Building Better Bonds Speakers
Andy Bichlbaum — Andy Bichlbaum is the pseudonym of Jacques Servin, a media artist and activist who has been one of the leading members of The Yes Men, a culture jamming activist group. With the Yes Men, he has posed as everything from a member of the World Trade Organization to a Dow Chemical ethics executive to a spokesperson for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in an effort to raise awareness about “the corporate takeover of society, the neoliberal delusion that allows it, and the corporate Democrats’ responsibility for our current situation.” The co-star and co-producer of three films about their work–The Yes Men (2003), The Yes Men Fix the World (2009), and The Yes Men Are Revolting (2014).–he is also a co-founder of RTMark. Andy is the author of two books of short stories and is a professor at Parsons the New School for Design. Andy spoke on the post-film panel discussion for The Yes Men Are Revolting.
Xiaoling Chen — Xiaoling Chen is a graduate student researcher in the Kellogg Lab at Penn State. Her research project focuses on discovering novel compounds from functional foods and ethnomedicinal plants that regulate gut homeostasis and immune function. She strongly believes in knowledge sovereignty and hopes her work will empower and assist in the bridging of traditional knowledge and modern Western science. Away from the lab, she serves as a Co-Chair for the Empower Conference, leading the annual women empowerment event hosted by the Graduate Women in Science. In addition, she actively serves as a mentor in various mentorship programs connecting underserved communities to resources for success and participates in outreach STEM educational programs as well. To Xiaoling, Empowerment begins with community and network building, and she is currently in the process of developing a mentorship program for women at the graduate level and beyond at Penn State. She holds a B.S. in Microbiology and B.B.A. in Management from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Xiaoling will participate as part of the post-film panel discussion for The Empowerment Project.
Mel Curtis — Mel Curtis is the Director of the YMCA of Centre County Anti-Hunger. Mel is responsible for all programming such as; Summer Lunch Program for school age children, Food Distributions, Home Deliveries, Weekend Food Backpack for children in eight school districts, Head Start Programs, and Private Schools. He oversees the “Travelin’ Table” mobile feeding unit, and the “Hometown Heroes” vehicle, which is a former Fire apparatus. He is responsible all securing all food inventory and transportation needs of the program. Since March 15, 2020 through September 30, 2022, this program has put 6.9 Million Pounds of food back into the communities to help families that are facing food insecurity throughout these unprecedented times. This program has garnered of 300 volunteers that are passionate about helping others. Mel participated in the post-film panel discussion for We Feed People.
Dr. Carter Hunt — Dr. Carter Hunt is an Associate Professor of Recreation, Park, and Tourism Management, and Anthropology at Penn State University. His primary research interests lie at the intersections of environmental anthropology, political ecology, and the anthropology of tourism. He and his students conduct field research on the impact of tourism on biodiversity conservation, sustainable community development efforts, and rural livelihoods around parks and protected areas. Carter received his B.A. is Psychology from the University of Kentucky in 1997 and both his M.S. (2003) and Ph.D. (2009) in Recreation, Park, and Tourism Science from Texas A&M, where he was also an NSF-IGERT fellow in Applied Biodiversity Science. He later held the Lang Fellowship, a Bing fellowship, and a Woods Institute postdoctoral fellowship in environmental anthropology and Latin American Studies at Stanford University. He is a former Fulbright Scholar in Ecuador and has published in the Journal of Sustainable Tourism, Annual Review of Environment and Resources, Annals of Tourism Research, Current Issues in Tourism, Tourism Geographies, and Human Organization. Carter participated in the post-film panel discussion of “The Celebration of Conservation” short films.
Hannah Kadrie — Hannah is a third year architecture student at Penn State with a minor in sustainability leadership. She is specifically interested in urban design that is focused on improving the human experience and integrating natural systems and infrastructure to create inviting and connected environments that support local communities. Hannah is highly involved with sustainability on campus. She works with the EcoReps as student ambassadors to engage underclassmen on campus. She is also the sustainability coordinator for one of the country’s largest student run festivals, Movin’ On. Here, she works to get the festival towards their zero-waste initiative. Hannah spoke on the post-film panel discussion for The Yes Men Are Revolting.
Dr. Erin Kitt-Lewis — Dr. Erin Kitt-Lewis is an Associate Research Professor in the Penn State Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing. Beginning in 2015, she has been an active member of the college’s Sustainability Council and currently serves as the Chair of the council. The council has worked on several projects to improve the sustainable efforts in the college, including recycling in the clinical laboratory and other green initiatives, reviewing the undergraduate nursing curriculum to identify areas that focus on sustainability, and highlighting the Sustainable Development Goals in the undergraduate curriculum. In addition to this service and research, Kitt-Lewis remains an active clinician and has 20 years of clinical expertise in the care of older adults, end-of-life patients, and their families. Erin participated in the post-film panel discussion for We Feed People.
