sociology, Aging Studies Institute, Syracuse University. If you have questions contact the Lurie Institute at lurie@brandeis.edu. Watch the recording.

The 5th Annual Stanley Wallack Distinguished Memorial Lecture featured special guest speaker Chris Jennings, Founder and President, Jennings Policy Strategies Inc. Mr. Jennings served as Senior Advisor to the President for Health Policy under Presidents' Clinton and Obama and most recently appointed to represent President Biden on the Biden-Sanders Unity Task Force. Heller’s Stuart H. Altman, PhD, Sol C. Chaikin Professor of National Health Policy, moderated the discussion and David Weil, Dean and Professor, Heller School for Social Policy and Management, gave opening remarks. The event recording will be posted soon.

To make a gift to the Stanley Wallack Distinguished Memorial Lecture Series, you can make a gift online by including “Stanley Wallack Distinguished Memorial Lecture” to the “Please indicate your preferred designation(s)” field.

In celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, we invite you to join Anita Hill, University Professor of Social Policy, Law and Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies, as she discusses the U.S. Supreme Court and Future of Equality in the United States. Featured Speaker: Anita Hill, JD, University Professor of Social Policy, Law, and Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies, Brandeis University. Discussion moderated by: Maria Madison, ScD, Associate Dean for Equity, Inclusion and Diversity and Director, Institute for Assets and Social Policy (IASP), The Heller School, Brandeis University and Cindy Thomas, PhD'00, Associate Dean for Research, The Heller School, Brandeis University
Watch the recording.

We invited alumni and friends to join us by engaging in a 21-Day Racial Equity Challenge based on Dr. Eddie Moore’s 21-Day Racial Equity Challenge. The Heller School developed a program for the month of January, with different tracks being offered to faculty, staff, students, alumni and friends. The purpose of the self-study program is to engage in deep self-reflection and practical thinking on how to integrate racial equity into your life and career. Heller provided an activity tracker as well as the suggested readings and recommended resources. The content shared was consistent with the material that students read in a credit bearing pro-seminar “Racial Equity: Intersections of Race, Power, Privilege, Supremacy and Oppression” and was largely selected and curated by current Heller students.

David Weil, Heller Dean and Professor, hosted our very first Heller Alumni and Friends Virtual Town Hall featuring the panelists below. Topics included an overall update about Heller, our plan for addressing systematized racism, an update on the student experience during COVID-19, and many ways alumni and friends can interact with and help the Heller School. Even though the Heller School looks different this year compared to previous years, we push forward with hope and vision for a better world. Watch the recording.

Panelists included Benny Belvin, Assistant Dean, Career Development; Ravi Lakshmikanthan, MA SID'99, Assistant Dean, Academic and Student Services; Maria Madison, Associate Dean for Equity, Inclusion and Diversity and Director of the Institute for Assets and Social Policy; and Nicole Rodriguez, MPP'14, Heller Alumni Association Board President.

With the victory of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, what does the road ahead look like in terms of progressive social policies and socio-political movement trends? Dean David Weil facilitated a discussion among four panelists who bring a wealth of experiences and perspectives to this question. Watch the recording.

Panelists: David Weil, Dean and Professor (Moderator); Archon Fung, Professor, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University; Robert Kuttner, Meyer and Ida Kirstein Professor in Social Planning and Administration, The Heller School at Brandeis and Co-founder and former editor of the American Prospect; Chris Lu, Senior Fellow, University of Virginia Miller Center and Former US Deputy Secretary of Labor, Obama Administration; and Carmen Rojas, President and CEO of the Marguerite Casey Foundation and Founder of Workers Lab.

