Speakers & Talks - Nov. 16, 2024
Our speakers for 2024 are selected, and working hard at preparing their talk. Keep your eyes on this page to see each speaker as they're announced.
While you're at it, gather friends and family, and mark your calendar to attend on November 16 - you won't want to miss it..
Looking for Talks from Previous Years?
They're not gone, they've just moved to our prior event archive.
Table of Contents: This Year's Talks
(Click/tap any speaker's name to scroll down to their bio and talk details)
Erin Boehme - A Vocal Jazz Performance
Erin Boehme Biography
Erin Boehme was born and raised in Oshkosh WI. At 17, she moved out to Los Angeles and spent the next 15 years performing and recording along side some of the most exceptional musicians in the industry. She has two albums released on Concord Records, her second produced by Phil Ramone and Michael Bublè.
Upon returning home to live in her beloved Oshkosh, she co founded the Oshkosh Jazz Festival. The festival has hosted acts from Take 6 to Scary Pockets. She has currently been working in Los Angeles in the role of “Cleo” in Blood/Love, a production she co-wrote.
Seon Yoon Chung - New Tools in Healthcare Education: Incorporating AI-Generated Simulations
Using simulation in healthcare education is nothing new, and it has proven to be a valuable way to rapidly advance the knowledge and skill of medical professionals. What is new, is the use of generative artificial intelligence to bolster educational simulations, making them more realistic, and increasingly-effective aids in healthcare education, leading to better-trained medical providers, and more effectively diagnosed and treated patients.
Seon Yoon Chung Biography
Seon Yoon Chung is an administrator, educator, researcher, nurse who is dedicated to contributing to the society by promoting health and well-being through empowering the healthcare workforce. As a Certified Healthcare Simulation Educator and certified Nurse Educator, she is a great proponent of experiential learning, leveraging state-of-the-art teaching and learning technologies, to support learners’ competency development in a psychologically safe environment.
Seon Yoon is a Dean at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. She holds PhD from the University of Maryland, where she also served as a faculty member prior to joining Illinois State University as an administrator, preceding her taking her current role at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh.
Courtney Dvorak - The Real Impact of Workplace Trauma
A toxic workplace environment is easy to feel but challenging to quantify. Many organizations suffer from microaggressions—subtle, sometimes unintentional slights—that erode an employee’s sense of belonging and authenticity. Over time, chronic exposure to these negative interactions can result in lasting psychological and emotional impacts, known as workplace trauma.
To improve employee satisfaction and retention, companies must create a culture that not only encourages but celebrates authenticity. Failing to do so can lead to lower engagement and the loss of valuable talent, as employees may leave rather than compromise elements of their true selves. By ensuring an environment that genuinely values authenticity, individuals can both thrive and fully contribute their unique talents. This talk expands upon the definition of workplace trauma, the impact it has across diverse populations, and what steps you can take to break free of corporate boxes.
Courtney Dvorak Biography
Courtney Dvorak is a corporate activist devoted to empowering individuals to live as their most authentic selves. A certified Change Management Practitioner (CMP), Courtney excels in orchestrating transformative change through thoughtfully crafted, people-centric strategies. Her degrees in sociology and social welfare from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, combined with over 10 years of practical experience, allows her to coach leaders through compassionate and effective change from the initial concept through to seamless execution.
Courtney lives in Appleton, Wisconsin with her husband, their daughter, and their dog. An enthusiastic cyclist and Breakthrough T1D Ride to Cure participant, she also enjoys tending to her houseplant collection, spending time outdoors, and live music events.
Gabriela Fleury - Interspecies Diplomacy
This talk focuses on the complex and critically important world of human-wildlife interactions, framing it in terms of “interspecies diplomacy”. Learning to live alongside others that may have different needs and priorities is especially crucial in these turbulent times, and such empathy should not just be restricted to humans.
When conflict arises between humans and wildlife, both parties can end up bearing the consequences. The talk illustrates this through relevant examples such as deer-road collisions and wolf-livestock conflict in the speaker’s present residence state of Wisconsin, as well as from her PhD research with jackals, lions, cheetahs, leopards, African wild dogs and livestock producers in the Kalahari Desert of Botswana.
The talk emphasizes the central point that as natural habitat decreases globally and wildlife and humans are brought into increasing contact with each other, humans will have to learn how to best live alongside their scale, feather, and fur-bearing brethren. The empathy-focused practice of “interspecies diplomacy” can help pave the way for a brighter future for both wildlife and humanity to thrive.