Dr. Sara Mueller — Dr. Sara Mueller was appointed Executive Director of the Wildlife Leadership Academy in January of 2023. Sara leads the administration and organizational growth and development for the non-profit as well as curriculum development, implementation, and assessment for all aquatic field schools. Sara is a graduate of Penn State with her B.S. (Schreyer Honors College, 2014), Master’s degree (2016) and Ph.D. (2023) in Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences. She has studied many aspects of aquatic ecosystems including the diets of benthic fishes, microhabitat preferences of fishes, aquatic macroinvertebrate communities, environmental DNA (eDNA) of aquatic macroinvertebrates, and physical variation of Brook Trout across Pennsylvania. Sara has taught several undergraduate courses including topics in general biology, animal identification, natural resources policy, and field ichthyology. Away from work, Sara enjoys exploring the outdoors as an avid hiker, sportswoman, and gardener. Sara participated in the post-film panel discussion for “The Celebration of Conservation” short film program.
Kierra Nocho — Kierra Nocho is a Philadelphia native and 2015 graduate from Penn State with a double major in Criminology and Philosophy. Kierra has always been a child of Theatre. She started young, in the sixth grade, continued through Penn State and is now pursuing an acting career. Kierra has also co-created and produced a docuseries entitled Warrior Women, which highlight the trials and triumphs of women of color. Professionally, Kierra works for the City of Philadelphia in the Office of Violence Prevention and owns her own wellness business, Reaching Nirvana. In all her endeavors, Kierra aims to promote love, truth, equity and empowerment. Kierra is participating in the post-film discussion for The Empowerment Project.
Jessica Norris — Jessica Norris (She/Her/Hers) is a Ph.D. candidate in chemistry at Penn State and a graduate student researcher in the Hedglin Lab. She obtained a B.S. in Chemistry and a B.S. in Biochemistry at East Carolina University. Her current research focuses on how DNA binding proteins are involved in DNA Replication and DNA repair. She enjoys being an active mentor for incoming graduate students in her program. She is a member of Graduate Women in Science (GWIS) state college chapter, and co-chairs the planning committee for the chapter’s annual conference, Empower. The mission statement of the Empower conference is to provide a space to uplift women and other marginalized genders in science and build a supportive network by sharing personal stories, presenting on-going research, and discussing ideas to collectively move towards a better future. Jessica is participating in the post-film discussion for The Empowerment Project.
Dara Purvis, J.D. — Dara E. Purvis is a Professor of Law and the Associate Dean for Research and Partnerships at Penn State Law – University Park. She is a scholar of family law, feminist legal theory, masculinities, and sexuality, gender identity, and the law. Her work examines the harms of how the law underscores stereotypes about gender, particularly in the context of legal parentage, abortion, and the lives of transgender children. She has been published in, among others, the California Law Review, Wake Forest Law Review, Florida State Law Review, Michigan State Law Review, Case Western Law Review, the Yale Journal of Law and Feminism, Cambridge University Press, and The New York Times. Prior to joining Penn State Law, Professor Purvis was a visiting assistant professor at the University of Illinois College of Law and a visiting fellow at the University of Kent Research Centre for Law, Gender, and Sexuality. A former editor-in-chief of the Yale Law Journal, she clerked for The Hon. Gerard E. Lynch, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, and The Hon. Raymond C. Fisher, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Dara participated in the post-film discussion for My Name is Pauli Murray.
Brandon Rothrock — Brandon Rothrock is an Assistant Program Manager of Energy Efficiency at TRC Companies, Inc, where he helps manage New Jersey’s Residential New Construction program. He is also a Board Member for OUT for Sustainability, a nonprofit focused on co-creating environmental justice and climate resilience for and by LGBTQIA+ communities. Brandon has been a part of various environmental fellowships at nonprofits such as Citizens’ Climate Lobby, the Rachel Carson Council, Sustainable Jersey, and Environmental Defense Fund, and utilizes his expertise to mentor young professionals in the sustainability space. He holds a B.S. in Geography from Penn State University and a M.A. in Geography from West Virginia University. His Master’s research was on LGBTQ+ undergraduate students’ perspectives of climate change in Appalachia. Brandon participated in the post-film discussion of We Feed People.