Laurence Simon, professor of international development at the Heller School, discussed his nearly 50 years advancing human rights and building institutions to solve problems of hunger and poverty in developing nations. Professor Rajesh Sampath interviewed Professor Simon about historic and contemporary issues that are woven like a tapestry throughout Professor Simon’s career. Topics included social exclusion and caste oppression, landlessness, failed aid programs, losses of humanitarian food aid, and pesticide poisonings among small farmers. Professor Simon shared brief excerpts from a forthcoming memoir to illustrate the need for a philosophy of development that avoids false generosity and instead moves us through empathy and love to the ethics of emancipation. This event is co-sponsored by the Heller School for Social Policy and Management and the Brandeis University Alumni Association. Watch the recording.

The SID Program invited student and alumni to meet Heller alum Oudou Sanogo, MA SID'18. He currently works as a Virtual Exchange Program Manager at United Planet. He shared his love for education and his journey from Mali to South Carolina to New York to the Heller School and now as a practicing development professional.

In the words of John Lewis, "Democracy is not a state. It is an act." The Heller Dean, David Weil, facilitated a panel discussion of democratic participation, civic engagement, and voting access in advance of Election Day. Panelists included David Weil, Dean and Professor, The Heller School, Brandeis University; Anita Hill, University Professor of Social Policy, Law, and Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies, Brandeis University; Fernando Torres-Gil, MSW'72, PhD'76, Director, Center for Policy Research on Aging and Professor of Social Welfare and Public Policy, Luskin School of Public Affairs, University of California; and Daniel Kryder, Louis Stulberg Chair in Law and Politics, Brandeis University. Watch the recording.

A second Conversation, "Politics and Policy: The Path Forward," will take place after the election and information on that event will be shared in November.

The 2020 Heller Startup Challenge is the 8th annual social enterprise initiative to help Brandeis and Heller students develop entrepreneurial solutions to the world’s most pressing social problems. Alumni and friends joined the Sunday pitch presentations as each group pitches to a set of judges for a chance to win up to $1,000 to develop their venture. For more information contact helleralumni@brandeis.edu.

The Lurie Institute’s Sandy Ho held a conversation with Rebecca Cokley (Center for American Progress) and Claribel Vidal (Ford Foundation) to learn how they’re working to encourage and support the civic participation and leadership of people with disabilities. Sponsored by the The Lurie Institute for Disability Policy and The Sillerman Center for the Advancement of Philanthropy. For more information contact Lurie@Brandeis.edu. Watch the recording.

MPP alumni, faculty and staff gathered virtually along with Provost Lisa Lynch and Dean David Weil to honor retiring faculty member Professor Robert Tannenwald and his nine year career at the Heller School. Professor Tannenwald taught almost all MPP alumni. Imparting his years of experience and knowledge in the areas of public finance and budgeting, he helped guide Heller students as they pursued their MPP degree.

As a community dedicated to the pursuit and diffusion of knowledge advancing social justice, we are launching our first Heller community reading initiative this academic year. Throughout the year, beginning with incoming students at Orientation, we will read and discuss From #Black Lives Matter to Black Liberation by Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, published in 2016. This ongoing conversation will include everyone in the Heller community: faculty, researchers, administrative staff, students and alumni. 

Dr. Taylor is Assistant Professor and Charles H. Mcilwain University Preceptor, Department of African Studies at Princeton University. She writes and speaks on Black politics, social movements and racial inequality in the United States. Dr. Taylor was recently named among the first cohort of Freedom Scholars, an initiative supporting progressive academics who are at the forefront of movements for economic and social justice. Learn more about Dr. Taylor by watching her TedxBaltimore presentation.

Following the conversation with Dr. Taylor, attendees were invited to join a Bridge to Beloved Community with Joy von Steiger from the Brandeis Counseling Center. This short, informal and interactive session is intended intended to help deal with the many pressures we are all facing in these difficult times.

Watch the recording.

Access to the book is remains available free of charge to members of the Heller community. For information to access the book, alumni can email helleralumni@brandeis.edu.

