Office of Equity and Inclusion presents
Circle Symposium Fall 2026
Innovative Curricula and Inclusive Classrooms
Thursday, October 15, 2026 All events will be held at Joan and Donald E. Axinn Library, South Campus. 9:30 a.m., Leo A. Guthart Cultural Center Theater, First Floor OPENING REMARKS
CONCURRENT SESSIONS: 9:40-11:05 am., Leo A. Guthart Cultural Center Theater, First Floor Reimagining Clinical Education: An Interprofessional and Community-Based Model for Collaborative Learning PANELISTS: Lauren Arnone, Elizabeth Baum, Melissa Fitzgerald, Dr. Alexandra E. Laghezza, Dr. Anna Y. Len
9:40-11:05 a.m., Room 246 Self-Reflective Strategies for Studying Hip-Hop Culture in a Freshman Seminar PRESENTER: Dr. Abimbola N. Kai-Lewis
Reimagining Equity in the Future of Higher Education PRESENTER: Dr. Jonathan Lightfoot
“Scratch and Claw”: The Legacy of Foraging, Survival, and Slavery in Percival Everett’s James
PRESENTER: Julianne DeSilva
11:20 a.m.-12:45 p.m., Room 246 Community as Curriculum: Using Local Suburban Communities to Teach Health, History, and Equity PRESENTER: Dr. Martine Hackett
From Classroom to Global Impact: Community-Engaged Learning for Inclusive and Innovative Classrooms PRESENTER: Dr. Hafza Girdap (with community representatives and students)
11:20 a.m.-12:45 p.m., Leo A. Guthart Cultural Center Theater, First Floor Creating a Sense of Belonging: What We Have Learned From Our Research PANELISTS: Dr. Theresa A. McGinnis, Dr. Alan Flurkey, Dr. Neha Sobti, Dr. Fabián Arroyo-Rojas
1-2:25 p.m., Leo A. Guthart Cultural Center Theater, First Floor Bridging the Pedagogical Gap: Co-Creating Learning Environments by Aligning Student and Faculty Perspectives PANELISTS: Jessie Hirsch, Dr. Daniela L. Farro, Michael Menegalli, Alexander S. Rothstein, Dr. Rosa Elena Torres-Panchame
1-2:25 p.m., Room 246 Difficult Dialogues: Conversations Across Difference MODERATOR: Dr. Rosanna Perotti, PANELISTS: Dr. Meena Bose, Dr. Daisy Miller, Garfield Hardeman, Leah Shalonov
2:40-4:05 p.m., Room 246 Creative Engagement Across Generations, Spaces, and Cognitive Abilities PRESENTERS: Dr. Alexandra E. Laghezza and Dr. Craig M. Rustici
From Access to Advancement: Redesigning Inclusive Classrooms in Engineering Education PRESENTER: Dr. Gozde Ustuner
Scan the QR code to RSVP today!
2:40-4:05 p.m., Leo A. Guthart Cultural Center Theater, First Floor From Awareness to Action: Using AI Simulations to Build Inclusive Learning Experiences in Higher Education PRESENTER: Dr. Grace A. Valdez
What Are We Actually Measuring? A Workshop on Equity-Minded Assessment and Grading PRESENTER: Dr. Mitch Kase
4:20-5:45 p.m., Leo A. Guthart Cultural Center Theater, First Floor From the Personal to the Classroom: Teaching/Learning Latin America and the Caribbean from Our Own Family Experiences PANELISTS: Adanya Collins, Gabriella Del Toro Sanabria, Dayanara Pineda, Dr. Benita Sampedro Vizcaya, Eleazar Sánchez López
For questions, contact Dr. Aisha M. Wilson-Carter at aisha.m.wilsoncarter@hofstra.edu.