Gabriela Fleury Biography
Gabriela (“Gabi”) Fleury is an Environment and Resources PhD candidate in the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Nelson Institute. A trained conservation biologist with more than five years’ experience mitigating human-wildlife conflict on the African continent in South Africa, Kenya, Namibia, and now Botswana, she has had her community-centered human-wildlife interactions research nationally recognized by Science Friday, the American Philosophical Society, Rotary International, Forbes Magazine, and the Fulbright Student Program.
Her PhD research focuses on mitigating predator-livestock conflict through deterrent testing in collaboration with Botswanan NGO Cheetah Conservation Botswana in the Kalahari Desert where she works with Indigenous San livestock producers. She holds degrees from the University of Cape Town in South Africa’s prestigious Fitzpatrick Institute (M.S.) and from James Madison University (B.S., summa cum laude).
As a multiracial (Black, white, and Indigenous) LGBTQIA+ person, Gabi is also deeply passionate about fostering true diversity and inclusion in wildlife conservation, and has also given many talks on the important topic of "conserving conservationists"! Featured in the 500 Queer Scientists campaign, she is also a proud inaugural organizing committee member of the awareness-building "Black Mammalogists Week" and is actively engaged in mentoring young conservationists from underrepresented communities.
Michael Ford - People Matter: Getting Governing Back into Politics
We are living in a divided society where political and cultural differences are dictating where we live, how we live, how we interact with one another, and how we view our fellow citizens. Politics has become a blood sport where winning takes precedent over governing; where political debates are arenas for personal attacks where the messenger, rather than the idea, are fair game for attack. How did we get here, and how do return to a place where we can govern effectively?
This talk lays out a positive path forward where engagement and local government can act to heal our politics - through a humanity-based framework built on human needs, and providing a practical pathway founded on trust, competence, and empathy.
Michael Ford Biography
Michael Ford is a tenured Professor of Public Administration and Director of the Masters of Public Administration program at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. He has published over 40 peer reviewed articles on public and nonprofit governance, and one peer reviewed book on education policy.
In addition to his role at UW Oshkosh, he served as an elected member of the Oshkosh Common Council, as a member of the Oshkosh Plan Commission, on the board of Clarity Care Inc., and as President of the Midwest Public Affairs Conference. He also writes monthly columns for the Public Administration Times and the Oshkosh Herald. His work has been featured in a variety of media, including the Washington Post, the Houston Chronicle, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the Associated Press, and Wisconsin Public Radio.
Prior to joining academia Michael served as a Research Associate and Vice President of Operations for School Choice Wisconsin, and was Research Director for the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute. He holds an undergraduate degree in Political Science from Marquette University, a Masters of Political Science from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and a Ph.D. in Urban Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Shaheda Govani - What if We Were to Like Ourselves a Little Less?
In a world of self-love and self-acceptance, could it be that we sometimes take that too far, perhaps landing in complacency? What would happen if we welcomed the knowledge that we are imperfect; that we have more to strive for; things to fix and improve?
This talk addresses the value of, and tactics for embracing the discomfort that comes with realizing that we only become better versions of ourselves by welcoming the knowledge that we’re imperfect.
Shaheda Govani Biography
Shaheda Govani is a dentist working in, and originally from Oshkosh, Wisconsin. In addition to her day-to-day work as a practicing dentist, she is highly active in the non-profit sector and the dental community at large, with professional dental involvement at both the local level, and as a member of the Wisconsin Dental Association. She has served on Wisconsin Dental Associations’ Ethics Board and Membership committees, with past experience as a representative to the Wisconsin Dental Association’s House of Delegates.
In the non-profit sector, Shaheda has been a member of Oshkosh Rotary, a board member of the Oshkosh Area United Way, and the Oshkosh YMCA, and currently spends time serving as core member with Woman Who Care of Oshkosh working to raise funds and awareness to local nonprofits.
The first in her family to graduate from college, she received an undergraduate degree in biology from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, and a DDS from the Marquette University School of Dentistry. In her free time, Shaheda enjoys staying active with her husband and their two border terriers. They also enjoy rehabbing their old character home. She competes in amateur body building shows in the Bikini Division. She also really likes boxing, biking, gardening and reading.