The Heller MBA program culminates in the Team Consulting Project, real-world, practical experience providing students with the opportunity to apply their analytical and problem-solving skills to help an organization or business unit more effectively pursue its social mission. Working under the supervision of a faculty advisor in teams of three to five, students provide consulting services to a mission-driven organization over a four-month period. Students have the opportunity to self-organize into teams and select from among a wide variety of organizations in the for-profit, nonprofit and public sectors. Together, they tackle a management challenge, conduct sophisticated analyses, and submit recommendations. The TCP is accompanied by a workshop series and culminates in a formal presentation and report.

Nearly 30 states have introduced or passed legislation aimed at protecting the rights of parents with disabilities. This webinar featured Senator Sara Gelser of Oregon and Kimberly Tissot of Able South Carolina and moderated by Robyn Powell, PhD'20. It focused on strategies that advocates and state legislators can use to pass these bills. Presenters discussed their experiences working on legislation, including the barriers they encountered and their recommendations for overcoming these challenges. Webinar attendees learned about drafting legislation, securing sponsors, building coalitions, and testifying in support of bills. This webinar is for disability rights advocates, state legislators, attorneys, child welfare system professionals, policymakers, and others interested in ensuring the rights of parents with disabilities. This event is sponsored by the Lurie Institute for Disability Policy. For more information contact lurie@brandeis.edu. Watch the recording.

This was a cross-disciplinary discussion on racism as a public health and economic crisis, with a focus on action. Presenters included Leah Wright Rigueur, PhD, Harry Truman Associate Professor of History, Brandeis University; Bill Rodgers, PhD, Chief Economist, Heldrich Center for Workforce Development, Rutgers University; Anita Hill, JD, Professor of Social Policy, Law and Women's Gender and Sexuality Studies, Brandeis University; and moderated by Maria Madison, ScD, Associate Dean, Equity, Inclusion and Diversity, The Heller School, Brandeis University. Watch the recording.

As we approach the next presidential election, we are reminded of the people helping to pass voting rights through the 15th, 19th and 26th Amendments to the Constitution. Fannie Lou Hamer captured the frustration with her famous quote we use for the title of this session. We are also mindful of the role of the political and moral determinants of health and financial equity. These variables partnered with our outrage over continued violence by police against black and brown bodies, fuels our desire for this conversation now across multidisciplinary scholars. This session highlighted the historical and current context of racism in the United States. Carrying forward the legacies for activism established throughout history, participants discussed structural, systemic and personal methodologies, for social justice activism.

This event is sponsored by the Institute on Assets and Social Policy, the Heller Students Association and the Office of the Dean at the Heller School, and by the Department of African and African American Studies and Brandeis Black Graduate Student Association, Brandeis University.

This discussion explored vaping among youth in the U.S., an emerging public health crisis. First introduced in the early 2000s as a “healthier” alternative to smoking, electronic vaping devices have become a cultural phenomenon in 2020. Discover the affects of vaping on millions of youth and the challenges facing public health and medicine today.

Constance M. Horgan, professor and director of the Institute for Behavioral Health at the Heller School, moderated a dialogue with Meredith Berkman, one of PR Week’s top 50 Health Influencers and co-founder of Parents Against Vaping e-cigarettes (PAVe), a national advocacy and education organization, and Alexandra F. Kritikos, a vaping researcher and Heller PhD candidate.

All PhD alumni between the years 1959-1984 gathered for a virtual reunion! This was an opportunity to reconnect with old friends, get an update on today's Heller School, and exchange memories. Attendees shared their fondest memories of Heller as well as how they integrated their social justice training throughout their career.

This was a special briefing call for members of the Brandeis Alumni of Color Network hosted by the AOC committee. Hear from President Ron Liebowitz and Chief Diversity Officer and Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Mark Brimhall-Vargas about the impact of the #BlackLivesMatter protests and COVID-19 on the AOC community. We discussed how Brandeis is responding as well as opportunities for advancing social justice against systemic racism. Watch the recording.

