Instructors

Michele Friedner is a medical anthropologist and an associate professor in the Department of Comparative Human Development. She has conducted research in India with Indian Sign Language speakers, on disability advocacy movements, and on efforts to introduce biotechnological intervention such as cochlear implants. She is interested in the ways that disability is increasingly becoming normalized at the same time that biotechnological interventions for disability are also becoming normalized. At the University of Chicago, she teaches courses in disability and design, the anthropology of disability, and general medical anthropology and social theory courses.

An accomplished and sought-after speaker, executive facilitator, author and senior organizational strategist, Scott is best known for his ability to implement full-scale, long-term people strategies across a wide spectrum of industries and geographies. His approach is based on three strategic pillars that he believes are critical components for sustained success: include, engage and innovate.

Scott’s career spans 25 years covering a variety of leadership roles in sales, operations and corporate strategic planning. Prior to starting inQUEST, Scott led three leading DEI consultancy organizations and held executive roles at Bank One (now Chase). These experiences support his strategic thinking and provide a sound operational and financial approach to his collaboration with clients.

Scott’s focus is on helping individuals, teams and organizations realize their full potential. He has deep subject matter expertise in disability and LGBT workplace inclusion initiatives, and in 2018 was featured in Crain's Chicago Business' list of Notable LGBTQ Executives.

Scott is certified by The Center for Creative Leadership (CCL), Lominger, HBDI and Hogan Assessments. He is the Chair of the Board of Directors for Chicago Sinfonietta and sits on the local board of Disability:IN, one of the largest disability inclusion employment advocacy organizations in the U.S.

Damon Jones is an associate professor at the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy. He conducts research at the intersection of three fields: public finance, household finance, and labor economics. His current research topics include household financial vulnerability, income tax policy, social security, retirement savings, worker benefits, and labor markets. His more recent studies have addressed questions related to universal basic income.

Ms. Loskota is the Executive Director of the Martin Marty Center for the Public Understanding of Religion.

Prior to joining the Divinity School, Ms. Loskota was the Executive Director of the Center for Religion and Civic Culture at the University of Southern California. She brings deep and broad experience in building strong organizations and networks; expertise in advising foundations, governments, and the media; and a research agenda which explores how religions change and make change in the world.

Over the course of her twenty-year career Ms. Loskota has sought to enhance religious pluralism and community resilience across a broad range of faith communities. She is the co-founder and senior advisor to the American Muslim Civic Leadership Institute, and an implementing partner for the United State Institute of Peace’s (USIP) Generation Change program, where she trains emerging leaders from the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and Colombia. She is the co-creator of the Disasters and Religions religious literacy and competency app, which helps disaster responders better serve America’s diverse religious communities and build partnerships with religious leaders. She was instrumental in the founding and development of the Cecil Murray Center for Community Engagement at USC which promotes civic engagement and economic development in Black and Brown churches.

As a widely published writer, her work has appeared in a range of publications from the Los Angeles Times to the Brookings Institute. She is regularly quoted in the media including in the The Economist, National Public Radio, The Washington Post, The New York Times, Public Broadcasting, and Voice of America.

In 2017, Ms. Loskota was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum. She was German Marshall Memorial Foundation fellow, an Inclusive America Project fellow at the Aspen Institute, a Truman National Security fellow, and a fellow at the Safe Communities Institute at USC. She Is a member of the Pacific Council on International Policy, was a term member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and serves on the CFR Religion Advisory Committee. In 2019, she was elected to the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion’s Council and chairs SSSR’s communications committee.

Paula (she/they) is a Postdoctoral Teaching Fellow in the Department of Comparative Human Development and with the Center for the Study of Gender and Sexuality. Paula works across the fields of medical anthropology, science and technology studies, gender studies and youth studies, investigating how gendered medical practices shape the ways that young peoples' futures are imagined and enacted.

Their current book project, "Practicing Gender," is an ethnographic study of clinical practices of affirming gender care for youth in the United States. Paula also holds a degree in social work from the University of Chicago and is a current member of the collaborative leadership team behind Swarm Artist Residency. She teaches courses in medical anthropology, transgender and gender studies, and science and technology studies.

Lisa Lynelle Moore, PhD, LICSW is a Senior Lecturer and the Director of the Master of Arts in Social Work and Social Welfare Program at the University of Chicago Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice. She has extensive teaching and administrative experience. Her current research includes two different projects. The first is the "Intersections of race, racism, and psychodynamic/psychoanalytic theories." Her second research project is "Exploring relationships in intentional housing communities in Minneapolis, MN and Chicago, IL." Her past research has included studies examining intergenerational caretaking in public housing and community activism and psychological empowerment.

Darnell N. Motley, PhD, is a clinical community psychologist committed to promoting sexual health among individuals who experience multiple forms of marginalization. Dr. Motley’s research examines and challenges the ways that structural factors (like racism, homophobia, and health stigma) function to limit the experiences of racial, sexual, and gender minorities, as well as individuals living with HIV. More specifically, Dr. Motley uses qualitative research to inform the development and adaptation of interventions intended to impact social determinants of sexual health. Currently, Dr. Motley is a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Chicago and Director of Structural Interventions for the Chicago Center for HIV Elimination.

J.M. Conway (they/them) is Manager of Innovation Programs with the Graham School. In this role, they help to plan new educational programs, support new and existing partnerships, and serve as a resource for prospective and enrolled students. You can contact Conway at jmconway@uchicago.edu.

Conway has led as a diversity, equity and inclusion practitioner and administrator within higher education for two decades. They have worked with non-profits such as Day One NY, Interfaith Youth Core, College Track, and institutions of higher learning including DePauw University, Loyola University Chicago, Columbia College Chicago, and Michigan State University. Conway earned a bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Anthropology from DePauw University and a master’s degree in Higher Education and Student Affairs from Loyola University Chicago.

Conway enjoys participating in Chicago’s rich Arts and Cultural scene by attending events throughout the city. They keep a daily journal, are endlessly curious about collaborative art making and collect one-liner jokes.

Which Graham course would you most like to take and why?

Conway would like to take Writing the One Act Play via the Writer’s Studio. They love watching live theater and have always been curious about what it takes to be a successful playwright.

Emily Nordquist is a Chicago-based social impact and innovation leader. She currently leads membership at 1871, the #1 ranked private business incubator in the world, where she supports 450+ founders to find success from idea to Series A. Before joining 1871, Emily served as the Senior Program Manager for the Baumhart Center for Social Enterprise and Responsibility at Loyola University Chicago. There, she helped develop a first-of-its-kind social impact MBA and led executive leadership programs focused on social impact and diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Emily has been a DEI facilitator for The Kaleidoscope Group, a full-service global DEI consultancy, since 2019. She also serves as an Alumni Ambassador for the Obama Foundation and is a member of the Impact Investing Advisory Council for the YWCA Metropolitan Chicago.