UND Multicultural Conference in Higher Education


Advancing inclusive practices in teaching, research, and service.

September 16-17, 2026

This in-person conference will bring students, faculty, staff, community members, and changemakers together to discuss issues related to inclusive practices in higher education. At its core, this conference will serve as an interdisciplinary forum to introduce and explore best practices, policies, theories, and research associated with building community, fostering belonging, and inclusive practices. Additionally, this conference will explore barriers to the effective implementation of inclusive practices as well as solutions to address these barriers.

Conference Topics

  • Information technology
  • Teaching pedagogy
  • Service and practice
  • Infusing belonging in clinical work and practice
  • Research in all areas of education (K-12 and higher education)
  • Improving health equity
  • Addressing health inequities
  • Mental health
  • Higher Education policy
  • K-12 educational policy
  • Mentorship/supervision for underserved student communities
  • Inclusive considerations in the workforce
  • Supporting Indigenous training and research in higher education



Event
Schedule

Day - 01 Wednesday-Sep 16

September 16, 2026 08:00 am

Check-in & Information, Breakfast

September 16, 2026 09:00 am

Conference Opening

September 16, 2026 09:15 am

Keynote Speaker: Dr. Sekile Nzinga, We Are Each Other's Harvest: Cultivating Policies, Pedagogies and Practices for All in Higher Education

Mu Ballroom

Sekile Nzinga

Vice President of Campus Enrichment and Community Engagement , School of the Art Institute of Chicago

Dr. Sekile M. Nzinga is an interdisciplinary executive leader and practitioner whose expertise spans academic, governmental, therapeutic, arts, and not-for-profit sectors. She currently serves as the Vice President of Campus Enrichment and Community Engagement at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and she was appointed as Illinois’ inaugural Chief Equity Officer. Prior to her state service, she was a tenured professor of social work and director of a campus-based women’s center. Sekile is the author of two books on parenting in higher education.

September 16, 2026 11:10 am

Breakout Session: Supporting Teacher Mental Health and Well-Being in Higher Education

MU 340

Dr. Lee Ann Williams

September 16, 2026 12:15 pm

Lunch & Keynote Speaker: Dr. Yohuru Williams, Cultivating the Ground: Five Principles of Soil Repair for Higher Education

Yohuru Williams

Distinguished University Chair and Professor of History and Founding Director of the Racial Justice Initiative, University of St. Thomas

Dr. Yohuru Williams is the Distinguished University Chair and Professor of History and Founding Director of the Racial Justice Initiative at the University of St. Thomas. He received his Ph.D. from Howard University in 1998. Dr. Williams is the author, co-author, and editor of eleven books, including Call Him Jack: The Story of Jackie Robinson, Black Freedom Fighter and More Than A Dream: The Radical March on Washington for Jobs & Freedom, which was long listed for the National Book Award in Young People's Literature.

Dr. Williams has appeared on a variety of local and national television and radio programs, including the History Channel, CNN, Fox Business News, NPR, BET, and ABC. His scholarly articles have been published in the American Bar Association’s Insights on Law and Society and the Journal of Civil and Human Rights.

September 16, 2026 01:45 pm

Breakout Session: The Practice of Conocimiento: Stories, Common Ground, and Community

MU 318 A

Dr. Randi Tanglen

September 16, 2026 11:10 am

Breakout Session: Multicultural Pedagogy as Practiced: Reparative Thinking and the Case for Health Equity in Higher Education

MU Ballroom B

Dr. Grace Karikari, Dr. Eric Kyere, & Dr. Brynn Luger

September 16, 2026 01:45 pm

Breakout Session: Building a Stronger North Dakota Work Force: Attracting and Retaining International Students

MU 318 B

Dr. Francisco Del Canto Viterale & Dr. Manuela Gabriel

September 16, 2026 01:45 pm

Breakout Session: The Future of LGBTQ+ Belonging: Responding to a Changing Higher Education Landscape