As the violent deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and too many others have shown us yet again, entrenched systemic racism threatens the very lives of Black people in the United States. United by both our commitment to the pursuit of knowledge and as a community that considers social justice central to our mission, this event examined this issue in the larger society and at Brandeis itself. Moderated by Chad Williams who is the Samuel J. and Augusta Spector Chair in History and the Chair of the African and African American Studies department. This panel brought together University Professor Anita Hill, Daniel Kryder who is the Louis Stulberg Chair in Law and Politics, and Leah Wright Rigueur who is the Harry Truman Associate Professor of History, for an in-depth discussion from multiple scholarly perspectives of this moment, its historical precedents, and possible outcomes. This discussion was sponsored by the Department of African and African American Studies; Department of Politics; Department of History; Heller School for Social Policy and Management; Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; Office of the President; and the Office of the Provost. Watch the recording.

Racism is not an isolated incident, but rather a belief and system entrenched in American society. Brandeis and Heller alumni are invited to join us for a student center Zoom conference to advance racial justice. Each author will discuss the core points of their paper and propose a solution to the racial issue they identified in their paper. Watch a video about the event. Topics discussed include: COVID-19 and Race by Dr. Callie Watkins Liu, PhD'16; Racialized Disability: A New Framework of Rights by Anna Clements, PhD candidate; Restorative and Transformative Justice Towards Truth and Racial Reconciliation (The need for reparations) by Ona Wang, MA COEX'20; and Survival within Inequality (Two interwoven personal narratives about two people of color who grew-up in the Boston area) by Milan Friedman, Stonehill College '20.

For more information, contact HellerSankofaConference@gmail.com. Learn more about the Office of Equity, Inclusion and Diversity. The recording will be posted in the near future. Read more about this event.

Alumni and friends joined Heller in honoring the Class of 2020 to commemorate their achievements as students, celebrate them as graduates and welcome them as alumni.
The guest speaker was Dr. Ihsan Kaadan, MS'16. The program also included remakrs from the Heller Dean, David Weil, featured student presenters from each class, remarks from Nicole Rodriguez, MPP'14, President of the Heller Alumni Association and the awarding of the Barbara Wakefield Award to Prince Mujumbe Salama, MA SID'20.

Watch the full program and read full transcripts here.

The third and final event in the COVID-19 and its Social Policy Implications: Heller Perspectives event series.

• Stuart Altman, Sol C. Chaikin Professor of National Health Policy, Heller School, Brandeis University
• Maria Madison, Associate Dean for Equity, Inclusion & Diversity, Heller School, Brandeis University
• Christine E. Bishop, Atran Professor of Labor Economics
• Diana Bowser, Associate Professor, Heller School, Brandeis University
• A.K. Nandakumar, Professor of the Practice, Director, MS Program in Global Health Policy, and Director, Institute for Global Health and Development, Schneider Institutes for Health Policy, Heller School, Brandeis University

Read more Heller COVID-19 stories. Watch the recording.

We know a US job search for international students may present challenges. Yet, many international Heller alumni have successfully connected to a job or other professional opportunities in the US. How did they do it? What strategies and tips made them successful? What resources were helpful? What were some of the challenges in connecting to opportunities in the US? Attendees learned about key tips, strategies, and resources for navigating a job search in the US by hearing from 4 alumni and 1 current student who have made connections and opportunities work in their favor.

Bryan Kanney, Assistant Director, Heller Career Development Center, moderated the panel which included Samira Bari, MA SID'20, Staff Planning and Support Lead (COVID Response), American Red Cross; Martins Francis, MS'19, Senior Associate, Policy Analytics, Avalere Health; Nittaya Saenbut, MA SID'14, Program Associate & Administrator, True Costs Initiative; Ye (Zhang) Pogue, PhD'19, Research Public Health Analyst, RTI International; and Davron Mirsagatov, MA SID'16, Program Manager, American Councils for International Education.

