Post Date: June 17, 2024

For Immediate Release

June 17, 2024

Stamford, CT. – This week, June 20-22, the University of Connecticut School of Public Policy and The National Academy of Public Administration - in conjunction with the Academy’s Standing Panel on Social Equity in Governance - will host the 23rd annual Social Equity Leadership Conference. This year’s conference theme is “Achieving Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Access in an Increasingly Divided World.”

The Social Equity Leadership Conference (SELC) is a widely anticipated annual gathering of scholars, public administrators and community leaders, sharing their expertise in growing the cause of social equity through public policy, local, state and federal government and beyond.

Speakers will include Mendi Blue Paca, President & CEO of Fairfield County’s Community Foundation, and Professor john a. powell, Director of the Othering & Belonging Institute at the University of California Berkely, delivering the George H. Frederickson Lecture in Social Equity.

“The Academy is proud to sponsor this annual conference,” said National Academy of Public Administration President and CEO Terry Gerton. “Bringing researchers and practitioners together to share practical steps for advancing equity through public administration is key to solving the major challenges every level of government is facing today.”

“The School of Public Policy is pleased to host the Social Equity Leadership Conference at our UConn Stamford campus,” said Professor Mohamad Alkadry, Director of the UConn School of Public Policy. “We have an exceptional lineup of keynote speakers and panels. This is a great opportunity for our Connecticut scholars, public and nonprofit professionals, and policy makers to engage with national scholars and Academy fellows in the important conversation of advancing social equity as a public good.”

This year’s conference tracks, and daily schedule, are below. For more information, visit the conference website here.

Conference Tracks:

• Social Equity in the Face of Resistance.
• Public Policy and Social Equity.
• Workplace Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility, and Social Justice.
• Criminal Justice and Social Equity.
• Health Equity and Social Drivers of Health.
• Emergency Management, Adaptation, and Social Equity.

Thursday, June 20 (Day 1)

Plenary – Opening Session (9:00 am – 10:30 am)

• 9:00 am – 9:05 am: Welcome

• 9:05 am – 10:30 am: Social Equity in the Trenches: Collaboration Between the Public & Philanthropic Centers to Add Value to Communities

Concurrent Session I (10:45 am – 12:00 pm)

• Social Equity Policy: From Agenda Setting to Implementation (PPSE)

• Social Equity in Emergency Management (EMSE)

• Social Equity and Health (HESD)

• Sex & Gender-based Violence (CJSE)

• Advancing Racial Equity Work in Massachusetts Municipalities (WDEI)

Concurrent Session II (12:45 pm – 2:00 pm)

• Where You Stand Depends on Where You Sit: Do Black Lives Matter? (SEFR)

• AI in Emergency Management (EMSE)

• Planning in Emergency Management (EMSE)

• Moving Beyond Good Intentions: Normalizing and Operationalizing Equity in Teams and Projects (WDEI)

Concurrent Session III (2:15 pm – 3:30 pm)

• Promoting Epistemic Justice in Collaborations: Insights from Systematic Reviews and a Collaborative Autoethnography (SEFR)

• Policy Narratives as Instruments for Social Equity for the Most Vulnerable (PPSE)

• Social Equity & Resistance (SEFR)

• Social Equity Beyond the Borders (PPSE)

Award Ceremony & Plenary (3:45 pm –5:00 pm)

• 3:45 pm – 4:00 pm: Philip J. Rutledge Award

• 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm: George H. Fredrickson Lecture in Social Equity

Friday, June 21 (Day 2)

Concurrent Session IV (9:00 am – 10:15 am)

• Public Policies to Redress Disparate Impacts Across Communities: A Comprehensive Approach (PPSE)

• The Role of AI in Promoting Social Equity (WDEI)

• The DEI Training Ladder in Action: How to Evaluate and Advance Social Equity in the Face of Resistance (SEFR)

• Equity in Budgeting: More than Just Lip Service (PPSE)

• The Power of Cash - The Role of Basic Income in Advancing Health Equity (HESD)

Plenary - Day 2 (10:30 am – 12:00 pm)

• Social Equity in State Government: Navigating a Changing Landscape

Concurrent Session V (12:45 pm – 2:00 pm)

• Social Equity and Accountability: Innovations, Shifting Norms, and Urgent Needs (SEFR)

• Policing & Justice (CJSE)

• Addressing Social Determinants of Health to Achieve Health Equity (HESD)

• Disparate Risk and the Role of Public Policy, Economic Mobility, and the Consideration of Place (PPSE)

• DEI, Employment, and Education (SEFR)

• Poster Session I

Concurrent Session VI (2:15 pm – 3:30 pm)

• Reducing Vulnerabilities to Hazards (EMSE)

• Graduate Student Perspectives: Advancing Social Equity for Economic and Health Policy (PPSE)

• Agents of Change: Exploring the Impact of Institutional and Community Leaders on Social Equity (SEFR)

• Measuring Impact of Government Equity Programs (PPSE)

Concurrent Session VII (3:45 pm – 5:00 pm)

• Equity in Government: Spotlight on Connecticut (PPSE)

• Practical Paths to Health Equity: Shaping Change through Practice and Scholarship (HESD)

• Resistance and Public Administration (SEFR/PPSE)

• Social Equity at the Local Level (PPSE)

Equity Hour: Social Equity in Governance Standing Panel
Acknowledging Travel Award Winners

Saturday, June 22 (Day 3)

Concurrent Session VIII (9:00 am – 10:15 am)

• Evolution of Policy to Service Delivery for Water Security in Philadelphia (HESD)

• A Seat at the Table: Exploring the Lived Experience on Policy Bodies in New York and New Jersey to Advance Social Equity (SEFR)

• Identifying Federal, State, and Local Government Impacts of Tribes and Their Members (WDEI)

Concurrent Session IX – Closing Session (10:30 am – 11:45 am)

• Social Equity & DEI (WDEI)

• Education & Social Equity (PPSE)

Media planning to attend should contact Matt Hampton: mhampton@napawash.org

About The Academy Standing Panel on Social Equity

The standing panel focuses on issues of fairness, justice, and equity in a variety of public contexts, including, but not limited to: education, policing, welfare, housing, and transportation. The Standing Panel consists of NAPA elected Fellows and associate members, who can receive updates, exclusive content, and meeting invitations by joining its mailing list. For more information, visit their site here.

About the National Academy of Public Administration

Chartered by Congress to provide nonpartisan expert advice, the Academy is an independent, nonprofit, and nonpartisan organization established in 1967 to assist government leaders in building more effective, efficient, accountable, and transparent organizations. Learn more at www.napawash.org

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