Staff directory

Donna Kaplowitz, PhD is the senior director for campus dialogue education at the University of Michigan, jointly appointed by Student Life and the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts. In her role, she provides strategic leadership across a campus dialogue portfolio that includes The Program on Intergroup Relations, Dialogue Michigan, a growing partnership with Difficult Dialogues National Resource Center, and related initiatives.

Roger Fisher is the program director of The Program on Intergroup Relations and a senior associate director for campus dialogue education. In his role with IGR, Roger directs the program's offerings and operations, leads staff, and manages key partnerships and relationships.

Christina S. Morton, PhD is the curriculum and instruction program director at The Program on Intergroup Relations, and an associate director for campus dialogue education. In her role, she provides strategic leadership and administrative support toward advancing IGR’s mission as well as teaches courses focused on the training and development of peer educators in dialogue facilitation.

danny alvarez is a lecturer with The Program on Intergroup Relations in the University of Michigan's College of Literature, Science, and the Arts. They're a passionate facilitator, educator, and organizer who has applied social work practices to their work for the last decade. With practices strongly rooted in popular education and intergroup dialogue pedagogy, they have taught, developed and managed programs at both U-M and Stanford University over the last 5 years.

Imani Barnes is a lecturer in The Program on Intergroup Relations at the University of Michigan, where she combines her passion for social justice education with extensive experience in student affairs. She holds a master's degree in higher education with a concentration in diversity and social justice from U-M, which provides her with a strong foundation in the field.

Charles Behling, PhD retired from the psychology faculty at U-M. A clinical psychologist, he served for 15 years as co-director of IGR. Since retirement, he has consulted with more than 70 universities across the nation regarding the creation of intergroup dialogue programs, based on the U-M model. His PhD and MA are from Vanderbilt University.  He also holds an MA in journalism from the University of South Carolina. His interests in social justice are shaped by his having grown up in the rural South in the days of Jim Crow, before the Civil Rights Movement.

Sara Crider, MSW, PhD is a lecturer for the Department of Sociology and The Program on Intergroup Relations. She is particularly interested in program development, evaluation, inclusive and empowering curricula, and political advocacy. Her research focuses on social justice education, attitude change, intervention design, and intersections of whiteness, gender and sexuality. She also works as a consultant with various organizations to develop and evaluate programs and processes to bolster inclusivity, diversity, and access.

Jacob Foster is a lecturer at The Program on Intergroup Relations. Jacob brings a wealth of experience to their role, with a diverse background spanning various roles at the University of Michigan (U-M) and beyond.

Patricia Gurin, PhD is the Nancy Cantor Distinguished University Professor Emerita of Psychology and Women’s Studies at the University of Michigan. She is a faculty associate of the Research Center for Group Dynamics at the Institute for Social Research and of the Center for African and Afro-American Studies. She directs the research program of The Program on Intergroup Relations, a curricular program co-sponsored by the College of LS&A and Student Life. A social psychologist, Dr.

Stephanie Hicks is a lecturer in The Program on Intergroup Relations and a faculty affiliate of the Institute for Research on Women and Gender at the University of Michigan. As a lecturer, Stephanie teaches courses for IGR and coordinates the Race & Ethnicity Engagement efforts between IGR and the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts.

Adan Hussain is the Dialogue Michigan program director at The Program on Intergroup Relations.

Patrick Kazyak-Albaladejo Muñiz is the associate director for strategic partnerships and dissemination at The Program on Intergroup Relations. In their role, Patrick provides leadership and guidance in the creation, implementation, and assessment of strategic relationships and partnerships to help U-M build capacity for dialogic education and advance the field of intergroup relations education nationally. They are also responsible for coordination of the National Intergroup Dialogue Institute as well as IGR’s consultation program.

Martha Kirpes is the curriculum and outreach coordinator at The Program on Intergroup Relations. Martha teaches "Making the Most of Michigan" (ALA 171) and "Leadership and Facilitation in Community Building" (ALA 471), and supports IGR's strategic and recruitment work.

Nick Pfost (he/they) is the communications strategist at The Program on Intergroup Relations. An MPP-trained communicator with over a decade of experience in higher education and nonprofits, he leads communications, marketing, and design to advance IGR’s mission and impact.

