2025 Speakers

Margaret Amason
The Uncanny Valley: A Hidden Barrier to Accessing the Future

Margaret Amason is a psychological researcher exploring why almost, but-not-quite human-like robots and AI sometimes make us feel uncomfortable, a phenomenon known as the uncanny valley effect. Currently pursuing her master’s degree in psychological science, her work focuses on how individual trait differences affect the severity to which one experiences the uncanny valley effect. Her research hopes to integrate psychology and robotic design with the goal of making advanced technology more comfortable and accessible — one creepy robot at a time.

Dr. Jitana Benton-Lee
The Silent Crisis in Healthcare: When Speaking Up is a Matter of Life and Death

Dr. Jitana Benton-Lee is a distinguished nurse leader, educator, and health equity strategist with over 25 years of experience transforming healthcare through advocacy, inclusive leadership, and systems innovation. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Nursing at Texas Woman’s University, where her research explores psychological safety in the nurse-patient relationship and the life-altering impact of silence in clinical care. Jitana is the Founder and CEO of Cultured Remedy, a health equity consulting firm, and an Associate Professor of Graduate Nursing at Northern Kentucky University. Her professional path spans clinical care, executive nursing leadership, higher education, and health equity-focused entrepreneurship. She holds certifications as a Nurse Executive, Certified Nurse Educator, Apple Distinguished Educator, and Qualified Administrator of the Intercultural Development Inventory. Her work has been recognized by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, CommonHealth Action, the Kentucky Organization of Nurse Leaders, and others for her visionary contributions to advancing health justice. She is also a Sigma Theta Tau International United Nations Liaison and a global nursing advocate. In this TEDx talk, Dr. Benton-Lee draws on decades of experience to spotlight a hidden but deadly reality in healthcare: silence. Through vivid storytelling, research insights, and bold reflection, she challenges us to consider what’s at stake when we don’t speak up—and what becomes possible when we do. 

Gregory Scott Brown, MD
It’s Time to Kiss Happiness Goodbye

Gregory Scott Brown, MD, is a board-certified psychiatrist, author, and educator. A nationally-recognized leader in mental health advocacy, Dr. Brown writes and speaks about mental health in a way that is informative, relatable, and fun. His first book, The Self-Healing Mind: An Essential Five-Step Practice for Overcoming Anxiety and Depression, and Revitalizing Your Life, outlines evidence-based self-care strategies for reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression. For five years, Dr. Brown co-hosted the popular Instagram Live series, Friday Sessions, that welcomed over one hundred prominent guests who are changing the way we think about and talk about mental health. Dr. Brown is a committed educator and he serves as a faculty member at the University of Houston College of Medicine where he teaches psychiatry courses to medical students. His work has been featured in several major media outlets including the Washington Post, the PBS News Hour, and NPR.

Felix Ferris and Adrian Theisen
Beautiful, Empty Seats: The Price of Inaccessible Art

Felix Ferris is a grant-funded playwright and the co-founder of a non-profit arts organization dedicated to adapting culturally significant literature for the stage. He holds a Master of Arts in Theater and is currently pursuing a PhD in Rhetoric at Texas Woman’s University, with a research focus on its applications in storytelling and narratology. His stage adaptations of Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus, Orpheus & Eurydice, and Beowulf have been produced at multiple venues across the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, demonstrating his continued dedication to reinterpreting iconic narratives for contemporary audiences, with a particular emphasis on making these stories accessible and relevant. Felix's process for adapting texts draws from literary studies, performance theory, and critical pedagogy to bridge the gap between academia and the wider community.

Adrian Theisen is a theater professional, an artist, and the co-founder of a nonprofit arts organization dedicated to adapting culturally significant literature for the stage. He graduated from TWU with a B.A. in Acting and Directing last December. With a passion for emotional truth and academic inquiry, Adrian's work interrogates how we construct shared identity through storytelling. He invites you to consider how narratives—inherited, group-constructed, or self-authored—can shape our sense of belonging.

Catherine L. Dutton, PhD
The Sex Professor Who Never Dated: Lessons in Love, Identity, and Personal Authenticity

Catherine L. Dutton, PhD is an Associate Professor in the School of Human Sciences at Texas Woman’s University. With a doctorate in Family Studies, her research and presentations focus on innovative teaching practices and advocacy for parenting students. Beyond academia, Catherine speaks on finding your authentic self along with her own story of dating for the first time at 47. She shares insights on discovering one’s true self after a lifetime of prioritizing others’ expectations. Catherine is also an award-winning quilter whose work has appeared in national juried shows. She cherishes her role as a devoted aunt to eleven niblings and delights in the company of her three cats. An avid reader of books “that make others fall asleep,” she brings depth, warmth, and unexpected humor to conversations about life’s most challenging transitions.

