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Free online lectures: Explore a world of ideas

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All Speakers

  • Udodiri Okwandu is a graduate student in the History of Science, with a secondary in African and African American Studies and a Presidential Scholar at Harvard University. She is interested in the history of medicine and public health, history of gender and sexuality, and critical race theory in the United States. She is particularly interested in the ways in which scientific and medical inquiry have been deployed by the state to manage and control marginalized populations. Orginally from Southern California, Udodiri completed her undergraduate studies in 2017 at Harvard College where she graduated cum laude with an AB in the History of science (with a focus in Mind, Brain, and Behavior) and a minor in Global Health and Health Policy. Her senior thesis, which won the Thomas T. Hoopes Prize, an award which recognizes outstanding scholarly work or research by students selected by a committee of faculty from Harvard University's Faculty of Arts and Sciences, examined the medicalization and racialization of Civil Rights protests in the 1960s, contextualizing it with the rise of law and order political ideology.
  • **Dr. Dara Arons** is a Family Physician for Charles River Community Health. Dara graduated from the Yale School of Medicine in 2006 and was awarded the Connecticut Academy of Family Physicians Honor and the Janet M. Glasgow Memorial Achievement Citation.
  • **Tali Schiller** is a substance abuse prevention coordinator for Cambridge Public Health Department.
  • Greg Donoghue is the Chief Operating Officer at Clover Food Lab. Clover Food Lab seeks to help meat lovers become vegetable lovers. They has built a passionate base of customers, 90% of whom are not vegetarian. Clover Food Lab was the first Boston-area restaurant to feature the Impossible Burger, and it even created the now-popular Impossible Meatballs. Image: [Linkedin](https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregorydonoghue "LinkedIn")
  • Formerly a fine-dining chef, David is the founder and CEO of Cloud Creamery. The goal of David and his artisanal edible company is to bring delicious alternatives to those on the East Coast who rely on opioids and steroids for medical conditions. Having been diagnosed with Crohn's disease in 2011, David knows firsthand the impact that medical marijuana can have on a person’s life. Image: [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-yusefzadeh "LinkedIn")
  • Organizer, Trauma Informed Facilitator
  • Andrea Isabelle Lucas is the founder of the award-winning Barre & Soul® studios with 5 locations and counting, and Barre Guild Academy online fitness certification. As a women's empowerment speaker, she has shared stages with Michelle Obama and Billie Jean King. She is a feminist writer who has appeared in Forbes, HuffPost, and Entrepreneur, and the author of _Own It All: How to Stop Waiting for Change and Start Creating It_. Because Your Life Belongs to You.
  • John Waters’ books Role Models (2010) and Carsick (2014) were national bestsellers, and his spoken-word shows This Filthy World and A John Waters Christmas continue to be performed around the world. Indecent Exposure, a retrospective exhibition of Waters’s acclaimed artwork, was recently shown at the Baltimore Museum of Art and the Wexner Center for the Arts in Columbus, Ohio. He is at work on a novel. Photo Credit: Greg Gorman
  • Sara Minkara is the founder and CEO of Empowerment Through Integration (ETI), a nonprofit fostering a more inclusive society through groundbreaking initiatives that empower youth with disabilities, challenge stereotypes, and promote respect for individual value. A Lebanese-American Muslim woman who lost her sight at seven, Sara transformed her unwavering passion for this work into innovative programs with a global reach. A graduate of Wellesley College and the Harvard Kennedy School, she has been recognized by Forbes’ “30 Under 30,” the Clinton Global Initiative, and more.
  • Anna was raised to believe that every crisis is an opportunity. In 2011, the young musical theater performer and lifestyle journalist co-founded a movement called Save Philippine Seas as a response to an illegal wildlife trade case. Since then, she has taken on the title “Chief Mermaid” and led campaigns to conserve sharks, empower Filipino seatizens, and reduce single-use plastics nationwide by writing policies, using social media, and implementing community-based programs. She will discuss how she is mobilizing businesses, government officials, youth, and marine life to protect, conserve, and restore the Philippine seas. Image: [Facebook](http://www.facebook.com/annaroposa)
  • Kurtlan Massarsky hates writing bios, which distinguishes him from absolutely nobody. However, he is proud to have been with the Boston Alliance of LGBTQ+ Youth (BAGLY) for nearly 8 years as their first Director of Development and Marketing. In this capacity, Kurtlan (who uses he/him/his pronouns) has had the pleasure of supporting LGBTQ+ youth leaders implement programs, policies, and systems that make Massachusetts, and the world, a better place to be. Outside of his work at BAGLY, Kurtlan is an advocate for animal rescue organizations, an active member of his UU congregation in Beverly, MA, and is involved in local politics (with no plans or desire to run for elected office). Kurtlan heartily recommends reading fantasy and urban fiction and listening to the Lizard People: Comedy and Conspiracy Theories podcast. Kurtlan came to BAGLY in August 2011, and brings with him extensive experience as a fundraiser and development professional. He has been involved with many GLBTQ and non-profit organizations, including The Trevor Project, New York City Opera and most recently the Northeast Animal Shelter. While at Bard College, Kurtlan was an active crisis intervention counselor for issues surrounding domestic & sexual violence, with special attention given to GLBTQ relationship violence.
  • Dr. McCreary is currently the chief of learning and community engagement at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston. She has spent 20 years in educational policy, designed and managed philanthropic investment for global brands such as Nike Inc., Jordan Brand, National Boys and Girls Clubs of America, and Darden Inc. Dr. McCreary’s early career was spent in direct service delivery with opportunity youth. In addition to her direct student work, she has designed, programmed and supported team-problem solving with urban public school teachers in order to reduce the disproportionate special education designation of Black and Latino children.