Shermin Kruse - Stoic Empathy: The Synergy of Compassion and Resilience
Stoic empathy might seem like a paradox—combining the rigidity of stoicism with the compassion of empathy. In reality, however, they’re not opposing forces but symbiotic companions on the journey of self-discovery and influence. Used together, they are guiding principles that become the bedrock of personal empowerment and societal change.
This talk navigates combining the fortitude and inner control of stoicism with the deep understanding and connection fostered by empathy, to build a transformative framework that help us discern what is within our control, to modulate our emotions, and to act ethically at all times.
Shermin Kruse Biography
Shermin Kruse is an author, global transactions expert, lawyer, board advisor, speaker, professor, TEDx producer, and idea curator. She currently teaches global transactions, tactical empathy, complex negotiation, and leadership at Northwestern Pritzker School of Law.
She is the author of the textbook Global Transactions and Regulation: Political, Legal, and Cultural Frameworks, published by Northwestern University Library, which examines current and relevant business, legal, regulatory, and ethical issues arising from commercial transactions across national borders. Her critically acclaimed, best-selling novel, Butterfly Stitching, was inspired by the true experiences of herself and the women in her family before and after the Iranian revolution. In addition to her teaching and corporate negotiations experience, Shermin was a partner at the law firm of Barack Ferrazzano, where she represented international and Fortune 500 companies for 17 years. Her nearly two-decade-long legal practice provided her with in-depth knowledge of corporate business management, high-stakes negotiations, and complex cross-border transactions.
Shermin’s passion for stoic empathy stems from her belief that it is not merely an intellectual exercise but a guiding principle that, when embraced fully, fosters both personal empowerment and meaningful societal change. Through her personal experiences of overcoming childhood oppression, war, teenage bullying, and climbing the corporate ladder, she has unearthed the profound synergy between stoicism and empathy. Her work serves as a roadmap for navigating life’s challenges with grace, resilience, and compassion, aiming to provide practical tools for fostering deeper connections and wielding influence ethically.
Masha Pavlova - Unmasking Autism in Adulthood
This talk sheds light on the hidden and often misunderstood experience of masking in women and girls with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Masking refers to the process by which individuals with autism hide their symptoms to fit into societal norms. Many girls develop this behavior in childhood in an attempt to accommodate for the expectations of the closest people to them such as family members and friends. This behavior intensifies through adulthood making it very challenging to seek diagnosis or support.
The talk explores both a personal journey, and insights from top autism researchers and organizations specializing in women and girls, with the goal of starting a conversation about the prevalence of this experience and its profound impact.
Masha Pavlova Biography
Masha’s journey includes being a young immigrant overcoming trauma, undiagnosed neurodiversity, and homelessness on the pathway to becoming a successful entrepreneur, only to have that taken away thanks to crumbling health. Since then, by mastering perseverance, she has since rebuilt her dreams from the ground up.
Today, Masha serves as the Founder of the 24-Hour Pause for Peace - a worldwide concert uniting hearts with music and love, guided by future generations. Working within PEAC Institute, an international NGO, along with a member of the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize-winning team and other extraordinary, like-minded, beautiful individuals, this mission invites the whole world to witness a day where peace is not just a hope, but a reality.
Masha is a three-time #1 international bestselling business book author, and coach. Having paved the way to overcoming obstacles, she seeks to unite heart-centered individuals as well as organizations to create personal, professional, and social change, working locally while thinking globally.
Natraj Shanker - Micro-Factories: Manufacturing Re-Invented
Imagine a world where next to your favorite local restaurant is a micro-factory that produces – on demand – items that you need in your daily life. What if you could simply interact with the micro factory via an app where you send your design, scan or specification for the product you desire, and one or many of those items are made for you when you need them.
Prior to the industrial revolution, products were manufactured much like this, by craftspeople like blacksmiths, cobblers, tailors, bakers, and many others, right at the place where these goods were needed. With the dawn of the industrial revolution, and in times since, that model was replaced by distributed and multinational manufacturing, with all of the complexities and risks wide-spread supply-chains bring.
This talk postulates that with new technologies already available, the principle of "manufacture as close as possible to the need" can return local manufacturing to modern times, and elaborates on tactics and technologies that can make micro-factories happen, and the opportunities and advantages they generate.
Natraj Shanker Biography
An evangelist for the micro-factory concept, Natraj is retired after a lengthy career in a wide variety of engineering and manufacturing leadership capacities. He started his career with General Motors/EDS and worked on plant automation projects as a functional lead and project manager. He became part of EDS Consulting and worked on just-in-time and Kanban projects for GM parts manufacturers.
