B3: Advancing Health Equity: From Theory to Practice

Dr. Rebecca Rich is an assistant professor in the Department of Health at West Chester University. Her teaching responsibilities are primarily in the Bachelor of Science in Public Health program. Dr. Rich's research focuses on women's sexual health, and health and sexuality education pedagogy. Much of her work is done with a feminist theoretical lens.

Dr. Dena Simmons is the founder of LiberatED, a liberatory approach to social and emotional learning (SEL) that centers radical love, healing, and justice. She is also a visiting professor at the Institute for Racial Justice at Loyola University of Chicago. Before LiberatED, she co-led a university center, where she supported schools to use the power of emotions to create a more compassionate and just society. Prior to her work there, Dr. Simmons served as an educator, teacher educator, diversity facilitator, and curriculum developer. She has been a leading voice on teacher education and has written and spoken across the country about social and racial justice pedagogy, diversity, emotional intelligence, and bullying in K-12 school settings. Dr. Simmons’ research interests include teacher preparedness to address bullying in the K-12 school setting, culturally responsive pedagogy, and the intersection of equity and SEL—all in an effort to ensure and foster justice, belonging, and safe spaces for all. She is the author of the forthcoming book, White Rules for Black People (St. Martin’s Press).

Kayleigh Jones, MPH, CHES is a Health Communications Coordinator with the Emory Centers for Public Health Training and Technical Assistance at the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University. In her current role, she works in diabetes prevention with training for National Diabetes Prevention Program and has written and co-designed a new online curriculum in partnership with the Alzheimer’s Association.

Dr. Katrina J. Wyche has been in the human services field over 25 years on a volunteer and professional basis. Wyche currently serves as the Regional Director for SheRays and TTJ Group, LLC. She obtained her Doctorate of Education Leadership (Ed.D), with a focus on Cross-Cultural Leadership and Organizational Development & Design from Xavier University where she is also an Adjunct Professor. She is the founder of Luv U 2 Life, LLC, a suicide prevention and mental health awareness organization. She is also an Associate Trainer for Faith Partners, LLC. Wyche currently provides board leadership and consultation to FuturePromise, a group home for emotionally disturbed adolescence. Also, she serves on the Advisory Council for the Matthew B Schooner Educational Center at Prevention Action Alliance and on the board of directors for Empowering Education. She is a founding member of Wyoming Community in Action, an organization dedicated to social awareness and justice. Independently, she provides consultation services for organizations, school districts, and businesses to raise cultural awareness (using Courageous Conversations curriculum), develop and design training programs and curriculum, and general organizational improvement. She holds a life coaching certification and has a special focus on post-traumatic growth. She is a certified Ohio Prevention Consultant and working to obtain Chemical Dependency Counseling Assistant (CDCA) Certification. She is a trainer for the following evidence based and model programs: Celebrating Families!, Minimize Risk, Maximize Life: A low risk drinking course for adults, Botvin’s Life Skills, and Search Institute’s 40 Developmental Assets. She provided training and consultation for Interact for Health, PreventionFirst!, Dearborn County CASA (Indiana), and Dearborn County Schools and Juvenile Detention Center. She served on the board of directors for the Alcohol and Drug Prevention Association of Ohio. Wyche also is the Co-developer of the Building Prevention with Faith: A Faith-Based Substance Abuse Prevention Toolkit. With her published dissertation, Factors Contributing to Leaders Leveraging Traumatic Experiences for Post-Traumatic Growth in their Leadership Capacity.