Peri R. Finkelstein
Always Wanting More & Stepping Out of Line

Peri R. Finkelstein is a Marketing Consultant, Digital Creator, Keynote Speaker, Founder/CEO of the Team Peri Foundation and has raised over $1M for charity. Peri was featured in Forbes in December 2022 and holds a Bachelor of Science and an MBA from Adelphi University, Garden City, New York. As a marathoner, nonprofit leader, and producer, creator, and co-host of the Team Peri Step Out of Line podcast, she inspires listeners through her dedication to community engagement. While she was born with a rare form of Muscular Dystrophy, Peri only allows that factor to be a blip in the equation and in turn, her medical challenges have fueled her fire and her drive to believe that with hard work, a sharp mind, wit, and a whole lot of moxie, she can accomplish anything. Over the years, Peri has honed her craft relentlessly and lives by the mantra of Step Out of Line. Her life’s mission is to share her story in the hope to inspire others to be the change and always venture out of the lines. To learn more about Peri visit www.teamperi.org.

Hannah M. Galicia
How Fitting In Can Make You Lose Yourself: Navigating Male-Dominated Careers

Hannah M. Galicia is a dedicated military service member and awarded Ph.D. student at Texas Woman’s University. She graduated from the University of North Texas in 2022 with a Masters of Science in Criminological Theory and Research. With an interest in high-control environments and identity, Galicia challenges the common status quo of "that’s just the way it is" by not only inspiring, but demanding change. Her drive to improve the military was recognized in 2025 when the National Guard Association of Texas awarded her $4,000 to conduct research on state activation missions and mental health. She is a primary analyst and public speaker in military environments, and hopes to transition her work to the civilian realm. Galicia is inspired about giving a voice to the 1% who serve, often overlooked and underrepresented in academic research. Additionally, she hopes to inspire all women working in male-dominated career fields.

Kerol Harrod
Books Are Dangerous

Kerol Harrod is an Assistant Clinical Professor in the School of Library and Information Studies at Texas Woman’s University in Denton, Texas. Before that, he worked for public libraries in Texas for 16 years. Harrod has been actively involved in intellectual freedom advocacy in recent years, publishing an op-ed in the Dallas Morning News and presenting to groups like the American Association of University Women and the Junior World Affairs Council. He has spoken about book bans and intellectual freedom advocacy at conferences hosted by the American Library Association and the Texas Library Association. Harrod has also given multiple newspaper and television interviews on the topic. He currently serves as the chair of the Denton Library Board. In his spare time, Harrod enjoys playing acoustic guitar and spending time with his wife and two children. His pets include a needy chiweenie, two free-range rabbits, and a surprisingly cuddly corn snake.

Riley-Grace Huggins
Beyond the Puzzle: Escape Rooms as Embodied Reading

Riley-Grace Huggins is a graduate student of English Literature at TWU and an escape room enthusiast. Her work has been featured in Ricepaper Magazine and she has a forthcoming piece in The Rumpus. She lives in Fort Worth, Texas where she reads, drinks tea, and dreams of escaping to the mountains.

Dr. Jodi Jarrett, PhD, LPC, NCC
How Hard Work Hurts: Is Overworking a Form of Self-Harm?

Step into the world of Dr. Jodi Jarrett, where healing meets empowerment, and every conversation sparks a journey towards self-discovery. As a former Marine turned influential mental health professional, Dr. Jarrett stands out in the field of trauma recovery and self-esteem enhancement. Through her innovative mental health initiatives, and her role as an assistant professor, Dr. Jarrett crafts spaces not just for people to speak but to be heard. Her mission? To transform ordinary spaces into sanctuaries of healing for all, especially those often overlooked. Informed by her own experiences with adversity, Dr. Jarrett’s dedication to uplifting others is profound. She’s not just about making waves; she’s about changing tides.

