Jennifer T. Butcher, Ph.D. is the Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for Abilene Christian University Dallas. She also serves as a Professor in the School of Educational Leadership for ACU Dallas. Dr. Butcher has more than thirty-five years of experience in the educational arena as a public-school teacher, school administrator, university professor, and Director of DEI. She has presented at various international, national, regional and state conferences, including presentations in Italy, Morocco, Spain and England. Dr. Butcher has numerous publications in the area of educational leadership and diversity, equity, and inclusion. She is co-author of the book Going to College with Autism: Tips and Strategies from Successful Voices. Dr. Butcher is also co-editor of the book Overcoming Challenges and Creating Opportunity for African American Male Students, which was featured in IGI Global’s July 2020 comprehensive digital brochure on Social Movements, Equality, Misinformation, and Civic Engagement. Her research interests include Social Justice Issues, Special Populations, College Readiness, and Women in Leadership.
Johnny R. O'Connor, Jr., Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor with the Department of Education Leadership at Lamar University. With sixteen years of experience in PK – 12 education and 6 years in higher education, Dr. O’Connor has held both teaching and executive leadership positions. As a known change agent, he has experience working with both under-performing and exemplary schools in both urban and suburban areas. Throughout his career, Dr. O'Connor has experienced well-documented success, and has been recognized for his commitment and accomplishments in providing positive educational opportunities for all youth. Dr. O’Connor has authored and published several book chapters and journal articles, and presented at numerous local, state, and national conferences. He is a member of numerous professional and academic organizations.
Freddie Titus is an Associate Professor of Teacher Education at Lamar University. He is a mathematician and a mathematics educator with 34 years of teaching experience in higher education. Dr. Titus currently teaches both pedagogy and mathematics content courses for clinical teachers in the Interdisciplinary Studies Degree and Certification Plan Program. He recognizes the importance of being a mathematician that possesses the pedagogical skills to make learning meaningful for all students. He has also taught public school mathematics at the high school level and in many summer camps for underrepresented and economically disadvantaged students entering grades 7 through 12. His scholarly interests include investigating developmental mathematics students’ cognitive development and African American male student success in higher education. Titus has published and presented his research at state, national and international conferences in both arenas.