Workshops
Workshop Session #1 [11:30AM-12:30PM]
Student Research on Women's Leadership
This session will explore women’s leadership in the arenas of health care, violence against women and politics. Research will be presented by Stevens students and recent alumnae.
Moderator:
Lindsey Swindall, Ph.D. is a Teaching Associate Professor in the School of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences. She has been at Stevens since 2015 and teaches HASS 103 and 105 as well as U.S. history.
Panelists:
Emily Martinez (“The Ongoing Fight Against Violence Toward Indigenous Women”) recently graduated from Stevens Institute of Technology with a Bachelor’s degree in Visual Arts and Technology and a concentration in Design and minors in History and Film Studies. She is currently a student at New York Institute of Technology, where she will be getting a Master’s degree in Graphic Design and Media Innovation. She hopes to become a graphic designer and instructor in the future, and continue to bring other people’s ideas and my own to life through visual and digital art.
Sanja Radan (“The Fight for Equal Healthcare: Women’s Health Activism from the 1960s to Today”) is a 3/4 Science, Technology and Society major. On campus she is involved in Delta Phi Epsilon. She is passionate about integrating perspectives from STS with healthcare systems, and in contributing to more inclusive frameworks that recognize women’s diverse experiences and advance equitable healthcare practices.
Maggie Zarish-Yasunas (“Breaking Stereotypes: United States Evolutionary First Ladies Exceeding Expectations”) is a senior Social Science major in the HASS school at Stevens with minors in Pre-Law & Public Policy, History, Philosophy, Science, Tech & Society, and Medical Humanities. She hopes to pursue politics, legislative work, and/or law after she graduates, and is specifically interested in healthcare, women’s rights, education, voting/election reform, and other advocacy work. Outside of school, Maggie plays on the Stevens Division III Women’s Lacrosse team, is President of the Alpha Phi sorority & Law Society, and is working on political campaigns.
Evelyn Toscarelli (“Women’s Health: The Disparities of Equitable Healthcare Practices”) graduated in May 2025 from Stevens Institute of Technology with a degree in Information Systems and now works in Internal Audit at Prudential Financial. In her free time, she enjoys exploring data analytics, writing, and wellness topics.
Lead with Value: Negotiation as a Leadership Skill
Ever felt awkward asking for more money or unsure how to frame your value? You’re not alone. In this hands-on workshop, executive coach Jamie Lee shares practical tools and mindset shifts—grounded in neuroscience and real-world experience—to help you prepare, communicate, and negotiate with clarity and confidence in any stage of your career.
Jamie Lee is an executive coach who helps marginalized leaders get promoted and better paid without compromising their integrity or values, blending self-advocacy strategies with neuroplasticity tools. A South Korean immigrant inspired by the resilience of her mom who ran a nail salon speaking broken English, she has trained thousands of professionals at leading organizations like Citi, Unilever, and UC Berkeley. Learn more at www.jamieleecoach.com.
Leading with Purpose: College Coaches on Building Winning Teams and Strong Leaders
From fostering team culture to mentoring student-athletes for life beyond sports, hear firsthand how these coaches cultivate winning mindsets, navigate adversity, and shape the next generation of leaders through intentional leadership. Whether you're in athletics, education, or organizational leadership, this session offers powerful insights into what it means to lead with vision, values, and impact.
Moderator:
Kileen McNeill is a junior computer engineering major and Inclusion Rep for the Women’s Volleyball team. She is currently active in Phi Sigma Sigma Panhellenic Delegate, and will be the upcoming Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Chairman. McNeill is also involved in other organizations around campus including Stevens Choir, President's Ensemble, Stevens Christian Fellowship, and Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
Panelists:
Macon Frey is in her third year as Head Women's Volleyball Coach at Stevens with previous stops as an assistant coach at Springfield College and Bridgewater College. She received her masters in Sport Management from Springfield College and a Bachelors in Exercise Science at Bridgewater College. She is passionate about inspiring and helping young people find the leadership type that is most authentic to them and creating opportunities for them to showcase that leadership.
Kathleen Jaeger is entering her third year on the Stevens women's lacrosse staff and was recently promoted to Associate Head Coach. With a background in education, she values relationship building and connections on and off the field to support each player's growth as both an athlete and a person. Kathleen is driven to cultivate a strong team culture by empowering athletes to lead in meaningful ways.
Arik Zeevy is a 2011 Stevens alumnus and was named the head coach for women’s tennis in March of 2020. Arik has served as the chair of the Athletic Department's mental health and fitness committee for five years, collaborating across departments on a variety of health and wellness initiatives. He is excited to share ideas and learn from this important conversation, particularly on the challenges today's leaders face balancing high performance, team culture, and individual wellness.
