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Meira Levinson is a normative political philosopher who writes about civic education, multiculturalism, youth empowerment, and educational ethics. In doing so, she draws upon scholarship from multiple disciplines as well as her eight years of experience teaching in the Atlanta and Boston Public Schools.Levinson has been awarded a 2014 Guggenheim Fellowship to support her newest project, on "Justice in Schools." In this work, she combines philosophical analysis and school-based case studies to illuminate the complex dimensions of evaluating, achieving, and teaching justice in schools. The project is intended to give educators tools for making just decisions in their own practice, and also to push political theorists to develop theories of justice that are robust enough to address complex school-based dilemmas

Janie Victoria Ward is Associate Professor of Education and Human Services and Chair of Simmons's Africana Studies department. In addition to teaching, she works with youth counselors, secondary school educators, and other practitioners in a variety of settings. Her research focuses on adolescent development, particularly the racial identity and moral development of African American girls and boys. Ward has written and edited numerous books, chapters, and articles, and has made many media guest appearances. She is author of *The Skin We're In: Teaching our Children to be Emotionally Strong, Socially Smart and Spiritually Connected* (2000) and *Gender and Teaching*, with Francis Maher (2001). With her thesis advisor, Carol Gilligan, she co-edited *Mapping the Moral Domain: A Contribution of Women's Thinking to Psychological Theory and Education*. She also edited *Souls Looking Back: Life Stories of Growing Up Black*, a compilation of autobiographical statements written by African American, Caribbean, and black Canadian college students. Ward is a research associate at the Harvard Graduate School of Education where she co-directs with Wendy Luttrell, Project ASSERT (Accessing Strengths and Supporting Effective Resistance in Teaching), a five-year, school-based research study and curriculum development project designed to guide and support urban teachers around gender, race, and class dynamics that impact their work with youth. Currently Ward is the site coordinator for the Boston Girls Sports and Physical Activity Project, funded by the Women's Sports Foundation, and she is a member of the project's evaluation and research team.

Gladys Rodriguez-Parker is the District Director for U.S. Representative James P. McGovern (3rd. Congressional District), and was recently also given the title of Director of Community and Intergovernmental Relations. She is the first Latino woman to hold such a post in Massachusetts. Born in Westfield, she spent her youth in Puerto Rico until age 12, when she moved to South Boston and lived in the D-Street projects. She later moved with her family to Worcester, attended Worcester's public schools and became involved in community service projects. She has lived in Worcester since her youth and is known for her passion working on behalf of her community and Latino issues. A tireless worker, Ms. Rodriguez-Parker was one of the founding members of the Worcester Working Coalition for Latino Students (WWCLS) and has been a relentless advocate on behalf of educational equity. Her work with the WWCLS has focused in the areas of communication, community organizing, and development. She has been an invaluable advocacy resource for the Latino Education Institute at the Massachusetts State House. Her credibility and passion for community issues has made her one of the most respected community activists in the City of Worcester. Ms. Rodriguez Parker earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in history and political science and a master's degree in human services management from Worcester State College. She has also studied at the Women in Higher Education Leadership Institute of Wellesley College. Ms. Rodriguez-Parker has served on the boards of many non-profit organizations. She has substantial experience in the management of non-profit agencies.

Robert Schwartz held a wide variety of leadership positions in education and government before joining the HGSE faculty in 1996. From 1997 to 2002, Schwartz also served as president of Achieve, Inc., an independent, bipartisan, nonprofit organization created by governors and corporate leaders to help states improve their schools. From 1990 to 1996, Schwartz directed the education grantmaking program of The Pew Charitable Trusts, one of the nation's largest private philanthropies. In addition to his work at HGSE, Achieve, and The Pew Charitable Trusts, Schwartz has been a high-school English teacher and principal; an education advisor to the mayor of Boston and the governor of Massachusetts; an assistant director of the National Institute of Education; a special assistant to the president of the University of Massachusetts; and executive director of The Boston Compact, a public-private partnership designed to improve access to higher education and employment for urban high-school graduates. Schwartz has written and spoken widely on topics such as standards-based reform, public-private partnerships, and the transition from high school to adulthood.

Peter Roby was named Northeastern's ninth Athletics Director on June 21, 2007. Roby, former head basketball coach at Harvard University, marketing vice president at Reebok, and since 2002, Director of Northeastern's Center for the Study of Sport in Society, brings broad experience in unique perspective to his new position. Roby has been referenced extensively in print, television and radio media all over the world and his opinion pieces have been published on the editorial pages of the *Boston Globe*, the* Indianapolis Star*, the *Dallas Morning News* and the *Oregonian*. In October of 2007, Roby was named one of the 100 Most Influential Sports Educators in America by the Institute of International Sport. Roby is a 1979 graduate of Dartmouth College where he was co-captain of the basketball team and earned a bachelor's degree in Government. A native of New Britain, Connecticut, Roby lives with his wife, Sandra, and children, Kayla, Peter, and Jon Paul, in Newton, Mass.

Robin Galas attended Mills College from 1995 - 1997 and was a member of the crew team for nearly her entire tenure. During her first year, she served as co-captain of the novice team. The following year, she was awarded the Arthur Ashe Scholar Award recognizing combined excellence in academics and athletics by students of color. She began working at the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) two and a half years ago in order to further justice and equal rights for all LGBT people. She is currently the Director of Operations at NCLR. She identifies as a bisexual, biracial (half Thai, half Polish-American) woman and understands the barriers that LGBT athletes of color often face both within the LGBT sports movement and athletics at large.

Helen Carroll is the coordinator of the Homophobia in Sports project at the NCLR. Carroll's long career as a basketball coach and college athletic director gives her credibility when examining complaints. She speaks the language of the locker room and the coach's office. Her 1984 University of North Carolina-Asheville team won the NAIA women's national college basketball championship, making her the first woman to win an NAIA title. From 1988-2000 she was the athletic director of Mills College in the Bay Area. In dealing with schools and sports organizations Carroll's goal is always the same: no athlete should be harassed or discriminated against because of their sexual orientation. The NCRL, a small nonprofit based in San Francisco, will cajole, educate and, if necessary, threaten legal action to create a tolerant atmosphere.