The second event in the COVID-19 and its Social Policy Implications: Heller Perspectives event series.

• Lisa Lynch, Provost, Brandeis University
• Robert Kuttner, Meyer and Ida Kirstein Professor in Social Planning and Administration, Heller School, Brandeis University
• Dolores Acevedo-Garcia, Samuel F. and Rose B. Gingold Professor of Human Development and Social Policy; Director, Institute for Child, Youth and Family Policy, Heller School, Brandeis University
• David Weil, Dean and Professor, Heller School, Brandeis University

Read more Heller COVID-19 stories. Watch the recording.

The first event in the COVID-19 and its Social Policy Implications: Heller Perspectives event series.

• Jerome Kim, MD, Director General of the International Vaccine Institute, Professor of Medicine at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
• Mike VanRooyen, MD, Professor at Harvard Medical School and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Chairman, Brigham & Women's Hospital Department of Emergency Medicine, Director of the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative
• Maria Madison, Associate Dean for Equity, Inclusion & Diversity, Heller School, Brandeis University
• Alain Lempereur, Alan B. Slifka Professor and Program Director, MA in Conflict Resolution and Coexistence, Heller School, Brandeis University and Harvard Program on Negotiation

Read more Heller COVID-19 stories. Watch the recording.

The SID Program wished a fond farewell and best wishes to Professor Brian Roach.

The SID Program wished a fond farewell and best wishes to Professor Eric Olson.

President Ron Liebowitz, Provost Lisa Lynch (and previous Heller Dean) and Executive Vice President for Administration and Finance Stew Uretsky had a virtual Alumni Community Check-In. This was an opportunity to come together as a community during this difficult time and learn about Brandeis' response to the COVID-19 crisis. Lewis Brooks '80, P'16, president of the Brandeis Alumni Association, will offer a brief welcome and facilitate the Q&A. A recording of the event will be posted soon.

The first year at your new job may possibly be the most important year of your career. It is a time of significant transition. The first year is where you will set the stage for understanding your supervisor and how to manage up, as well as learn the dynamics of working on a team, how to navigate political challenges in an organization, managing your professional development, and how to advocate for yourself. In this interactive online session, attendees were provided strategies and key tips to increase confidence and success in navigating your workplace. Sponsored by the Heller Career Development Center.

Heller Alumni were invited to observe COEX students as they present their annual Spring Capstone Presentations. These presentations are the culmination of COEX student's work on topics ranging from the Syrian civil war, Iranian Nuclear Deal Negotiations, Youth Development in Conflict, the use of technology in peace-building and more.

Henri Dunant, who ended up founding the Red Cross, was a businessman. When he witnessed the aftermath of the battle of Solferino, in North Italy, in 1859, he was appalled by the human tragedy of the thousands of people dying and wounded. He then leveraged negotiation to save as many lives as possible. Times have changed, but today, the Red Cross continues to use the power of responsible negotiation in the frontline to mitigate the consequences of nature-made or human-made disasters.

Alain Lempereur is the Alan B. Slifka professor at Brandeis University, and the director of the Heller Conflict Resolution and Coexistence Program. He is an affiliated faculty and executive committee member of the Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School. He also supports the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative and the Geneva-based Center of Competence on Humanitarian Negotiations. He is a consultant for the ICRC (International Committee of the Red Cross) and MSF (Doctors without Borders).

Simone LaPray, MBA/MA SID’15, Heller Alumni Association Board Member and the Executive Director of TiE Boston, an organization that fosters entrepreneurship through networking, mentoring, education and funding, presented. Emerging as a social movement among entrepreneurs 25 years ago, TiE now operates in 18 countries with a network of over 15,000 entrepreneurs. Simone shared her perspectives on navigating the MA startup ecosystem, how to get plugged in if you are a founder or looking to work with founders and share some of the major pitfalls that can set founders back. This session is for anyone interested in pursuing their startup, working in an accelerator/incubator, or individuals interested in exploring non-traditional post-Heller opportunities in tech/for-profit startups in Massachusetts.