Emily Kaczmarek is in her ninth season as Head Softball Coach at Stevens, while also serving as the Associate Director of Athletics. She is deeply committed to cultivating a team culture where student-athletes feel empowered to be unapologetically themselves. Emily fosters an environment rooted in relationship-building, leadership development, and personal growth—encouraging her athletes to step outside their comfort zones, take calculated risks, and embrace a "play to win" mindset. Her coaching philosophy centers on developing confident, resilient leaders who excel both on and off the field.
Eco-Conscious Leadership in Action: Building Social Consciousness for a Sustainable Future Panel
As climate change, environmental inequities, and social disparities continue to negatively impact communities across the globe, leadership rooted at the intersection of sustainability and social justice has never been more important. This panel will explore what it means to become a leader and global citizen that centers accountability and action in the face of ecological and social challenges. Participants will leave with a deeper understanding of how leadership and environmental responsibility intersect and practical insights for creating a more equitable and sustainable future.
Moderator:
Nicole Assante '26, is pursuing a Bachelor of Environmental Engineering with a minor in Science Communcation. Her academic and professional work focuses on sustainable environmental solutions, including site remediation, regulatory compliance, and stormwater management and has contributed to projects supporting the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and private clients, gaining experience in both fieldwork and technical reporting. Nicole is committed to fostering environmental stewardship and social responsibility and strives to lead with purpose in promoting a more sustainable and climate-conscious future.
Panelists:
Olivia Conner-Bennett, originally from Asbury Park, New Jersey, graduated from The College of William & Mary in 2023 with a double major in Environmental Policy and Hispanic Studies. Since July 2024, she has served as the Sustainability and Transportation Coordinator at Stevens Institute of Technology, supporting campus-wide sustainability initiatives. She’s passionate about tackling environmental challenges and creating solutions that connect people and communities.
Olivia Cecchi is the Assistant Director of Student Support, Wellness Education at Stevens. She is an experienced reproductive health educator with an interest in the connection between health and sustainability. Since joining Stevens, Olivia has contributed to several new initiatives, including one that distributed over 200 free reusable menstrual products to Stevens students. She is always interested in collaborating with Stevens students and community members to create programs focused on wellness and sustainability!
Workshop Session #2 (1:50PM- 2:50PM)
The Future of STEM Leadership: Why EQ Matters as Much as IQ
In STEM, technical brilliance opens doors, but emotional intelligence (EQ) keeps teams thriving, ideas moving, and leaders effective. This interactive workshop explores why EQ is just as important as IQ for rising STEM leaders, what it actually entails, and practical strategies to cultivate it. Participants will leave with actionable tools to strengthen self-awareness, communication, and team impact: skills that will support you in becoming influential leaders in any STEM environment.
Dr. Victoria Farris is an engaging keynote speaker, leadership strategist, and executive coach, specializing in transformational leadership, DEI, and organizational trust-building. With over a decade of experience working with Fortune 500 companies and leadership teams, she helps executives align leadership with business strategy, foster inclusive workplaces, and build high-performing teams. Her THRIVE framework provides leaders with actionable strategies to drive innovation and meaningful change.
Harnessing the Power of Your Voice
Want to stand out during interviews, speaking engagements, or leadership opportunities, but feeling limited by insecurities about your voice? In this workshop we'll learn reliable techniques for harnessing the mind, body and breath so that we can speak with clarity and confidence.
Emily Jeanne Brown is an actor, musician, and Embodied Voice Coach based in Brooklyn, NY. In 2020, after a decade spent working in professional theater, Emily founded OnVoice Coaching & Consulting to support emerging leaders through body and breath-based techniques. She is passionate about helping policymakers, educators, creatives, entrepreneurs and recent college graduates connect to their voices and values with confidence, presence and purpose. www.emilyjeannebrown.com
Leading through Uncertainty with Inclusion – Building Clarity, Connection, and Confidence in Times of Change
In today’s rapidly changing environment - marked by technological disruption, social tension, and constant change - the ability to manage uncertainty has become an essential leadership skill. This interactive workshop helps participants recognize their habitual responses to uncertainty and learn evidence-based strategies to lead through it inclusively, regardless of formal title. Participants will also plan actions to bring more steadiness, clarity, and connection to their own contexts.
Dr. Wei Zheng is the Richard R. Roscitt Endowed Chair Professor in Leadership at Stevens Institute of Technology, where she leads research and programs on leadership development and inclusion. Her work explores how leaders grow, how women thrive in organizations, and what makes leadership inclusive—earning recognition as a finalist for the 2021 Thinkers50 Distinguished Achievement Award for Leadership. She has shared her expertise with organizations such as Merck, Pfizer, and Securian and published in outlets including the Harvard Business Review.
