Featured Presenters

Keynote Speaker
Germán A. Cadenas, PhD (he/his/él)

Germán A. Cadenas is an associate professor of clinical psychology in the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology (GSAPP) at Rutgers University. He also serves as inaugural associate director of the Center for Youth Social Emotional Wellness (CYSEW). Cadenas identifies as an immigrant from Latin America and his academic work is community-based, with intersecting foci on the psychology of immigration and on critical consciousness as a tool for social justice. This includes the development and validation of strategies to support the psychological wellbeing, education, career/work, and health of immigrants and other underserved communities. His advocacy and research have informed the implementation of policies and programs to support undocumented students in higher education at major universities. At the national and global levels, his research and testimony have reached congressional leaders, the White House, federal court, and the United Nations. He is also serving as associate editor of the Journal of Counseling Psychology, on the Advocacy Coordinating Committee (ACC) of the American Psychological Association, and on the APA Presidential Task Force on Immigration and Health.

Shana Levi-Nielson, PhD, NCSP, BCBA (she/her)

Shana Levi-Nielson is an assistant professor of instruction in Temple’s College of Education and Human Development. An educator with more than ten years of experience teaching, leading, coaching, and consulting in a variety of educational roles and setting, Shana is credentialed as a certified teacher in New Jersey, a school psychologist in Pennsylvania, a nationally certified school psychologist, and a board-certified behavior analyst. Shana’s training and experience spans several areas of education, psychological practice, and educational consultation, including coaching teachers, administrators, and school staff on the implementation of evidence-based practices such as multi-tiered systems of support, trauma-informed practices, and positive behavior support. Her interests and work focus on improving educational environments and life outcomes for marginalized and neurodivergent youth.

Jessica S. Reinhardt, PhD, NCSP (she/her)

Jessica S. Reinhardt is a nationally certified school psychologist and licensed psychologist. She is the coordinator of the school psychology program at Temple University. Her overarching professional interests include mental health of children and adolescents, culturally-responsive counseling in schools, trauma conscious teaching and consultation, and assessment of neurodevelopmental disorders. 

Sofia Pham, PhD, NCSP (she/her)

Sofia Pham is an assistant professor at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM). She is a licensed psychologist and a Nationally Certified School Psychologist (NCSP). Pham has extensive experience in assessment and consultation in schools as well as expertise in advanced quantitative research methods and psychometrics. She is interested in addressing educational disparities through improving cross-cultural practices in schools with data-driven decision-making processes. She has published in peer-reviewed journals, presented at national and international conferences, and led many school-wide trainings on these topics. Prior to joining PCOM, Pham practiced as a school psychologist in New York City. She served as a regional school psychologist for KIPP: NYC, and later as the district representative for the New York City Department of Education’s Committee on Special Education. In addition to providing direct services to students, she has collaborated with more than 25 different New York City schools to help create, implement, and monitor Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) for students with learning and developmental disabilities.

Melanie M. Wilcox, PhD, APBB (she/her)

Melanie M. Wilcox is an associate professor in the counseling psychology PhD program at the University at Albany in New York. Her research, both qualitative and quantitative, focuses predominantly on racial and socioeconomic justice, including antiracism and whiteness work, particularly in the contexts of psychotherapy and clinical supervision and higher education. Her research also focuses on social justice more broadly, including social justice theory, critical whiteness studies, and economic and LGBTQIA+ justice. She has published many of the first studies on multicultural orientation in clinical supervision. Her overarching goals are to improve psychotherapeutic services and higher education for members of historically minoritized communities and to better understand the factors that hinder advancement toward equity and justice. Wilcox has provided numerous peer-reviewed and continuing education presentations on multicultural orientation in clinical supervision, structural competence, multicultural training and education, social class, LGBTQIA+ issues including trans-affirming care, antiracism, as well as addiction/substance abuse (a clinical area of expertise and passion of hers), trauma, and psychological assessment. She has held a number of leadership positions in the American Psychological Association and its divisions, currently serving as president of APA Division 17 (Society of Counseling Psychology) and a member of the APA Committee on Socioeconomic Status. She has received a number of awards from the American Psychological Association as well as the Society of Counseling Psychology. She is also a licensed psychologist and board certified in counseling psychology, and works part-time in private practice providing psychotherapy, clinical supervision, and psychological assessment via telehealth.

Panelists

Monica McHale-Small, PhD

Monica McHale-Small is the director of education for the Learning Disabilities Association of America. Prior to her retirement from public education, McHale-Small served 27 years in Pennsylvania as a school psychologist and in a variety of district leadership roles including, most recently, district superintendent. She earned her doctorate and master's degrees from the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education. McHale-Small has long advocated for integrating research into practice in public schools. She advocates for responsible inclusion and equity for historically underserved students including racially, culturally, and linguistically diverse students and students with disabilities.

Beverly Kirby, MS, BCBA, LBA

Beverly Kirby is a skilled Board-Certified Behavior Analyst and licensed behavior analyst. She is the founder of the SPARKS Group, a home-based behavior analysis service company, and co-founder of Team ABA, an innovative company that applies the science of behavior analysis to sports, health and fitness. She earned her bachelor's degree from Rutgers University before earning her master's at Johns Hopkins University. Kirby is a proud advocate against rigid systems of oppression and is a leader in employing behavior analysis to combat these systems, as highlighted by her co-authorship of The Behavior of Social Justice: Applying Behavior Analysis to Understand and Challenge Injustice.

Rachel Ascione, PsyD

Rachel Ascione is an experienced psychotherapist and counselor who specializes in couples therapy and therapy with veterans. Additionally, she has served as an adjunct counseling professor at many colleges and university, most recently Temple University. She earned her doctorate at Chestnut Hill College and now advocates for the needs of clients through her practice and teaching.

Co-Sponsors

Temple University College of Education and Human Development

Association of School Psychologists of Pennsylvania

School District of Philadelphia

Faculty

• Crystal L. Austin, PhD, LP
• Art Dowdy, PhD, BCBA-D
• Frank Farley, PhD
• Catherine A. Fiorello, PhD, NCSP, ABPP
• Shanta Hattikudur
• Heidi Hutman, PhD, LP
• Xu (Lilya) Jiang, PhD
• Paul Jones, PhD, LP
• Shana Levi-Nielsen, PhD, NCSP, BCBA
• Laura Pendergast, PhD, NCSP
• Jessica S. Reinhardt, PhD, NCSP, LP
• W. Joel Schneider, PhD
• Danielle Schueller, MS
• Jason Travers, PhD, BCBA-D

Support Staff

• Daniel Bandura
• Rachel Berger
• Derek Coffman
• Julia Kershaw-St. George
• Ivy Hoa Nguyen
• Dawn Angelique Roberts
• Tina Young

Student Volunteers

• Christabel Anukam
• Chris Clark
• Prinjasi Das
• Maria DeLucia
• Emma Farnham
• Bethany Fletcher
• Destiny Jean-Michel
• Angelina Lee
• Sindhura Nagabhirava
• Victoria Olivieri
• Stephanie Paglia
• Mariana Pardes
• Laura Ruckenstein
• Oriana Samuels
• Ellie Schoff
• Sitara Vaidy
• Anna Wickey
• Jasmine Yi