Keith Chan, PhD, LMSW, is Co-Chair of the Aging Curriculum, Chair of the Policy Curriculum, Social Welfare Policy Chair, and Associate Professor at the Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College, City University of New York. As a social worker, scholar and educator, his research focuses on the social determinants of physical and mental health for vulnerable populations, in particular for Asian Americans, immigrants and older adults, as well as the impact of the opioid epidemic across the lifespan. His research has been funded by the Minority Fellowship Program, the National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities, the National Institute of Aging, and the John A. Hartford Foundation. He is currently serves as co-Investigator of the NIMHD-funded Rutgers-NYU Center for Asian Health Promotion and Equity (CAHPE), Community Engagement Core and the NIA-funded Research Center for Alzheimer's and Dementia Research in Asian and Pacific Americans (RCASIA). In addition, since 2020, he has provided his research expertise as Congressional Fellow through the Health and Aging Policy Fellows Program to the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means, Subcommittee on Health, Democratic Staff, on issues related to mental health, disability, and population health data. Dr. Chan’s social work practice experience is primarily with persons diagnosed with serious mental illness within minority, immigrant and older adult populations. Beginning in 2018, he was appointed by the Office of the Governor of New York to serve as a Council Member of the New York State Interagency Geriatric Mental Health and Chemical Dependence Planning Council. At Silberman Social Work at Hunter College, he teaches Social Work Research and Clinical Practice with Older Adults.

Diane Bigler, LCSW, LSCSW, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Missouri and Kansas with over 25 years of experience in the mental health field. She has held clinical positions as an outpatient and in-home therapist, and clinical supervisor. Diane was an Adjunct Professor of Social Work for 10 years at The University of Kansas, School of Social Welfare and a Field Liaison and Field Instructor. She has also held administrative positions as a program Director and Coordinator. Diane is a popular local and national trainer on a wide variety of mental health and workplace development topics for clinicians and corporations. Diane is most passionate about providing quality professional development to clinicians, employees, and leaders. For fun, Diane loves to spoil her four Dachshunds and rock out to 80’s music.

Navika Gangrade, PhD, RD is a Registered Dietitian and a Lecturer at Cornell University. She has experience teaching a variety of undergraduate and graduate-level nutrition classes, including Nutrition through the Lifecycle, Vitamins & Minerals, and Current Research in Nutrition. She is also a practicing registered dietitian working specifically with adults, children, and families on their recovery from eating disorders and disordered eating. Prior to her time at Cornell University, Dr. Gangrade was a Visiting Assistant Professor in the Department of Nutrition & Food Studies at New York University. She earned her PhD in Nutrition and Registered Dietitian credentials (RD) from Cornell University and her BS in Dietetics from the University of Delaware.

Jillian Graves is an associate professor at Eastern Michigan University in the School of Social Work. She has been a mental health practitioner in psychiatric outpatient, private practice, and juvenile court settings for over 25 years. Dr. Graves has worked with adolescents and adults, utilizing DBT, CBT, psychodynamic interventions, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and solution-focused interventions. Her scholarly work has focused on the experiences of family caregivers, especially siblings, in adolescent and emerging adult development and trauma-reactive violence. Her most recent research has focused on the impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of retail workers and the use of relational coordination as a mitigating factor. She is currently the co-director of the IPE Center in the College of Health and Human Services.

Kathryn Krase, Ph.D., J.D., M.S.W., Principal Consultant with Krase Consultant, is an expert on the professional reporting of suspected child maltreatment. She has authored multiple books and articles on the subject. She has years of experience consulting with government and community based organizations to develop policy & practice standards.

Dr. Christina Marsack-Topolewski is an associate professor of Social Work in the College of Health and Human Services at Eastern Michigan University. Dr. Marsack-Topolewski received her PhD in Social Work with a dual title in Gerontology from Wayne State University. She has worked with individuals with various intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) for 20 years. Her research focuses on individuals with autism and other neurodevelopmental disabilities, their caregivers, advance care planning, the service delivery model, and service utilization. She has over 90 publications in national and international journals and encyclopedias, mainly focusing on individuals with IDDs, caregiving, as well as services and supports. In addition, she has presented her work locally, nationally, and internationally.

Susan, a Milwaukee, Wisconsin native, is a national speaker, author, linguist and medical professional passionate about clear communication and quality of life. Initially a translator/interpreter for the Italian Ministry of Defense, she moved to clinical work as a speech-language pathologist. Career Highlights include: • TEDx talk on THE POWER OF WORDS • Clinical treatment in 6 languages • Communication Clubs for people with Parkinson’s Disease • Pioneered post-stroke rehab dining group • Express Yourself™ aphasia communication group facilitator • Cure PSP support group facilitator • Speech consultant for multiple communities serving neurodivergent adults Publications and Recordings: • DON’T FORGET TO SAY THANK YOU: 20 THOUGHTS TO GUIDE YOU PERSONALLY AND PROFESSIONALLY THROUGH LIFE • THE CONFIDENCE QUOTIENT, a recording on women’s communication styles • SUSAN ON SWALLOWING, a training video Education: • BS, MS - Georgetown University - Italian and Linguistics, Italian • MA The George Washington University – Speech-Language Pathology Media appearances and client list includes ABC, CBS, public radio, the Smithsonian Institute and National Geographic. Susan speaks on a variety of subjects, including aphasia, better brain health, confident communication, dementia, ethics and eating, and celebrating the circle of life. She’s in private practice in the Washington, DC metropolitan area and treats neurogenic communication, cognitive, and swallowing challenges in the adult and older adult population blending linguistic, cultural, and medical expertise to provide comprehensive communication skills enhancement.- Giving voice to your voice!™