Dr. Edwin Sabuhoro — Edwin Sabuhoro is an Assistant Professor of Recreation, Park and Tourism Management and African Studies at Penn State University. His work is focused on integrated conservation and community development, human-wildlife co-existence, and the impacts of tourism on household livelihoods of indigenous people and biodiversity conservation. In particular, he works with community outreach programs that engage wildlife poachers to participate in community development and conservation programs adjacent to the Mountain Gorilla’s Virunga Transboundary Landscape (Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo). His efforts to develop integrated conservation and community development programs for Indigenous communities have been recognized through numerous awards, including: International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) /World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) 2008 Young Conservationist of the Year Award, 2015 UN- Great Apes Survival Partnership-Ian Redmond Conservation Award, and the 2016 eChievement Award. He holds a Ph.D. in Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Management from Clemson University. Edwin participated in the post-film panel discussion for the “Celebration of Conservation” short films.
Dr. Pia Smal — Pia Smal is the current co-chair and founding member of Centre LGBT+. She is also an Associate Teaching Professor in Rehabilitation and Human Services and Counselor Education at Penn State University. She holds a Ph.D. in Counselor Education, a master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, and a bachelor’s degree in English and Women’s Studies. She has worked with a wide variety of individuals in domestic violence, psychiatric in-patient, and substance use treatment settings with a particular focus on working with members of the queer community. In her personal life, she is happily married to her wife, Susan, proud stepmom to two adult children and 6-month-old grandson. Pia spoke on the post-film panel discussion for My Name is Pauli Murray.
Jillian Smith — Jillian is a senior majoring in Nutrition and Dietetics. She is from Mocanaqua, PA. Jillian’s pronouns are she/her/hers. She’s very passionate about nutrition and involved with the University in various ways. These include: Penn State Performance Nutrition Intern, Penn State Cheerleading Team Captain, Student Anti-Hunger Club Vice President, Learning Assistant for Nutrition 100, Undergraduate Research Assistant, and she is a THON Chair for my Org. This past summer Jillian worked as a counselor and nutrition educator at a T1 Diabetes Camp and also worked as a nutrition educator for SNAP recipients. Her goal is to become a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and work in a clinical setting. Jillian will speak on the post-film panel discussion for We Feed People.
Kathryn Tague — Kathryn Tague is a junior at Penn State enrolled in the Schreyer Honors College and Bellisario College of Communications as a Bellisario Fellow. She is majoring in public relations with certificates in business, sports journalism and diversity studies. Kathryn currently serves as the President of the Association for Women in Sports Media at Penn State. She is also a social media intern for Penn State Football and interned with Penn State Athletics Marketing for two years. Kathryn interned with the Minnesota Vikings and, most recently, she interned with the NFL Communications Staff at Super Bowl LVII. Using her creativity, passion and experience in the field, Kathryn hopes to become an industry leader in the media landscape of sports while using the platform of sports to advocate for positive social change. Kathryn will speak on the post-film panel discussion for The Empowerment Project.
Caden Vitti — Caden is a third-year student in the Schreyer Honors College studying Energy Engineering and Spanish. He is passionate about creating sustainable, long-lasting changes in the ways in which communities generate and utilize energy. He aids in creating local climate action plans for Pennsylvania municipalities and serves as a sustainable lab fellow for the Sustainability Institute and College of Engineering. His research interests lie in equitable energy transition policies and bilingualism. He is a member of the Presidential Leadership Academy, serves on the executive board of Gender and Sexual Diversity in Schreyer (GSDS), and helped kickstart an organization called the Sustainable Energy Corps. Caden participated in the post-film panel discussion for The Yes Men Are Revolting.
Dr. Leslie Womeldorf — Dr. Leslie Womeldorf is an educator and health care professional who received her D.Ed. in December 2019 with a research focus in interprofessional eduation (IPE) and how educators learn to develop and implement IPE for prelicensure learners. She holds a Master’s degree in nursing as well being a certified nurse educator. Her registered nursing clinical and faculty practice experience spans over twenty years in ambulatory and community health nursing. Dr. Womeldorf coordinates a Penn State Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing senior-level community and family health nursing course, including didactic, clinical, and simulation experiences. This course emphasizes addressing patients and families wholistically throughout the lifespan, acknowledging the uniqueness of the individual, and meeting their complex health needs. Additionally, she teaches nursing research and professionalism courses. She is also responsible for advising undergraduate nursing students and serving on faculty committees and committee partnerships with Penn State Health. Her current areas of interest are healthcare equity, workplace culture, and interprofessional education. Dr. Womeldorf participated in the post-film panel discussion of We Feed People.