Dr. Todd D. Sevig is currently a senior advisor to the directors at The Program on Intergroup Relations and a senior advisor to the director at the Matthei Botanical Gardens & Nichols Arboretum, both at the University of Michigan.  He was the director of Counseling and Psychological Services at the University of Michigan from 2001 - 2024 after working there since 1989.

Vibha Shivakumar is a program coordinator for the Student Experience Team at The Program on Intergroup Relations. They are responsible for overseeing the Student Experience Team (SET), which works to ensure that IGR students have joyful, valuable, and sustained engagement in our community. In addition to this, they work closely with student recruitment and communications. Vibha earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in cognitive science from the University of Michigan. 

Deborah Slosberg is the assistant director for The Program on Intergroup Relations. She works with the Student Life team to provide strategic leadership for IGR's co-curricular programming through CommonGround, SET, and strategic partnerships. She helps coordinate the annual National Intergroup Dialogue Institute and provides consultations to outside colleges and universities. Deborah also teaches and assists with research and assessment efforts.

Cesar Vargas-Leon is the senior program manager at The Program on Intergroup Relations. He facilitates strategic leadership for Student Life strategic partnerships. SET, and IGR recruitment. Cesar supports the annual National Intergroup Dialogue Institute as a facilitator and also teaches.
 

Meaghan Wheat is the program manager for CommonGround at The Program on Intergroup Relations. She supervises a team of undergraduate and graduate students who plan, develop, and facilitate requested workshops on social identity, communicating across identities, power and oppression in groups, entering communities, and allyship across campus. She also supports IGR's Summer Youth Dialogue program. Meaghan holds a BA in psychology and political science, an MSW, and an MA in higher education from the University of Michigan.

In his role as Student Lead Coordinator, Henry facilitates students' success by compiling online resources, tracking student attendance and participation, and helping facilitate ALA 471/472. He is committed to providing resources and opportunities for growth among first year students and the facilitators who teach and mentor them. Henry is a third-year student pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Program in the Environment and Organizational Studies.

Tahlia is an undergraduate at U-M studying sociology and social work with a minor in IGR. She has been with IGR since her freshman year, and has since been a CommongGound workshop facilitator, has facilitated and participated in many classes, and is now program Aasistant for CommonGround, as well as an IGR friend. She hopes to continue to help IGR be a safe and inclusive space for everyone. 

Jordan Hunter is a graduate intern for CommonGround at The Program on Intergroup Relations, where they manage CommonGround's assessment and evaluation protocols. She is currently pursuing her Master's of Urban and Regional Planning at the University of Michigan's Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning. Previously, they have served in several roles on the CommonGround Programming Team, and as the Graduate Intern for the Arts and Culture Program at the Detroit-based Kresge Foundation. 

Danette Garrido is an undergraduate student in the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts at the University of Michigan, majoring in general studies. They grew up in Wyoming, Michigan, near Grand Rapids, and value the sense of community that shaped their early experiences. Through Intergroup Relations coursework, they have come to appreciate the supportive and reflective environment IGR creates. Danette is excited to contribute to a program that encourages intentional conversation and builds connections across differences.

Sophie Phillips is a graduate student supporting Dialogue Michigan. Sophie holds a bachelor's degree in political science and French with a minor in intergroup relations education and a joint certificate in community action and social change. Sophie has been involved with IGR since her freshman year, and has been a dialogue participant since the age of eight. She has previously served as a Workshop Facilitator and program assistant in CommonGround and has facilitated several ALA courses as well as Summer Youth Dialogues and the Youth Social Justice Fellows Program.

Laiyla Santillan is the logistics coordinator for CommonGround at The Program on Intergroup Relations. She is a California native, born and raised in the Bay Area. She is currently pursuing a Bachelors of Arts in comparative literature. 

Elisa is a graduate intern for CommonGround at The Program on Intergroup Relations. She is currently pursuing her Master of Arts in higher education with a focus in student access and success with the Center for the Study of Higher and Postsecondary Education at the University of Michigan. She also works as a Higher Education Research Intern with the Community-based Research on Equity, Activism, & Transformative Education (CREATE) Center.

Madison Wood (she/her) is a student office assistant at The Program on Intergroup Relations, where she helps handle administrative taste for the office. Madison assists with planning recruitment events and curriculum development. Her passion for social equity brought Madison to work at IGR in 2024 as she believes the curriculum is very impactful for students. Madison is a History major in the college of Literature, Science, and the Arts while fulfilling a Sociology minor in Law, Justice, and Social Change.