2021 Student Professional Development Conference Outstanding Speakers
How can YOU prepare to make the most out of your interactions with the 2021 SPDC speakers?
- READ the list of the panelists and speakers before attending the conference (see below).
- THINK about what you would like to learn from participating in the conference, and IDENTIFY the participants who may be able to answer your questions.
- MAKE A LIST of questions and keep them nearby.
- NETWORK with the speakers and panelists... even those outside of your chosen career field. You never know what you may learn!
~Morning Sessions~
Opening Session ~ Making it Work! Successful Transition from College to Career (10:00 - 11:10 AM)
~The goal of this session is to inform, inspire, and excite participants about their career aspirations. Panelists will share their stories to help students better understand the commitment, dedication, and drive required to successfully pursue a professional or graduate degree.
PANELISTS:
~Brittany Horne~
1st Year Law Student at the University of South Carolina School of Law Columbia (STEM Major) (Click here to view profile) |
~Billal Khaled~
Accepted: University of Chapel Hill School Adams School of Dentistry Fall 2021 (Click here to view profile) |
~Brandon James~
Accepted: University of Detriot Mercy School of Dentistry and Meharry Medical College School of Dentistry Fall 2021 (Click here to view profile) ~Lexis Deshazo-Burnett~
Accepted: Multiple Medical Schools including Yale University School of Medicine, Duke University School fo Medicine, Waker Forest University School of Medicine, and University of Michigan School of Medicine. Fall 2021 (Click here to view profile) ~Leonora Boston~
Accepted: Wake Forest Masters Program in Biomedical Sciences - Pre-Health Track & NC State Master of Science in Physiology Fall 2021 |
~Kaylin Jordan~
Accepted: High Point University Fred Wilson School of Pharmacy and Campbell University College of Pharmacy Fall 2021 (Click here to view profile) ~Olufemi Olatidoye~
Accepted: Multiple Medical Schools including the New York University Grossman School of Medicine, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, and Fall 2021 ~Nzia Hall, B.S.
Currently attending Georgetown University Masters in Integrative Neuroscience Science Program; Accepted to: Morehouse School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine and Wake Forest Medical School for Fall 2021 (Click to here to view profile) |
~Networking Lunch~
Keynote
"Your Net and Your Network"
Michelle Horton
Founder and Chief of YOUniversityDrive
Founder and Chief of YOUniversityDrive
~Afternoon Sessions~
Concurrent Session (I): Health Professionals Panel & Networking Session (2:00 - 3:10 PM)
~The goal of this session is to expose participants to the broad opportunites in healthcare and to explain what it takes to become a successful professional in medicine. Panelists will share stories of their carere paths to help students better understand the commitment, dedication, and drive required to successfully pursue a career in healthcare.
~Featuring Health Professions School Representatives, Practicing Healthcare Professionals and Students
PANELISTS:
~Brenda Latham-Sadler, MD
Family Medicine Specialist and Wake Forest University School of Medicine Associate Dean of Student Inclusion and Diversity (Click here to view profile) ~Lovest Alexander, PA-C, B.H.S., M.H.S.
Director of Minority Affairs Physician Assistant Program; Department of Family Medicine and Community Health Duke University Medical Center (Click here to view profile) |
~Lisa Long, MS
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine; Associate Director of Scholastic Enrichment & Equity (Click here to view profile) ~Tiffany Morris, PhD Nursing
Elon University School of Health Sciences Inaugural Chair of the Department of Nursing (Click here to veiw profile) |
~Mahalia Robinson
Campbell University, Jerry M. Wallace School of Osteopathic Medicine 3rd year D.O. Medical Student and Department of Biology Graduate (Click here to view profile) ~Carla White, PharmD
Associate Dean, Organizational Diversity and Inclusion; Assistant Professor; Uniersity of Chapel Hill Eshelman School of Pharmacy (Click here to view profile) (Dr. White is unavailable for the panel. Please join her Expo booth during the Networking Lunch and Exhibitor Session) |
~Ralph Dapaah, CAA, M.H.Sc
Board of Directors at American Academy of Anesthesiologist Assistants (Click here to view profile) ~Jasmine Weiss
National Clinician Scholar Program Fellow Yale University School of Medicine; Cofounder of Diversifi (Click here to view profile) |
Concurrent Session (II): Dental Professionals Panel & Networking Session (2:00 - 3:10 PM)
~The goal of this session is to expose participants to the broad opportunites in dental medicine and to explain what it takes to become a successful dentist. Panelists will share stories of their carere paths to help students better understand the commitment, dedication, and drive required to successfully pursue a career in dentistry.
~Featuring Dental School Representatives, Dentists, Dental Professionals and Students
PANELISTS:
~Alexis Foster, B.S.
Oral Surgical Assistant; Completed the North Carolina State University Master of Nutrition Science Program (Click to view profile) ~Kaisi Peele, B.S.
Accepted into dental school: East Carolina University School of Dental Medicine and Howard University College of Dentistry. (Click to view profile) ~Carla Jones, B.S.
4th Year Dental Student at the University Michigan School of Dentistry (Click to view profile) |
~Lamont Lowery, M.S.
Assistant Dean for Student Recruitment and Engagement at UNC Adams School of Dentistry (Click to view profile) ~Jordan Cohen, M.S.
Completed the North Carolina State University Master of Nutrition Science Program; American Dental Education Association Featured Student; N.C. A&T State University Department of Biology Graduate (Click to view profile) ~Nicholas Foster Ferguson, D.D.S.
