Doctoral candidate, Cultural Foundations of Education
Syracuse University
Jersey Cosantino (they/them), a former K-12 educator, is a doctoral candidate in Cultural Foundations of Education at Syracuse University, holding certificates of advanced study in women’s and gender studies and disability studies. A Mad and trans studies scholar and oral historian, Jersey’s research utilizes disability and transformative justice frameworks to center the experiences and subjectivities of Mad, neurodivergent, trans, and gender non-conforming individuals. Jersey identifies as Mad, neurodivergent, queer, trans, and non-binary and is white with education and citizenship privilege. A co-facilitator for SU’s Intergroup Dialogue Program's course Dialogue on Racism and Anti-Racism, Jersey holds a master’s in education and graduate certificate in mindfulness studies. They are also the co-editor of the International Mad Studies Journal, a consulting editor for the Journal of Queer and Trans Studies in Education, and a former Trans Lifeline call operator.
Professor, educator, and consultant
Mount Holyoke College
Kristie A. Ford, Ph.D., (she/her) is a professor, educator, and consultant who strives to create a more just and equitable society through her work. She was recently appointed by Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum as the 2022–2023 Presidential Fellow for Mount Holyoke College based, in part, on her work as founder of the first Intergroup Relations (IGR) minor in the United States, which was established at Skidmore College in 2012. In this role, she will be consulting with faculty, staff and student facilitators currently involved with intergroup dialogue (IGD), assisting with assessment of existing IGD programs, developing and co-facilitating IGD capacity-building workshops for interested faculty and staff and helping with IGD curricula development.
During her 16 years in academia, Dr. Ford has served in a number of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) administrative roles including Director of IGR, Director of Academic Diversity Initiatives, Director of the Center for Leadership, Teaching, and Learning, and Associate Provost for DE&I.
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