He later joined Rockwell Automation as program manager for global supply chain, then moved on as Director of IT Process Excellence. Leaving Rockwell Automation, Natraj started his own consulting practice and worked on critical projects for a wide variety of clients. He then joined Adobe as project manager and later program manager for implementation of Adobe's marketing cloud solution. During the COVID pandemic, he started a small venture to make and ship 3D printed custom novelty products for the local market and extending the market using Etsy.
Jennifer Skolaski - An Antidote for an Overdose Epidemic: We Heart You
During an overdose epidemic where hundreds of thousands of people are dying every year, innovative answers that can bring hope and save lives are desperately needed. One such answer is working in the speaker’s hometown, in the form of an Overdose Fatality Review (OFR) Team, with participants from 35 agencies, using a holistic approach to discovering why individuals have died from overdose.
This talk will explore how, starting from focus on historical review, the OFR team has morphed into a forward-acting group embodied by a tagline, “We Heart You”. Through public service announcements, community events, awards, an app, and a movement that aims to break the silence, reduce stigma, progress is being made to reduce overdose deaths.
Jennifer Skolaski Biography
Jennifer Skolaski, Ph.D., is the owner of Community & Nonprofit Leadership Consulting, LLC. and has been involved with a variety of nonprofits including organizations and collaborations that focus on environment, education, health care, safety, youth, domestic violence, substance use, and poverty. She has taught at both University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh and University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, and has played various roles in nonprofits, ranging from staff member, board member, intern, to volunteer.
These experiences have inspired her to continue working in the nonprofit sector to bring results through working collaborations and making an impact in the community. Since 2018, Jennifer has facilitated the Winnebago County Overdose Fatality Review (OFR), which is a multidisciplinary team that works to prevent overdose deaths through systems change and collective impact work. She currently serves as the Project Manager of the OFR team.
Pallavi Tiwari - Are We Ready for an AI Oncologist? How AI Can Help Doctors Personalize Cancer Care
The treatment of cancer today stands at a crossroads. Patients find themselves navigating a maze of treatments without knowing if they are going to be effective—or if they have to undergo them in the first place. Cancer care providers grapple with the limitations of current diagnostic tools which leave them unable to definitively advise on the best course of action.
At the heart of this problem are the limitations of the current diagnostic approach using human-interpreted diagnostic images. This is where AI steps in to move diagnosis forward to the next level. The speaker and her team of researchers are developing AI models that demonstrate over 90% accuracy in distinguishing benign from malignant tumors using just MRI scans. This precision is not just a number-- it's a beacon of hope. But the impact of AI in oncology isn't limited to diagnostics – it can also aid physicians in guiding their treatment approach, more precisely tailoring the treatment for each patient. This talk shares current, as well as predicted near-future developments where AI is helping physicians to better diagnose and treat their patients with cancer.
Pallavi Tiwari Biography
Dr. Pallavi Tiwari is a leading researcher and thought leader in Artificial Intelligence for precision medicine. She serves as an Associate Professor in the Depts. of Radiology & Biomedical Engineering; and as the Co-Director of Imaging and Radiation Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Her research has evolved into over 70 peer-reviewed publications, 60 peer-reviewed abstracts, and 14 patents (8 issued, 6 pending). Dr. Tiwari has been a recipient of several scientific awards, most notably being named as one of 100 women achievers by the Government of India for making a positive impact in the fields of science and innovation. In 2018, she was one of Crain’s Business Cleveland Forty under 40 awardees for her contributions to Case Western University and the State of Ohio. She has also been awarded the Johnson & Johnson Women in STEM scholar award for her research contributions in healthcare and technology, and the Honorary Early Career Achievement Award through the Society for Imaging Informatics in Medicine.
Dr. Tiwari was inducted as a Senior Member of the National Academy of Inventors in 2023 and recently received the Imaging Informatics Innovation Award in 2024. Her work in brain tumors has also received commendation from the General Assembly of the State of Ohio and the Ohio Secretary of State and has been covered by various news outlets including Forbes, Authority magazine, Crains Cleveland, NSF Science Now, and Science Daily. Dr. Tiwari has so far given over 50 plenary and invited talks at various national and international forums. Dr. Tiwari’s research is funded through the Veterans Affairs, National Cancer Institute, Department of Defense, and various foundation and state grants.
