Notes - Common Thread

Techa Smalls-Brown

PhD in Leadership and Change student Techa Smalls-Brown recently facilitated the workshop “Creating a Sustainable Whole Child Ecosystem” at the 2022 Collaborative for Spirituality in Education Spirituality Mind Body Institute Teachers College of Columbia University’s annual conference. The Collaborative for Spirituality in Education is dedicated to nurturing the innate spiritual capacity of educators through enriching activities, engaging discourse, scientific research, and contemplative practices. Smalls-Brown is an expert in mindfulness and meditation. An experienced educator with over two decades of service, she specialized in helping educators in all facets, especially in regard to the ways in which to reclaim their passions

Sara Safari ’21

Dr. Sara Safari ’21 (GSLC, PhD) is featured in the new Netflix documentary, Aftershock: Everest and the Nepal Earthquake, which features survivors’ firsthand accounts and actual footage about the deadly 2015 earthquake that shook Nepal. The event shaped the life and work of Sara, who is an internationally renowned author, speaker, and advocate for women. She is the Founder of Climb Your Everest, a nonprofit empowering woman one adventure at a time. Learn more about Safari in a recent Common Thread profile Climbing Everest and Empowering Women: Sara Safari Is on a Mission, and read her dissertation Virtual Empowerment: The

Janet Dewart Bell ’74, ’15

Dr. Janet Dewart Bell ’74, ’15 (Maryland, BA and GSLC, PhD and a member of Antioch’s Board of Governors) has launched the LEADing JUSTICE podcast. This new platform highlights the importance of courage, commitment, compassion, vision, and hope to ensure and secure a just and equitable future and features singular guests who make a difference in the fight for freedom worldwide. A scholar, author, activist, and professor, Dr. Dewart Bell is a nationally recognized leader in social justice, media advocacy, and politics. She is the founder and president of LEAD InterGenerational Solutions. Read Dr. Dewart Bell’s dissertation entitled African American Women Leaders in

Obed Danlami ‘12

Obed Danlami ‘12 (Antioch New England, Environmental Studies, PhD) established the Keene Learning and Information Center (KELIC) after graduation to contend with social injustice issues in Africa. KELIC emphasizes inclusiveness and provides the opportunity for children to have equal access to basic education. KELIC has worked for almost ten years to improve access to education and post-secondary education by offering remedial programs, rigorous high school lessons, and mentorship/leadership programs. The name, Keene Learning and Information Center, came from Damlami’s time studying at Antioch’s Keene New Hampshire campus. Danlami says he does this work, “because my community needs me!”

Kimberly Severance ‘05

Kimberly Severance ‘05 (New England, MED) is the new Head Golf Coach and Director of Career Services at Cottey College, an independent liberal arts and sciences women’s college in Missouri. She began work in these new roles on June 1, 2022. With this one career move, she was able to merge her two loves. “I have been playing golf since I was 14 years old and enjoy it more every year. As Director of Career Services, I get to help students prepare to move from student to professional in their chosen career paths. I am lucky to have the opportunity

Emily Aiken

PhD in Leadership and Change student Emily Aiken has been awarded The Utah Phillips/J. David Singer Chapter 93 Veterans For Peace Scholarship Award. The scholarship offers support to students in programs that actively promote the study of global conflict resolution or issues of peace and justice and is in recognition of Emily’s commitment to bringing people together across cultural differences to promote peace and understanding. Aiken is a Program Coordinator and Qualifying Seminar Instructor for the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI). The IDI is a diagnostic tool that provides an opportunity for individuals and groups to learn more about their orientation

Em Johnson ‘18

Em Johnson ‘18 (Antioch Santa Barbara, MBA in Social Entrepreneurship and Strategic Planning) was hired as the new Director of Climate Resilience for the Community Environmental Council. In her new role, Johnson is charged with empowering California’s Central Coast communities to better respond, recover, adapt, and thrive in the face of climate change-related disruptions. Johnson brings a wealth of expertise in rural innovation, social enterprise, and nonprofit leadership to the position. During her five years as Executive Director of the Blue Sky Center, she brought creativity, innovation, and investment into the Cuyama Valley in Central California. She has worked with

Bonnie Curtis ’22

Dr. Bonnie Curtis ’22 (GSLC, PhD) CEO of Golden Spike LLC, has joined the faculty of Northern Kentucky University (NKU). Nationally recognized for empowering diverse learners for economic and social mobility and for its inclusive mission, NKU has 16,000 students, many of them first-generation college students. In this new role, Dr. Curtis will be teaching at the Master’s level as part of the Supply Chain stack in the MBA program. The course, entitled “Strategic Sourcing”, will utilize her vast experience working in the global supply chain as well as the scholarly research completed throughout her time in the PhDLC program

Jacqueline Reid

Dr. Jacqueline Reid, Director of Antioch’s national Women in Leadership Certificate Program, was appointed by the Santa Barbara County 2nd District Supervisor Gregg Hart to become a 2nd District Commissioner for the County for Santa Barbara Commission of Women.

CMHC Faculty Present at Black Mental Health Symposium

Three Antioch University Clinical Mental Health Counseling faculty presented this year at the 7th annual Black Mental Health Symposium, which took place virtually in September 2022. The mission of the two-day conference is to bring together professionals who wish to increase access to care and improve the overall wellness of the Black community, as well as to work to destigmatize mental illness. Antioch faculty presentations included: Dr. Kalesha Jenkins: “Self-care for Heroes: Black Motherhood, Mental Health, and the Superwoman Schema.” Dr. Devona Stalnaker-Shofner: “Applying Critical Race Theory to the Decolonization of Counseling Curriculum and Practice,” and “Counseling While Black: Exploring the

Jeff Littleton ‘05

Jeff Littleton ‘05 (Antioch New England, MS in Environmental Studies, Conservation Biology) alum and “Community Ecology of the New England Landscape” instructor was named the 2022 Educator of the Year by the Cheshire County Conservation District. Each year, the Cheshire County Conservation District honors an individual or organization with the “Educator of the Year” award. This is done to celebrate the efforts the recipient has undertaken to steward a conservation ethic and awareness through their personal and professional work in any form of education that takes. Read the full article and more about Littleton here.

Tenika Jackson

Dr. Tenika Jackson, Chair of the MA in Clinical Psychology program in Los Angeles, was featured in the LA Times article “Use these mental health resources to help yourself — or anyone else.” The article shares a comprehensive list of mental health resources, including Los Angeles’ Antioch University Counseling Center (AUCC), which offers short- and long-term therapy, workshops, and community education, and Antioch Community Therapy Services (ACTS), which offers free telehealth services. Read the full article here.

Archives: Notes