The Chopping BLOCK

Austin Ashe serves as the Senior Associate Director of Belonging & Culture, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Massachusetts Institute of Technology – Sloan School of Management. In this episode, Austin talks a bit about Hip Hop education and its transformative impact in institutions of higher education, as well as the realities of race in America.       SHOW LESS    

Kristen Garcia-Hernandez is the CEO of Girl Scouts of Southern Arizona. On this episode of the Chopping Block, Kristen talks about life growing up in Tucson, AZ, and explores the ways in which the city has changed during her lifetime. She also tackles the roles and responsibilities of gender-based organizations, like Girl Scouts, in issues of race, gender, and class.

Dr. Eric House is an Assistant Professor of Critical Composition and Writing Studies at New Mexico State University. In this episode, Dr. House talks about the state of Hip Hop in America and the role it plays in Black culture today. Dr. House examines feminism through the responsibility of straight Black men and provides some much-needed insight on Critical Race Theory.

Mukala Kabongo serves as the News Director for Lynn Community Television in Lynn, Massachusetts. Entering the Chopping BLOCK, Mukala talks about his move to the United States from the Congo as a young boy and the challenges he faced as an international student assimilating to life in the United States. Mukala also talks about the roles race, class, and gender play in media advocacy and social justice.

Lexy Reyelts Salas is a labor organizer who was born and raised in Yuma, Arizona. As a student and student worker at the University of Arizona, Lexy took part in many endeavors that started her on her path to organizing and to becoming the woman she is today. In this episode of the Chopping BLOCK, Lexy talks about the roles race, class, gender, and sexuality have played not only in her life, but I'm society, alone. She also talks about her perspective on colleges & universities as businesses-minded entities, her advocacy for socialist ideologies and the troubles with a capitalistic society.

Prof. Smadar Naoz is an Associate Professor of Astronomy at UCLA. On this podcast, Prf. Naoz talks about her life as a young girl in Israel, her first introduction to space science and her journey to tenure in the United States.

TC Tolbert is a genderqueer, feminist poet and teacher committed to social justice. S/he believes in working across communities – building bridges wherever possible. TC earned his MFA in Poetry from UA in 2005 and currently teaches Composition at The University of Arizona and Pima Community College.

Sera Markoff and Michael Wise are Astrophysicists from Amsterdam, Netherlands. Prof. Markoff is a Full Professor of theoretical high energy astrophysics at the University of Amsterdam while Dr. Michael Wise is the Director of SRON - Dutch National Space Research Institute. They enter the Copping BLOCK to talk about the stigmatization of Astrophysics, diversity & inclusion in the sciences, and the role of advocacy in the field.

Dr. Moore is recognized as one of the nation's top motivational speakers and educators and serves as Director of The Privilege Institute (TPI) and The National White Privilege Conference (WPC), both founded under his direction to provide opportunities and possibilities for research, publications, speaking and collaborations by those committed to true social and institutional change. He received his Ph.D. in Educational Policy and Leadership Studies at the University of Iowa and under his direction and inclusive relationship model the White Privilege Conference has become one of the top national and international conferences for participants who want to move beyond dialogue and into action around issues of diversity, power, privilege, and leadership.

Melia Dunn is an equity, diversity, and inclusion specialist. She is committed to her role in dismantling systems of privilege and marginalization by acknowledging that good intentions alone are not enough to create change. Melia brings her 15+ years in non profit leadership, strategies, and experience to lead the charge to socially just organizations and communities.

Cindu Thomas-George is a tenured professor at the College of Lake County and the Founder and principle trainer of Shakti Diversity and Equity. she designs and facilitates professional development workshops that promote equity and cultural competence in order to help create inclusive and equitable organizations for today's increasingly diverse workforce. In her sixteen years of experience, she has developed a mastery of creating and facilitating meaningful and impactful learning experiences that work to empower individuals to become competent and culturally aware communicators.

Kayla Drescher, Founder of Magic in Heels brings her infectuous personality and show stopping charisma to the Chopping BLOCK. She's performed for clients all over the nation, including Microsoft, IBM, CBS Interactive, Lyndon State College, Castleton College, The Make-a-Wish Foundation, and much more!  She's also appeared on television numerous times, including “Midday Maryland”, “Ventaneando”-Mexico's #1 Talk Show, and NBC's “The Today Show”, where she won David Copperfield's “Search for the Next Great Magician.” Kayla continues to push reality's limits and create one unforgettable show. Today, she's chopping it up with us about life behind the scenes as a female magician, the road to prominence, race and class in magic, and the impact her shows have on young girls.

Dr. Drea Letamendi is a clinical psychologist who is the host of the Arkham Sessions podcast, the Associate Director of Mental Health Training, Intervention, and Response for Residential Life at UCLA, and the Interim Director of the Student Resilience Center at UCLA. Aa a professional, Dr. Letamendi discovered that she could follow her own path and embrace what she loved, by intersecting the worlds of psychological science with fictional heroism. As such, she contributes to public health education using the intersections of science and superheroes. To bring psychology to wide audiences and help others bridge the worlds of fantasy and reality, she hosts podcasts and delivers seminars, panels, and keynotes at universities, organizations, and comic conventions.  Since 2010, she's served as a psychological consultant for comic book writers and other creatives interested in portraying aspects of mental health. As a pop culture enthusiast, she's been featured in commentaries for film and television produced by SyFy, CNN, MTV,  and Warner Brothers, to name a few.

Daymyen Layne is the Director of Multicultural Education and Training at Quinnipiac University. Housed in the Department of Cultural and Global Engagement, Daymyen is responsible for executing key initiatives and programming in alignment with the inclusive excellence pillar outlined in Quinnipiac's strategic plan. This includes but is not limited to developing competency-based trainings and workshops surrounding topical areas related to diversity, inclusion, and social identity development, and fostering multicultural awareness and cross-cultural interaction among students, faculty and staff. Additionally, he develops goals and assesses the effectiveness of programs sponsored by the university's Department of Cultural and Global Engagement. On this episode, "D-Layne" enters the Chopping BLOCK to talk about issues of race, family, Brotherhood, mentorship, and calming in a time of crisis.

Jeannette Mare is the Founder and Chief Kindness Officer of Ben's Bells in Tucson, Arizona. With locations spanning as far as Connecticut, Ben's Bells touches the hearts and lives of children and families all over the United States. Jeannette founded Ben's Bells after experiencing a family tragedy that would ultimately change not only her life, but her perspective on life forever. In her work, Jeannette teaches the principles of kindness as a platform for critically engaging the work of equity, inclusion, and social change. Here on the Chopping BLOCK, Jeannette talks about her journey to Founder and her plans to promote equity and inclusion through kindness.