Peter Laurence Ed.D., is a founder and was Executive Director of the Education as Transformation project at Wellesley College for almost 20 years before retiring. In that capacity he co-edited a series of ten books, wrote numerous articles for professional journals, gave workshops and keynote addresses at professional conferences, and provided on-site consulting to colleges and universities both nationally and internationally. In retirement he continues to serve on several non-profit boards of directors and advisors.
Advisory Board
Amer F. Ahmed, Ed.D. is an organizational strategist who helps institutions and leaders address diversity and inclusion, equity, race, and intercultural development through consulting, coaching, group facilitation, and keynote speeches. A frequently requested speaker nationwide, his approach is grounded in a commitment to inclusive community and excellence. Throughout his career, Dr. Ahmed has worked with large organizations, higher education institutions, nonprofit agencies, schools, and community groups to create understanding and change among key constituents and institutional leaders. He has published key academic and opinion pieces and has been featured in media such as MSNBC, documentary film, and other national press outlets for his social commentary and critical perspective. He also has keynoted prominent conferences including the National Conference on Race and Ethnicity (NCORE) in Higher Education, the White Privilege Conference, and the Society for Intercultural Education (SIETAR) Conference.
Dr. Ahmed is the Founder and CEO of AFA Diversity Consulting, LLC, a consulting practice dedicated to enhancing the development of organizations through efforts around leadership, professional development, assessment, and strategic change. He is also co-founder of Equip (equipinclusive.com), a module-based blended learning DEI product for scalable capacity building in organizations and institutions. In addition to his consulting work, Dr. Ahmed currently serves as VP for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and Faculty in the Higher Education and Student Affairs Administration program in the College of Education and Social Services at University of Vermont.
Simran Kaur-Colbert is a PhD Candidate at Miami University in the Department of Educational Leadership. Simran’s essays on intimate and societal violence are featured in the Duke University Press journal, Tikkun and in the Huffington Post. Simran has presented at multiple conferences across the United States and India on radical well-being, community-engaged activism, womanism, and harmony. She is the recipient of the 2018 Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management’s Equity and Inclusion fellowship and in 2019 the Association for Contemplative Mind in Higher Education recognized her as a Contemplative Social Justice Scholar. She has executive leadership experience within the nonprofit sector and as a business professional in finance and insurance. Simran earned her M.A. in Diplomacy and International Commerce from the Patterson School at the University of Kentucky and her B.A. in Business Administration from the University of Mary Washington. Her hobbies include urban gardening and tending to her house plants. During her downtime Simran and her husband Jarrod enjoy cooking for and hosting family and friends over for their Afro-Asian “soul-food” dinners and (re)watching all the Midsommer Murder, Father Brown, and Great British Baking Show BBC episodes.
Hailing from Milwaukee, Wisconsin Chris Stone-Sewalish (he/him/his) earned his bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Religious Studies from the University of Wisconsin – Oshkosh, master’s degree in College Student Personnel from Western Illinois University, and is currently doing doctoral work in Higher, Adult and Life Education (HALE) at Michigan State University. With a passion for secular student advocacy and the intersection of religious, spiritual, and secular identities, Chris has focused his work on how these factors influence individual and organizational experiences and decision making. A full-time housing professional for 15 years Chris is a passionate practitioner and advocate for administrative systems designed to honor and affirm identity.
Rev. Marian Edmonds-Allen is the executive director of Parity, an NYC-based national nonprofit that works at the intersection of faith and LGBT concerns, director of Blessed by Difference, and author at Family Christian. Marian has worked with youth and families in various denominations and settings throughout the country for more than 20 years, focusing on strengths-based interventions and supports to affirm beliefs and faith practices for LGBT persons. In 2013, Marian was named Person of the Year by Q Salt Lake for her visionary leadership, and in 2015 was named a Petra Fellow for her work with LGBT homeless youth. Previous positions include Executive Director of OUTreach Resource Centers, the National Program Director of the Family Acceptance Project, Executive Director of the Utah Pride Center, Justice Ministry Supervisor at Auburn Seminary.
Marian attended Western Theological Seminary and Eden Theological Seminary and has served in many pastoral capacities, including church planting, parish ministry, and chaplaincy. She is a Doctor of Ministry candidate at Eden Theological Seminary (2022) with the topic Covenantal Pluralism and Mission: Evidence for Healing the LGBT and Faith Divide. Marian is married, has four children, and is a passionate skier and outdoor enthusiast.Email Marian: marian@parity.nyc
Dr. Monica Sanford joined Harvard Divinity School as assistant dean for multireligious ministry in September 2021. Sanford comes to HDS from the Rochester Institute of Technology, where she became one of only two Buddhists in North America to lead a multireligious life department at a college or university.
Sanford is one of the first full-trained Buddhist practical theologians in the United States, having earned her PhD in practical theology from Claremont School of Theology. Sanford also holds an undergraduate degree in design from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a master of divinity degree from University of the West. Sanford is an ordained Buddhist lay minister in a Chan lineage and trained as a Buddhist chaplain. Her recent book, Kalyāṇamitra: A Buddhist Model for Spiritual Care (January 2021), is the first textbook for Buddhist chaplains.
Richard P. Keeling, MD, Chairman & Senior Executive Consultant, leads Keeling & Associates, LLC (K&A)—a comprehensive higher education consulting firm focused on creating change for learning. He has worked with more than 350 institutions and organizations over more than 25 years of practice. Dr. Keeling serves on the Board of Directors of the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS) and has been president of four professional organizations in higher education. He has published more than 125 articles, monographs, and books; he served two terms as editor of the Journal of American College Health. Dr. Keeling has received two honorary doctorates and the highest awards of both the American College Health Association (ACHA) and NASPA-Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education. The focus of his work is vision, strategy, and sustainability in higher education; his purpose is to improve outcomes for both students and institutions. A longtime advocate for health promotion, he emphasizes that health and wellbeing are the foundation for learning.
Before founding K&A, Dr. Keeling taught medicine, directed comprehensive health programs and services, and explored innovative, cross-institutional approaches to advancing student learning during 22 years on campus at the University of Virginia and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Dr. Keeling took his bachelor’s degree in English with highest honors from the University of Virginia and received his MD from Tufts University School of Medicine.
