Danny Alvarez (they/them) 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.
Charles Behling (he/him/his) 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.
Mark Chesler (he/him/his) is a professor emeritus of sociology at the University of Michigan and a founding faculty member of The Program on Intergroup Relations. Mark is an activist scholar conducting research, teaching, consulting and organizing on issues of social justice and personal/organizational change around race and gender equity, and of the psycho-social impact of childhood cancer.
Amanda Feaganes (she/her) is the student administrative assistant intermediate at The Program on Intergroup Relations. She serves as the first point of contact for inquiries, manages enrollment in all IGR classes, supports faculty and peer facilitators, manages the IGR Mark Chesler Library and supports staff and student colleagues.
Roger Fisher (he/him/his) is an associate director of The Program on Intergroup Relations. In his role, Roger teaches training and practicum classes, directs IGR's partnership with the School of Social Work on the Summer Youth Dialogue Program, performs high-level administrative functions for IGR, trains K-12 professionals, consults with other higher education institutions on dialogue programs and works on special Student Life projects. He is an U-M alumus and has a BS in psychology and also did graduate work in psychology.
Nancy Cantor Distinguished University Professor Emerita, Research Director
Patricia Gurin (she/her/hers) 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.
Emely Hernandez (she/her/ella) is the program coordinator for the friendly neighborhood Student Experience Team (SET) at The Program on Intergroup Relations. Her duties are student centered, grounded towards IGR values, and her personal values. She does this by developing student programming, collaborations, and professional development geared towards student growth with the endgame goal of supporting and challenging students.
Stephanie Hicks (she/her/hers) is a lecturer at The Program on Intergroup Relations and a faculty affiliate of the Institute for Research on Women and Gender at U-M. Her teaching and research foci include diversity, equity and inclusion policy in higher education, intergroup dialogue and social justice education. As a lecturer, Stephanie teaches courses for the Program and coordinates the Race & Ethnicity Engagement efforts between IGR and the College of Literature, Science and the Arts.
Donna Kaplowitz (she/her/hers) is the LSA faculty co-director of The Program on Intergroup Relations. She works in partnership with the Student Life co-director to provide campus leadership in student learning in the areas of intergroup relations and social justice education. Donna teaches in the program, guides curricular activities, leads programmatic efforts to conduct research and is an academic advisor for the minor. Donna’s research focuses on facilitating intergroup dialogue with specific attention to race topics in peer and near-peer settings. She and colleague Dr.
Christina S. Morton (she/her/hers) is an associate director of The Program on Intergroup Relations. 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. Her research explores diverse students’ experiences with and meaning making of social justice education as well as how cultural resources, such as spirituality, contribute to the success of Students of Color in STEM fields.
Nick Pfost (he/they) is a communications strategist at the University of Michigan, serving The Program on Intergroup Relations, Office of Multi-Ethnic Student Affairs, and Spectrum Center. An MPP-trained communicator with over a decade of experience in higher education and nonprofits, they lead in each unit on communications, marketing, and design to advance their missions and impact.
Associate Director for Strategic Partnerships and Initiatives
Shana Schoem (she/her/hers) is the associate director for strategic partnerships and initiatives at The Program on Intergroup Relations. Her work involves envisioning, creating and facilitating high-impact dialogic programs for faculty and staff at the University of Michigan and across the field of higher education nationally and internationally. She has over 20 years of experience as a facilitator and has been regularly developing social justice education curriculum for nearly a decade.
Deborah Slosberg (she/her) 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 as well as provides consultations to outside colleges and universities. Deborah also teaches and assists with research and assessment efforts.
Monita Thompson (she/her/hers) serves as the Student Life co-director of The Program on Intergroup Relations. Her student affairs work of more than 25 years has focused on educating students in intergroup relations and social justice education, specifically the training, development, and support of peer educators in skills and techniques of intergroup dialogue facilitation, conflict management, and supporting students in their journey to becoming a social change agent.
Cesar Vargas-Leon (he/him/his) is a program manager supporting IGR’s CommonGround. He works with a team of graduate and undergraduate students to execute requested programs that raise awareness about social identities, prejudice, stereotyping, power, privilege, and oppression for students who are part of the University of Michigan’s community. Cesar is passionate about transforming spaces, structures, and systems through the art of storytelling. He holds a BA in sociology and Latinx studies from the University of Michigan.
Meaghan Wheat (she/her/hers) 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.
