Sally Karioth, Ph.D. (she/her/hers)
Sally Karioth is a professor at FSU where she has taught more than 26,000 students. Her class on grief, loss, and trauma has been a ‘must take’ for students for over 50 years. She is a much sought after public speaker and a TV, newspaper, and radio commentator. Her private practice focuses on helping clients with loss and trauma.
Sara Gorman, Ph.D., MPH (she/her/hers)
Sara Gorman, PhD, MPH is Director of Research and Knowledge Dissemination at The Jed Foundation (JED). As a public health specialist and author, she has also written extensively about mental health, global health, and the intersection of public health and psychology, among other topics. Sara’s first book, Denying to the Grave: Why We Ignore the Facts That Will Save Us, published by Oxford University Press in 2016, explores the psychology behind irrational health beliefs and decisions. Her second book, in process and also for Oxford University Press, examines medical mistrust and conspiracy theories in the wake of COVID-19.
Melissa Brocato (she/her/hers)
Melissa Brocato, is Assistant Vice Provost, and executive director of the Center for Academic Success (CAS) at Louisiana State University, one of only two twice certified NCLCA national learning centers of excellence in the country. She has dedicated her nearly 30-year career in education, 24 within the Center for Academic Success, to helping students learn more effectively and think critically. Through her work she has been able to demonstrate the effectiveness of academic support programs and the teaching of metacognition’s effect on student academic resilience, performance, retention, graduation, and self-efficacy for all students including those in STEM and those from at-risk populations. She has developed and delivered metacognitive principles to students in transition programs from high school to college and has assisted in creating a highly effective academic coaching program at LSU.
Melanie-Anne Atkins, Ph.D. (she/her/hers)
Dr. Melanie-Anne Atkins is the Associate Director, TA Programs at the University of Western Ontario’s Centre for Teaching and Learning. In 2016, she led the creation of a student-driven wellness education innovation hub teaching evidence-based mental health and wellness strategies. Since then, Dr. Atkins has delivered over 250 presentations and collaborates with universities, colleges, and other organizations to develop educational resources in the areas of mental health and wellness, anti-oppressive practices in education, EDI, intercultural communications, and eLearning.