Lloyd Lindley Jr., MANPM
The Education System is Rigged: Unmasking Inequity in America’s Schools

Lloyd Lindley Jr. is a nonprofit leader and PhD student in Educational Leadership committed to dismantling the systemic inequities baked into public education. A member of The PhD Project and recipient of the Alpha Kappa Alpha South Region Community Leader Award, Lloyd speaks from both lived experience and scholarly insight. Raised in an under-resourced community, Lloyd has seen how the zip code you’re born into can determine your educational outcomes. He’s mentored students who couldn’t read, who lacked even the basics, and who were left behind by a system that was never built for them. His TEDx talk, “The Education System is Rigged,” is a call to action—for equity, for justice, and for rebuilding a system that works for every child. Attendees can expect to walk away inspired to take action, armed with both data and heart-centered insight to advocate for real, systemic change.

Rebecca Lucero Jones and Adam Jones
The One Sex Tip That Will Change Your Life the Most

Dr. Rebecca Lucero Jones and Dr. Adam Jones are a dynamic duo of marriage and family therapists, and in addition to their professional partnership, they are happily married to each other. As professors at Texas Woman’s University in the School of Human Sciences, they bring a wealth of expertise to their work on sexual communication in couples. Together, they host the engaging podcast Keeping it up with the Joneses, where they delve into their published research on sexual communication within committed relationships, offering valuable insights and research-based guidance for couples.

Lisa Kelly
How Memory Loss Silences Our Stories (and What We Can Do About It)

Lisa Kelly is a nurse, researcher, and advocate with 19 years of experience in nursing and a growing focus on the intersections of cognitive decline, identity, and storytelling. After being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, she began exploring the personal and collective cost of memory loss—especially when stories are left undocumented. As a PhD student in Nursing at Texas Woman’s University, she is contributing to research that explores how storytelling and a sense of purpose shape the experience of chronic illness. Her work examines the preservation of identity through narrative, and how feminist theory and epistemic injustice influence whose stories are remembered—and whose are overlooked.She’s also oddly great at pull-ups—something that’s taught her a lot about knowing when to hold on, when to let go, and the strength it takes to do either. She brings that same blend of curiosity, grit, and reflection to her work, always seeking ways to preserve what makes us human.

Celeste Christine Lanuza
Danced Defiance: Reclaiming Voice, Body, and Power

Celeste Lanuza is an award-winning artist and Fulbright Specialist who has been featured in TIME Magazine and Dance Teacher Magazine. She graduated from the University of California Irvine with an MFA in Dance and the University of the Arts with a BFA in Dance and Musical Theater. A Professor of dance and industry professional with over 30 years experience, Lanuza is passionate about mentoring and empowering upcoming artists to reclaim their bodies as instruments of agency resisting any notion of feeling unseen, thus mobilizing visible acts of resistance igniting leaders of tomorrow. Lanuza is currently a PhD Candidate in Dance at Texas Woman’s University where she has led numerous presentations at the ebi Dance Symposium. She has spoken at the City Hall in Los Angeles Women’s Equality Latina Equal Pay Day and the USC Women’s Leadership Summit, using her education to help others set ambitious diverse goals in the performing arts. Her contributions as a writer will be featured in the form of a chapter in the Oxford Handbook of Ballet Pedagogy, one of the dance fields top sources. Along with her recent article publication in the Musical Theater Educators Alliance, she reaches engaged audiences across the US and internationally through live performances, TV, and film appearances. When not mentoring upcoming artists, Celeste Lanuza can be found producing films, performing with her band, and going out salsa dancing. A proud Latina and advocate for education, she believes there is no significant impact without continual life-long learning.

Asiyah Martin
Healing Out Loud; Why Young Black Creatives Need Access to Recovery

Asiyah Martin is a multidisciplinary artist from Houston, Texas, celebrated for weaving dance, film, and spoken word into powerful, expressive works. She holds a BA in Dance Studies and is currently pursuing her MFA in Dance, set to graduate in May 2025. As a choreographer, Asiyah values musicality, fluidity, and exploring the many ways that dancers can be in relationship within her work. Before returning to academia, she worked as a freelance video producer, crafting content for organizations such as Pure Movement Dance Company, Kilgore College, and KNowBox Dance. Asiyah has led dance film workshops at institutions including the Texas Dance Educators Association, Katy High School, Missouri State University, and Texas Woman’s University. A passionate sobriety advocate for young Black creatives, she has been invited to speak on platforms such as the Sober Black Girls Club, TWU Smart Talks, and at local fundraising events supporting substance abuse awareness.