Recognizing and celebrating excellence in our community is of crucial importance. One way we do so is through our annual Heller awards. Dean David Weil announced the staff, faculty and student winners of the Heller Teaching; Teaching Assistant; Mentoring; Staff Service; Equity, Inclusion and Diversity; and Early Investigator Awards for Academic Year 2019-2020. Read more on the winners announced here.

Racial composition shocks during the Great Migration (1940-1970) lowered black upward mobility in the northern United States. The Migration’s effects on children are driven by location factors, not negative selection of families. Migration led to persistent segregation and higher police spending, crime, and incarceration from the 1960s onward. The changes induced by the Migration explain 27% of the region’s racial upward mobility gap today. Co-sponsored by the Heller School and Economics Department Joint Seminar Series. Listen to the recording.

Ellora Derenoncourt is an economist who works on labor economics, economic history, and inequality. She is currently a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Industrial Relations Section at Princeton University Department of Economics. In July 2020, she will join the faculty at UC Berkeley, in the Economics department and the Goldman School of Public Policy. She received her PhD in Economics from Harvard University.

Searching for and landing a professional opportunity is a full-time job, and it can sometimes be a discouraging process. Even the most prepared seekers will hear "No" more often than "Yes." As you prepare for your next steps, it's essential to find ways to stay mentally and physically healthy and resilient. In this dynamic session, participants were provided with strategies and key tips to increase resiliency and ability to reframe challenges in order to be successful as they search for a job or internship. Sponsored by the Heller Career Development Center. Watch the recording.

URC is a global company dedicated to improving people's quality of health care, social services and education. They manage projects in over 30 countries, including the United States. Their mission is to provide innovative, evidence-based solutions to health and social challenges worldwide. In this “virtual” career trek, you will learn more about their work on specific projects, their approach to delivering solutions to healthcare problems through quality improvement, health systems strengthening, social and behavior change, and research and evaluation. Additionally, they are interested in recruiting new talent and representatives from 5 departments discussed careers at URC, what skills they look for in candidates, and how to connect to internships and full-time opportunities.

Impaq International is a global policy research and analytics firm delivering evidence that shapes the world. With nearly 400 diverse researchers, economists, innovators, data scientists, and other professionals Their mission is to bring clear answers to the most important questions in health care, economic development, and human services through cutting-edge research, analytics, and technical support. The Heller Career Development Center invites you to this virtual information/Q&A session where professionals will share their expertise as researchers, economists, and program managers and will highlight the work they do, how they got into their fields, and discuss internship and full-time opportunities.

In commemoration of International Women’s Day, Professor Anita Hill hosted a virtual gathering of Heller School alumni and students. The webinar involved a panel of experts comprised of Heller alumni who have contributed significantly to advocating for greater gender equity. Panelists included: Odgerel Dashzeveg MA SID'07; Seraphine Mukankubito, MA SID/COEX'12; Laurie Nsiah-Jefferson '80, PhD'06; Chhoeki Penjor, MA SID'11. Professor Hill lead the discussion on reducing gender disparities and areas where greater emphasis needs to be placed during this new decade. Listen to the recording.

Over 150 Heller alumni, students, faculty, and staff gathered in Washington, DC to socialize, reconnect, network and enjoy light refreshments. This event was co-hosted by Heller Alumni Relations and the Heller Career Development Center as part of their annual Washington, DC Career Trek. The event included concurrent panel sessions focused on domestic and international policy, chaired by Michael Doonan, PhD'02, Associate Professor and Director, MPP Program and Ravi Lakshmikanthan, MA SID'99, Assistant Dean for Academic and Student Services. Domestic alumni panelists included Elle Chang, MA SID'15; Sarah Leonard, MA COEX/MS'19; Phoenicia Lewis, MA SID/COEX'17; Brett Jordan, MPP'16; and Darley Tom, MA SID'11. International alumni panelists included Amira Abouhussein, MA SID/COEX'17; Pertula George-Redd, MA SID'08; Burhan Razi, MA SID'15; Prapti Sherchan, MBA'13; and Indalecio Vallejos, MA SID/COEX'13. Panel sessions were followed by an alumni and student networking reception.