MU Ballroom B

Dr. Jeff Maliskey

September 16, 2026 11:10 am

Breakout Session: Higher Education Strategic Planning Designed to Promote Opportunities for Success and a Sense of Belonging

MU 318A

Dr. Ryan Zerr & Anna Kinney

September 16, 2026 11:10 am

Breakout Session: Designing and Examining AI-Enabled Non-Academic Services in Higher Education: A Conceptual Framework

MU 318 B

Dr. Mohammad Johurul Islam

September 16, 2026 01:45 pm

Breakout Session: Communicating Identity Safety Through Diverse Historical Role Models

MU 340

Dr. Alison Kelly, Mary L. Hamilton, and Adelyn K. Emter

September 16, 2026 11:10 am

Breakout Session: Conversation for Faculty and Staff

MU Ballroom A

Dr. Sekile Nzinga

September 16, 2026 01:46 pm

Breakout Session: Digital Accessibility Practice and Inclusivity in Higher Education: A Tale of Personal Experience

MU Ballroom A

Torosa Johur

Day - 02 Thursday-Sep 17

September 17, 2026 08:00 am

Check-in & Information

MU Lounge

September 17, 2026 09:00 am

Breakfast & Keynote: Dr. Doreen Marshall, College Suicide Prevention: Bringing Hope to All Those Affected

MU Ballroom

Doreen Marshall

Associate Professor of Psychology, Brenau University

Dr. Doreen Marshall received her bachelor's and master's degrees from the College of New Jersey. She earned her Ph.D. in counseling psychology from Georgia State University. Dr. Marshall's clinical work has focused primarily on the treatment of suicide and suicide bereavement, depression, anxiety, and trauma. She is nationally known for her work in suicide prevention and suicide bereavement. Dr. Marshall previously served as the Chief Executive Officer at the National Eating Disorders Association and the Vice President of Mission Engagement at the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

She is currently an Associate Professor of Psychology in the Psychology doctoral program at Brenau University. Dr. Marshall is a strong advocate for those with lived experience and works tirelessly to increase awareness and reduce the stigma surrounding mental health conditions.

September 17, 2026 10:45 am

Breakout Session: Collaborative University/City Strategies for International Student Belonging and Retention

MU 340

Dr. Manuela Gabriel & Dr. Hamzat Koriko

September 17, 2026 10:45 am

Breakout Session: Accessibility as Student Success: Reframing Access in Higher Education

MU 318B

Dr. Lee Ann Williams

September 17, 2026 11:45 am

Lunch & Closing Keynote Session: Kirsten Behling, Valuing the Experiences of Today's Learners Through Universal Design for Learning

MU Ballroom

Kirsten Behling

Associate Dean of Student Accessibility & Academic Resources, Tufts University

Kirsten Behling is the Associate Dean of Student Accessibility & Academic Resources at Tufts University, where she oversees all academic support, including the accommodation process. Kirsten and her colleagues recently published Disability Services in Higher Education: An Insider’s Guide, which offers best practices to disability service providers. Kirsten also focuses her research on Universal Design for Learning and its impact all students and the instructors teaching them. Her book, Reach Everyone Teach Everyone: UDL in Higher Education, shares practical applications for instructors to begin “doing” UDL immediately. Kirsten frequently consults around disability service efforts and offers workshops and trainings on UDL.

September 17, 2026 10:45 am

Breakout Session: Improving How We Mentor Through Equity-Minded Mentoring

MU Ballroom A

Dr. Liz Legerski, Dr. Rachel L. Navarro, and Dr. Beth Klemetsrud

September 17, 2026 10:45 am

Breakout Session: Belonging Isn't Something We Stumble Into: Why Food is More Than a Meal

MU 318A

Dr. Stacey Borboa-Peterson, Katie Chambless and Shelby King

September 17, 2026 10:45 am

Breakout Session: Ask the Doctor

Mu Ballroom

Dr. Doreen Marshall

September 17, 2026 10:45 am

Breakout Session: Valuing the Experiences of Today’s Learners Through Universal Design for Learning

MU Ballroom B

Kirsten Behling