Owner of Ferguson Creative Dentistry of Nashville, PC; (Click to view profile) |
Concurrent Session (III): Graduate & Veterinary Professionals Panel & Networking Session (2:00 - 3:10 PM)
~The goal of this session is to provide an opportunity for participants to explore opportunites in reserach, veterinary medicine, and understand how many of these careers are connected. Panelists will discuss what it takes to become a successful researcher and/or veterinarian and share stories of their career paths to help students better understand the commitment, dedication, and drive required to successfully pursue these careers.
~Featuring Graduate & Veterinary School Representatives, Professionals and Students
PANELISTS:
~Andrea Gentry, DVM
Coordinator of Veterinary Education and Clnical Associate Veterinarian at N.C. A&T; Faculty advisor for the Prevet Club (Click here to view profile) ~Christopher Rensing, PhD
Distinguished Professor at Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University; Fuzhou, Fujian, China (Click here to view profile) ~Michael J. Cotton, D.V.M.
Department of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Associate Professor and Chair of Biology. Owner of Ambassador Animal Hospital. (Click here to view profile) ~Nzia Hall, B.S.
Currently attending Georgetown University Masters in Integrative Neuroscience Science Program; Accepted to: Morehouse School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine and Wake Forest Medical School for Fall 2021 (Click to here to view profile) |
Deomrick Harris, M.S.
Deputy Program Business Operations Administrator/ Financial Analyst/ Security Specialist at General Dynamics & CEO/Founder of Timeless Pursuits Motivational Speaking (Click here to view profile) ~Alexandia Rensing
Swathmore University Physics Major & Computer Science minor; Interest in Diversifying STEM; Research Assistant at University of Chicago (Click here to view profile) ~Tara Harrison, DVM
Clinical Assistant Professor at North Carolina State University's College of Veterinary Exotic Animal Medicine Service (Click here to view profile) ~Ciearra Smith, PhD
Postdoctoral Associate in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at University of Massachutes Medical School (Click to viwe profile) |
Concurrent Session (IV): Law Professionals Panel & Networking Session (2:00 - 3:10 PM)
~The goal of this session is to expose participants to the breadth of opportunites in law and to help participants understand the power of a law degree. Panelists will also discuss what it takes to have a successful law career. Panelists will share stories of their career paths to help students better understand the commitment, dedication, and drive required to successfully pursue a career in law.
~Featuring Law School Representatives, Practicing Attorneys and Students
PANELISTS:
~Mary-Louise Frampton, JD Director, Aoki Center for Critical Race and Nation Studies at the University of California Davis School of Law
(Click here to view profile) ~Margaret Dudley Supervising Attorney Emergency Legal Services Program Elon University School fo Law
(Click here to view profile) ~Enisha Smith, Esq.
Attorney at Olive & Olive; Graduate of North Carolina Central University School of Law; Current electrical engineering student at N.C. A&T; interest in Intellectual Property Law. (Click here to view profile) ~Ellison Starnes
1st Year Law Student at University of Akron School of Law; N.C. A&T Accelerated Pathway to Law School Scholar (Click here to view profile) |
~Malik Edwards
Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs & Scholarly Enrichment & Professor of Law (Click here to view profile) ~Josue Jimenez
Assistant Director of Admissions at Campbell University, Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law (Click here to view profile) |
~Sapring Brown Taylor, Esq.
Owner Law Office of Saprina Brown Taylor in Mebane, NC and Durham, NC; Founder at The Disability Teacher, LLC (Clinck here to view profile) |
~Concurrent Workshops~
Concurrent Session V: How Can "I" do That? Explore Your Interest in Science, Industry, and Research (3:30 - 4:55 PM)
In this session, participants will learn about the numerous opportunities available in the pharmacutical industry. Hosted by: AbbVie Pharmaceuticals
Joy Jackson-Guilford, PhD
(Click here to view profile)
(Click here to view profile)
Concurrent Session VI: How to Become a Competitive Applicant in the Time of COVID (3:30 - 4:55 PM)
In this session, panelist will share valuable information on what candidates can do to become competitive applicants for professional or graduate school or the workforce, specifically during the challenging time of the COVID-19 pandemic.
PANELISTS:
~Morgan Everheart
Earned a Masters of Medical Science from Hampton University; Earned a Masters of Health Science from Meharry Medical College; Currently 1st Year Medical Student at Meharry Medical College School of Medicine (Click here to view profile) ~Stephani Page, PhD
Community Engagement Manager at ARC Network; Consultant at The Impact Seat; Creator of #BLACKandSTEM (Click here to view profile) |
~Kamari Bush
Currently Working in a Lab Corp COVID-19 Laboratory; Recently Taught English while Living in Beijing, China; Career Interest in Global Public Health. (Click here to view profile) ~Amira Carter, M.S.
1st Year Pharmacy Student Campbell University College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences |
Concurrent Session VII: Finances and the Professions (3:30 - 4:55 PM)
Participants will come away from this session with an understanding of how to properly manage money and how to navigate as a professional in the world beyond undergraduate education. Furthermore, questions such as "What does it mean to 'act' professionally?", "How do I communicate in a professional way?", and "How do I prepare for social success in the workplace?" will be addressed.
PANELISTS:
~Deomrick Harris
Deputy Program Business Oprtations Administrator/ Financial Analyst/ Security Specialist at General Dynamics & CEO/ Founder of Timeliss Pursuits Motivational Speaking (Click here to view profile) ~Tommy Nichols
Founder/ Creative Producer at Charlotte Black Film Festival (Click here to view profile) |
~Cynthia Williams
Operations & Event Manager at Charlotte Black Film Festival/PowerUp USA STEAM-Charlotte (Click here to view profile) |