Keynote Speakers

2024 Keynote Speakers

Mr. Ray Cabrera

From the Brick City to the Great Plains, Building gateways that create a culture of belonging and student success.

Come on a journey of personal and professional experiences that lay the foundation for building a culture of student success. Our campus represents a place to call home and an environment where students can thrive with the collective engagement of students, faculty, staff and community stakeholders. Be great, TOGETHER!

Biography

Mr. Ray Cabrera is the Director of the Upward Bound & Upward Bound Math Science Programs at the University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida. During his 17 years at USF, Ray has assisted thousands of first generation students with finding their purpose and pathway to success in post-secondary education. The USF UB program is one of the oldest running TRIO programs in the nation and Ray has assisted in securing over 10 million dollars in grant funds.

Ray served as the President of Florida TRIO (2013-2015) and is currently the Immediate-Past President of the Southeastern Association of Educational Opportunity Program Personnel (2021-2023), which represents TRIO throughout 8 states.

Prior to joining the University of South Florida, Ray worked at Montclair State University in New Jersey in their Early Childhood Teacher Education program. His career includes 25 years of experience in counseling, college access, leadership development, conference planning, evaluation, and professional development. 

Raymond attended Rutgers University where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology.  From there he went on to pursue a Master of Arts degree in Counselor Education from Kean University. Currently, Mr. Cabrera is a Ph.D. candidate in the Counseling Program at the University of South Florida.

Dr. Nayeli Y. Chavez-Dueñas

Unearthing and Creating a Way Forward: Radical Healing in Communities of Color 

Biography

Dr. Nayeli Y. Chavez-Dueñas (She, her, ella) is a Mexican immigrant from the state of Michoacan. She is a daughter, sister, and mother. Dr. Chavez-Dueñas received her doctorate in clinical psychology from the APA accredited program at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. She is a professor in the College of Professional Psychology at The Chicago School, where she leads the Latinx mental health concentration. She also is the co director of the IC-RACE Lab (Immigration Critical Race and Cultural Equity Lab).

Dr. Chavez-Dueñas has co-authored several books including: Speaking the Unspoken: Breaking the Silence, Myths, and Taboos That Hurt Therapists and Patients; Succeeding as a Therapist: How to Create a Thriving Practice in a Changing; the sixth edition of Ethics in Psychotherapy and Counseling: A Practical Guide; and Cultural Foundations and Interventions in Latino/a Mental Health: History, Theory, and Within-Group Differences. She recently co-edited the book Decolonial Psychology: Toward Anticolonial Theories, Research, Training, and Practice. Her research focuses on colorism, parenting styles, immigration, unaccompanied minors, and race relations.

Dr. Chavez-Dueñas has earned several awards, including the 2018 APA Distinguished Citizen Psychologist Award and the 2023 Distinguished Professional Career Award from the National Latinx Psychological Association.

Nessa Schrank

Biography

With a bachelor's degree in Park Management from South Dakota State University, Nessa Schrank brings over 14 years of diverse administrative support experience to her role as Executive Assistant in the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs at UND. Her career spans multiple sectors including state parks, finance, corrections, and legal environments, demonstrating her versatility and adaptability across various settings. 

Nessa’s commitment to excellence is matched by her passion for personal and professional growth. She is dedicated to embracing different abilities as it relates to disability, and she works fervently to foster self-advocacy and promote resilience in the face of adversity. Outside of her professional life, Nessa enjoys gardening, baking, and spending time with her dog. She is deeply committed to promoting advocacy for herself and others, reflecting her dedication to making a meaningful impact both personally and professionally. 

Lilian Gonzalez

Biography

Lilian is a multiskilled administrator, clinician and advocate dedicated to advancing intersectional, trauma-informed, healing-centered racial justice and equity. Her work is enriched by her own experiences as a Latinx first-generation child of immigrants, as well as her understanding on how social location, our material conditions and our identities inform how we live and move in the world. 

In her current role as Assistant Vice Chancellor of Student Life at Northeastern University Oakland and as a student focused administrator, she is committed to social justice and the transformative power of unearthing our own wounding to recognize power, build agency, self-determination and experience freedom. Her most memorable contributions to Student Life include working with groups of students to bring their ideas and initiatives to fruition, especially in the wake of adversity, crisis, and even tragedy. Her work is inspired by a desire to investigate the role of culture, stories, and institutional practices in creating an inclusive campus climate for all. For the last 15 years, Lilian has been committed to spearheading strategic initiatives to enhance access, retention and community engagement on college campuses.

In clinical practice, she is dedicated to evaluating and treating children and adolescents with spectrum disorders, neurodevelopmental disabilities, and co-occurring conditions. Her work expands to supporting caregivers and family members by providing psychoeducation and strategies that help ensure their children have access to inclusive education.

Past Conference Speakers

• Dr. Suzanne Johnson, "The Imperative of Turning Words into Actions: Equity is More than a Policy"
• Dr. Darrick Smith, "Equity and Excellence: Dealing with the Discomfort, Confusion, and the Shortcomings of the Academy"
• Dr. Genevieve Negrón-Gonzales, "A Steep, Uphill Climb: 5 Stories that Illuminate the Challenges Undocumented Students Face in Pursuit of Higher Education
• Dr. Katie Spencer, "The Gender Affirmative Lifespan Approach: A Clinical Model for Gender Care for All Genders"