Speaker Showcase

Item Description

Bio

Dafina Lazarus Stewart is an Associate Professor teaching graduate courses in college student personnel and higher education at Bowling Green State University (BGSU). She joined the program in 2005 after leaving a tenure-track appointment as an assistant professor in the College Student Personnel and Higher Education programs at Ohio University beginning in 2002. Prior to that, she served in a visiting faculty appointment at The Ohio State University in the Higher Education and Student Affairs program, where she earned both her Ph.D. in higher education administration and M.A. in higher education and student affairs. She has a B.A. in sociology from Kalamazoo College and was born and raised in the Village of Harlem in New York City, New York. Dafina’s research and teaching focus on the experiences of students of color in higher education environments; effect of student affairs educational programming and co-curricular experiences on persistence and graduation for students of color; identity intersectionality; spiritual development, religious and secular pluralism and interfaith cooperation in higher education. Dafina has held leadership positions in a number of professional associations, including ACPA and Ohio College Personnel Association (OCPA). Within ACPA, Dafina served as a directorate member for the Commission for Professional Preparation, chaired the 2008 Next Gen Conference for undergraduates interested in student affairs, and has been a member of the institute faculty for the Donna Bourassa Mid-level Management Institute. Dafina is currently completing her term as inaugural chair for the Commission for Spirituality, Faith, Religion, and Meaning. She also belongs to the Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE).  She has presented at several national conferences, including ACPA, ASHE, and the American Educational Research Association (AERA). Dr. Stewart has increasingly been an invited speaker and workshop presenter at campuses and symposia across the country. In 2004, Dr. Stewart was designated an Emerging Scholar by the ACPA and was awarded the Burns-Crookston Doctoral Research Award from the Commission for Professional Preparation in 2002 and is being recognized as a 2013 ACPA Diamond Honoree. These latest achievements are only the most recent in a long list of academic and other accomplishments. Dafina is also a mother, has an unrequited love affair with athletics, is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated, and active in community service.

 Topics/Competencies

• Multicultural competence and leadership
• Ethical leadership
• Identity intersectionality
• Religious and secular pluralism
• Professional competencies for engaging spirituality, faith, and meaning on campus

Item Special Note

Time Frame of Service Offered

One hour keynote – or, up to two hours of a workshop presentation on the same day. Other formats such as additional breakout sessions and consultations may also be offered and negotiated between the Speaker and the campus.

Type of Audience

It is preferred to provide the Speaker with a multi-school conference or professional association conference where a diversity of colleges or organizations is present. Single campus events,  staff presentations/training or conferences are to be negotiated in advance prior to bidding if possible.

Scheduling

All speaking engagements are to be scheduled within 12 months of the close of each Showcase and payment made to the Foundation at the close of bidding or upon invoicing (unless other arrangements are made in advance with the ACPA Foundation Treasurer.)

Travel Expenses

An additional $500 is payable directly to the Speaker for travel expenses and/or as otherwise negotiated by the university directly with the speaker.