Bio of Adidi Etim-Hunting Former executive Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging for Penn State’s Division of Development and Alumni Relations (DDAR) where she is charged with developing policies, programs, and division wide initiatives. As Director Adidi advises the Vice President of DDAR, and carries out the DDAR Strategic Plan and advances priorities, recruitment and retention strategies for a diverse workforce, and initiatives to promote a welcoming and inclusive Penn State community. Adidi is responsible for coordinating with internal constituencies, University leadership, and external stakeholders to determine how the division — throughout all of its initiatives, activities, and programs — can be reimagined to build a culture of inclusivity that affirms the dignity and contributions of all its staff and the alumni, donors, and friends that it serves. Adidi serves as a leader on president Neeli Bendapudi’s DEIB agile team for Penn State, working directly with the vice president for Human Resources on staff recruitment and retention. Further Adidi serves as the co-chair to the Administrative Council on Anti-Racism and Equity, and to the Commission on Racial/Ethnic Diversity, and is a member of the Educational Equity and Campus Environment Committee for Penn State’s Faculty Senate. Adidi is a scholar, executive coach, and leader, devoting over a decade to educating equity principles. As part of her work in diversity and mindfulness, Adidi is an invited speaker at national and international conferences and teaches on topics such as Ethics in STEM and Inclusive Leadership. She is an author with her most recent co-authored book titled Chief Diversity Officers in Higher Education Today. Adidi is a Californian and Michigander who deeply values her Nigerian American background. She holds bachelor’s degree from Grand Valley State University in photography, a Master’s degree in Counseling, Adult and Higher Education at Northern Illinois University, and is a PhD student in Workforce Education specializing in Organization Development and Human Resource Development with a concentration in diversity, inclusion, access and equity at The Pennsylvania State University. You can reach her by email at Adidi@psu.edu. ]

Mai is a writer and educator. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing & International Business from the Arab Academy for Science and technology in Cairo, Egypt, as well as seven years of experience working with youth and adults in formal and informal contexts. Before moving to the U.S., she was designing and implementing development and capacity building training in student organizations, NGOs, and corporations.

Mai also holds a Certificate in mental health first aid. Her areas of expertise involve research in field work, data collection, curriculum development, and facilitation. Mai’s areas of interest involve social movement learning, youth and young adult development, resilience in times of conflict, culture, identity, and evidence-based interventions for youth. After a semester at University of Rochester, Mai is currently a PhD student and graduate assistant at Pennsylvania State University.]

Kamil Gerónimo-López is an Afrolatina of Puerto Rican and Dominican heritage whose work connects pedagogy, design, and participatory research. She works across languages, cultures, and communities, and speaks Spanish, English, and Portuguese. Her multilingualism allows her to build bridges through educational design, facilitation, and collaborative inquiry. As an autistic scholar and designer, she embraces neurodivergence as part of her creative method. It shapes the way she reads systems, imagines alternatives, and designs participatory learning environments that support collective action and collective meaning making.

Kamil earned her PhD in Lifelong Learning and Adult Education, with a dual degree in Comparative and International Education, from Penn State University. She also holds a master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Puerto Rico. Her work is grounded in Popular Education, Participatory Research, Design Based Learning, Systemic Literacies, and Imaginative Praxis. Through CPR Curriculum Design, Curriculum, Praxis, Reimagination, she creates pedagogical tools, curriculum frameworks, games, facilitation systems, and community based educational experiences that help people engage ideas through participation, reflection, and action. Kamil is the founder of Pueblo Crítico and The People’s Imaginarium.