Emily Morehead, MA, LPC-S
Closing the Gap: Orgasms, Equity, and Education

Emily Morehead is a therapist, researcher, and unapologetic advocate for pleasure as a human right. As co-owner of The Couch Therapy, a thriving group psychotherapy practice in Texas, Emily clinically supports individuals and couples navigating everything from reproductive grief to relational reconnection. With over a decade of clinical experience, Emily blends her expertise as a Licensed Professional Counselor Supervisor with bold sexological research and a sharp eye for systemic injustice. Currently completing her PhD at Texas Woman’s University, Emily’s research explores the intersections of sexuality, maternal identity, grief, and pleasure—challenging the silence that still surrounds female bodies and orgasm equity. An internationally recognized speaker and educator, Emily has shared the stage with thought leaders in adoption, perinatal mental health, and sexuality education. Emily's voice is known for blending spunk, science, and soul. Whether she’s teaching future clinicians, guiding students, or uncovering the richness of human stories through qualitative research, Emily holds one core belief: education is power, and sharing it transforms lives.

Dr. Salena Parker
Behind the Lens: Ethics, Access, and Accountability in Travel Photography

Salena Parker teaches courses in Introduction to Writing, Composition I and II and World Literature. In the past decade, she has taught English in Ghana, Russia and Japan. Her current research interests include travel writing, photography, women’s life writing, transmedia storytelling, feminist geography and multimodal pedagogy. Parker’s articles have appeared in scholarly journals such as CCTE Studies, University of Glasgow Arts & Sciences Journal, National Geographic Travel, and TEJASCOVIDO. She is currently working on a book chapter interrogating Aloha Wanderwell as a Jazz Age flâneuse for Women Wandering Purposefully: The Flâneuse in Literature and Popular Culture.

Shannon Quist
Histories of Abortion & Adoption

Shannon Quist is a Ph.D. student at Texas Woman’s University in Denton where she currently serves as the Digital Lab Coordinator for the Language, Culture, & Gender Studies department. She’s the author of the novel Rose’s Locket, and the poetry collection Mirrors Made of Ink. Her publications have appeared in the Austin American-Statesman, Severance Magazine, and the Texas Institute for Child & Family Wellbeing’s annual newsletter Connecting the Dots, among others. Her M.A. thesis focused on adoptee-written narratives and resulted in a narrative theory she calls Phantom Worlds which examines the function of character-constructed fantasies in narrative.

Georgia Sewell
Fashion Psychology: Self-Expression and Relationships

Georgia Sewell is a licensed marriage and family therapist, writer and researcher exploring the intersection of identity, relationships, and appearance. Through her private practice and podcast, she works with individuals and couples to navigate self-expression, self-worth, and intimacy. Georgia’s background in fashion psychology informs her unique lens on how what we wear both reflects and shapes our inner world. She is currently completing advanced training in Internal Family Systems and developing a non-fiction book on clothing, connection and Self. Her TEDx talk invites us to reconsider fashion as more than aesthetic- seeing it instead as a language of identity within relationships.

Valois J. Vera
Sticks and Stones: Uncovering Ableism in Everyday Language

Valois J. Vera is an award winning Poet, Author, and Cultural Worker based out of so-called Denton, TX. His work in uplifting and amplifying Disabled culture and community is well noted. In addition to serving on several prominent boards and commissions (including the President's Committee on Persons with Disabilities and Super Bowl XXXII and Super Bowl XXXVII Host Committees), Valois has facilitated workshops, roundtable discussions, and has served as guest lecturer at a variety of colleges and universities including Fordham University,  Azusa Pacific University, the University of California-Berkeley, and the University of North Texas. While his journalism work can be found in New Mobility Magazine, Latino Rebels, and Rooted in Rights, Valois’ poetry has been published by Spoonie Press, Mollyhouse, and the anthology American Graveyard: Calls to end Gun Violence, Volume I (Read or Green Books). Valois is the author of three collections of poetry: Crip Lyrics: the Unapologetic Poetry of Disability (POOR Press, 2021), I, The Revolution (self-pub., IngramSpark, 2023), and Love, Liberation, and Other Longings (Read or Green Books, 2024). He is also the Founder of Thunder and Lightning Poetry Collective, a movement dedicated to amplifying and uplifting the work of Disabled BIPOC and Disabled Queer Poets. His impact as a Disabled artivist garnered him the 2023 Art Spark Texas Lynn Marie Johnson Media Arts Award and the 2024 American Association of People with Disabilities Paul G Hearne Emerging Leader Award. Valois is a former competitive sailor, youth softball coach, and finalist in the Noble Elementary 3rd grade spelling bee.