Lead to Learn
What does leadership look like during a time of political polarization? What role can interdisciplinarity and community engagement play to help devise new forms of leadership? In this interactive workshop, attendees will work together in small groups to develop solutions for problems posed within case study scenarios. We will think about local Hoboken community organizations and how to operationalize different kinds of expertise. In doing so, participants will practice collaborating with those whose disciplinary and/or professional background differ from their own.
Amber Benezra is a sociocultural anthropologist researching how studies of the human microbiome intersect with biomedical ethics, public health/technological infrastructures, and care. In partnership with human microbial ecologists, she is developing an "anthropology of microbes" to address global health problems across disciplines. She is an assistant professor of science and technology studies at Stevens Institute of Technology and her book, Gut Anthro (University of Minnesota Press 2023) is the first ethnography of the microbiome.
Mel Ferrara is a Teaching Assistant Professor of Writing and Humanities at Stevens. They received their Ph.D. in Gender and Women’s Studies with a minor in Social, Cultural, and Critical Theory from the University of Arizona. Mel’s research is situated within the medical humanities; science, technology, and society; and transgender and intersex studies. During their time in Arizona, they partnered with local healthcare systems to co-develop various patient-centered educational initiatives for medical students and physicians. Much of their work focuses on navigating gaps in communication between providers and patients.
Workshop Session #3 (3:00PM-4:00PM)
Listening Labs: Experiments in Connection
In a world overflowing with noise, urgency, and competing priorities, it’s easy to feel unheard. Listening Labs offer a refreshing pause in a judgment-free, advice-free space where presence matters. This welcoming session invites participants to share and listen deeply in structured, time-limited exchanges designed to foster genuine human connection.
Dr. Leo Pedraza (he/him) joined Stevens in November 2018 as the Assistant Dean of Students & Director of Undergraduate Student Life. He has dedicated the last 25 years to helping students succeed in college. Dr. Pedraza is a certified facilitator of Listening Labs, a program that creates guided spaces to strengthen listening skills through structured sharing.
Money Management Basics
This presentation will walk participants through the foundations of money management. We'll cover how to build a realistic budget, track spending, and manage time effectively so that financial routines feel sustainable. The goal is to help participants feel more organized and empowered to take control of their financial lives.
Mia Vellon ‘22 is a financial coach / educator and founder of Iridescent Money, where she helps young professionals feel confident and in control of their finances. Her approach focuses on aligning money with values and goals, making personal finance feel more meaningful. After navigating her own financial challenges at a young age, Mia is passionate about creating a safe space for learning.
Disability Inclusion for Leadership: A Student Panel
Join our student panel to learn more about what it means to become an inclusive leader and lead with access and inclusion in mind. In this panel, we'll define disability inclusion, discuss common barriers to achieving disability inclusion, and learn best practices for being an inclusive leader!
Moderator:
Phillip Gehman has been the Director of Disability Services at Stevens since 2016, and before that, he oversaw the Office of Disability Services at Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania. Phil received his undergraduate and graduate degrees in Social Work from the University of Louisville. Phil's first language was American Sign Language, and he's always happy to use sign language whenever possible.
Panelists:
Lily Stone is a 4/5 Computer Engineering major from Los Angeles, California. At Stevens, Lily is a member of the iSTEM@Stevens program, an undergraduate student ambassador, and she is in Sigma Delta Tau, Gear and Triangle, Order of Omega, Tau Beta Pi, and IEEE Eta Kappa Nu. She has been apart of the panels on neurodiversity at Stevens since the Fall of 2023. Lily has a passion for neurodiversity advocacy, and loves sharing her experience to allow for more understanding of the neurodivergent community.
Christopher Alessandri has been a student at Stevens since 2020. He completed his bachelor's in computer engineering in 2025 and is now seeking a master's in applied artificial intelligence. Throughout his time at Stevens, he has engaged with various clubs and committees, most recently joining the service fraternity Alpha Phi Omega. Chris has also participated in numerous panels with the Office of Disability Services, and he is always eager to share his story about living with Tourette Disorder.
Strategic Leadership: Applying Game Theory to Leadership Development
Leadership often requires making decisions in complex environments where outcomes depend not only on one’s own choices but also on the actions of others. Game theory provides a framework for understanding these dynamics and equips leaders with analytical tools to enhance collaboration, negotiation, and strategic decision-making. By applying game theory concepts to real-world leadership challenges, engaged participants will strengthen their ability to think critically, anticipate consequences whilst leading with strategy and empathy.
Christina Davis, a Stevens Institute of Technology UCC Complex Resident Director operating within the Office of Residential Education. Christina is a Pace University alum with an M.S. in Data Science and former Goldman Sachs IB Analyst who has collided both theory and practice to highlight opportunities for growth and reflection within leadership development, emphasizing the study of mathematical models of conflict and cooperation between intelligent, rational decision-makers.