Welcoming remarks and presentation by Alain Lempereur, SJD, Director, MA in Conflict Resolution and Coexistence Program. Professor Lempereur, wrote "The First Move. A Negotiator’s Companion," a bestseller that sold tens of thousands of copies in 15 languages, presented a series of first moves to invite you to do first things first in negotiation, increase your power as a negotiator and also enjoy everyday dealmaking and conflict resolution.

Candidates are running on a platform of change, specifically in the way our nation delivers and pays for health care. As the 2020 elections approach, we heard from a panel of experts who outlined and discussed the major healthcare policy challenges and opportunities and their potential impact on our country, our commonwealth, and ourselves. Panelists include Dr. Carole Allen, Executive MBA’17, Vice President, Massachusetts Medical Society; Michael Doonan, PhD’02, Associate Professor and Director, Masters of Public Policy Program; and Cindy Friedman, Massachusetts State Senator. Moderator: Elana Margolis ’97, senior director of state government and regulatory affairs, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts. Hosted by: Doug Rosner ’88, Goulston & Storrs, Boston, MA. Read full biographies.

The United States is in the midst of an opioid crisis: More than 100 Americans die every day from overdosing on opioids. Dr. Andrew Kolodny, Heller School faculty member, medical director for OPRC, a national expert on the opioid crisis and an outspoken critic of Purdue Pharma and other opioid makers, discussed how a flood of prescription opioids resulted in an epidemic of addiction and what’s needed to bring the crisis to an end.

In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day and the Ford Hall anniversaries, Sankofa Community Conversations presented by the Heller Office of Equity, Inclusion and Diversity offered a two day event, titled "Ford Hall: Closing the Disparity Gap." On Tuesday, January 21, 2020 was "Ford Hall Commemorative Community Discussion & Film" with Kwesi Jones '21. On Wednesday, January 22, 2020 was "Revisiting the 'N-Word': Intent vs. Impact in Communication" presented by Liz Pryor, Associate Professor of History at Smith College followed by "Charge to Remember" presented by Heller PhD candidate Jarvis Williams.

The Career Development Center and the Department of Alumni Relations gathered with alumni and current students for drinks and hors d’oeuvres as we laugh, converse, and enjoy a night of Heller in NYC. Come support current students as they explore some of the worlds most important international, governmental, non-profit, and non-governmental organizations.

Welcoming remarks: Ravi Lakshmikanthan, MA SID'99, Assistant Dean, Academic and Student Services

Presentation by: Alain Lempereur, SJD, Director, MA in Conflict Resolution and Coexistence Program

Ravi Lakshmikanthan and Alain Lempereur were in Mumbai, India and hosted this event to bring together Brandeis and Heller alumni and prospective students. Alain Lempereur, who wrote "The First Move. A Negotiator’s Companion," a bestseller that sold tens of thousands of copies in 15 languages, presented a series of first moves to invite you to do first things first in negotiation, increase your power as a negotiator and also enjoy everyday dealmaking and conflict resolution.

Sarah LaMorey, MA SID/COEX'19, Program Coordinator, Graduate Program in Conflict Resolution and Coexistence, hosted alumni and prospective students at the Camellia Restaurant in Kigali, Rwanda.

Sarah LaMorey, MA SID/COEX'19, Program Coordinator, Graduate Program in Conflict Resolution and Coexistence, hosted alumni and prospective students at the Holiday Inn in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.