2025 Speakers

Charles Blow
Columnist, New York Times bestselling author, and MSNBC Analyst Charles Blow fearlessly tackles today’s most pressing issues with depth, nuance, and tremendous insight. Now an Op-Ed columnist at The New York Times, Blow previously served as the paper’s Graphics Director, leading The Times to significant awards. He has also worked as the Art Director of National Geographic Magazine and for The Detroit News. Blow is the New York Times bestselling author of Fire Shut Up in My Bones, which won a Lambda Literary Award, the Sperber Prize, and appeared on numerous “best of” lists. A memoir, the book was called “searing and unforgettable” by People Magazine and was adapted into a critically-acclaimed opera with a groundbreaking run at The Metropolitan Opera – the first performance of an opera there by a Black composer. His second book, The Devil You Know: A Black Power Manifesto, draws on both his personal experience and observations of society to call for an end to systemic racism. Blow is a prolific and insightful commentator on politics, public opinion, and social justice, often challenging those in power with clarity and candor. Heralded for his forward-thinking coverage of American politics and society, as well as his skill in graphic design to create powerful narratives with compelling visuals, Blow is also an in demand speaker and gifted moderator. He has appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, SalonTV, CBS News, and regularly as an analyst on MSNBC, and has been featured in The Washington Post, The Ringer, Oprah Daily, and more about his highly acclaimed work. An advocate for social justice and racial equity, Blow speaks about income inequality, xenophobia, and mental health, generating impactful conversations that resonate with audiences of all kinds.

Matthew D. Selekman, MSW, LCSW
Matthew D. Selekman, MSW, LCSW is in private practice in Lake Forest IL, USA. He is an Approved Supervisor and Clinical Fellow for the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy, a licensed clinical social worker, and addictions counselor. He also is the Director of Partners for Collaborative Solutions (www.partners4change.net), an international family therapy and brief therapy training and consultation practice in Evanston, IL. Matthew received the Walter S. Rosenberry Award in 2006, 2000, and in 1999 from The Children’s Hospital in Denver, Colorado for having made significant contributions to the fields of psychiatry and the behavioral sciences. He is the author of nine professional practice-oriented books including The Therapist’s Use of Self: Being the Catalyst for Change in Couple and Family Therapy , Working with High-Risk Adolescents: A Collaborative Strengths-Based Approach , (with Mark Beyebach) Changing Self-Destructive Habits: Pathways to Solutions with Couples and Families , and more! He has presented workshops on his collaborative strengths-based family therapy approach with children, adolescents, and adults extensively throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, South America, Europe, Turkey, South Korea, Singapore, Indonesia, Hong Kong, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand.   

Ed Geraty LCSW-C, LICSW
Ed Geraty has been a mental health clinician in private and agency practice for more than 30  years. He is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in MD, DC, VA, FL, DE, VT and WV. and currently has a full-time teletherapy practice. He is a former Director of Professional Development for NASW-MD and currently the Chair of the Education Committee of the Greater Washington Society for Clinical Work. He has provided education and training for many  professional associations as well as NASW VA, NASW-WV,  NASW-DC, and NASW NYC, His website is www.INSITEintegrative.com and can be reached at edgeratylcsw-c@proton.me 

Karen Bullock, PhD, LICSW, FGSA, APHSW-C

Karen Bullock, PhD, LICSW, FGSA, APHSW-C, is the Louise McMahon Ahearn Endowed Professor in the Boston College School of Social Work and in Global Public Health. She is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Work (LICSW) with mental health practice experience and expertise in health disparities, health equity, serious illness care, aging and gerontology, hospice, palliative and end-of-life care decision making. She has served as Principal Investigator and/or Co-Investigator for over $5 million in federal grant funding focused on equity and inclusion for workforce development, aging, and health network sustainability. 

Dr. Bullock is a John A. Hartford Faculty Scholar and has served on several national boards and committees, including the Social Work Hospice & Palliative Care Network (SWHPN) as vice-chair and the American Cancer Society (ACS) Oncology Social Work Research Peer Review Committee, past chair. She is a member of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) Roundtable on Quality Care for People with Serious Illness, a Board of Directors member for the Palliative Care Quality Collaborative (PCQC), a Steering Committee member for the Duke University REACH Equity Center, affiliate faculty at the Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC), and she holds an appointment in the Department of Supportive Oncology at Dana Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI). In 2024, Dr. Bullock was the recipient of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM) Richard Payne Outstanding Achievement in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Award. In addition, she was elected a member of the Board of Directors for the Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR) and appointed co-chair of the SSWR Research Capacity Development Committee (RCDC).

Juan Rios, PhD

Dr. Juan Rios is a tenured associate professor and Chair of the Department of Social Work and Public Administration at Seton Hall University, where he advances innovative approaches to technology integration, mental health services, and social justice in social work practice and research. His transformative pedagogical approaches have earned him two Distinguished Innovations in Teaching Awards and the prestigious Janine Bruckner Community Practitioner Award, recognizing his exceptional contributions to both academic excellence and community engagement.

His scholarly portfolio encompasses critical intersections of technology, mental health, and social equity, with particular emphasis on Latino communities. Dr. Rios is a founding member of the social work futures lab. He is a certified UX/UI designer, TEDX speaker, author, member of the All Teach is Human organization, certified foresight practitioner, and has co-written policy in New Jersey on AI Ethics and the founder of the R.I.O.S Lab

Kathryn Wehrmann, PhD, LCSW

Dr. Kathryn Conley Wehrmann is a distinguished figure in the field of social work, with a career spanning several decades. She resides in Champaign, Illinois, where she has deep roots after living there for over forty years. Dr. Wehrmann received both her MSW and Ph.D. from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign.

Dr. Wehrmann worked for several years for the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services before moving on to a faculty position at the Illinois State University's School of Social Work where she retired after 20 years of service. During her tenure, she was instrumental in obtaining major federal child welfare training grants and worked on evaluation projects focused on evidence-based mental health service approaches for children and adolescents.

Dr. Wehrmann has held numerous roles with the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), including serving as National Board President from 2017 to 2020. She also served on the International Federation of Social Work Secretariat, representing the North American Region. Dr. Wehrmann is an NASW Social Work Pioneer and a Fulbright Scholar who taught child welfare policy and researched child welfare reform efforts in Romania.

Currently, she chairs the Steering Committee for the Global Social Service Workforce Alliance and has a developing coaching and consultation practice, Empowering Transitions.

Olymphia O’Neale-White, DSW, LCSW, C-FSW, PMH-C, BCD

Dr. Olymphia O’Neale-White, affectionately known as Dr. O, is an extraordinary professional dedicated to education, public speaking, and advocacy. As a career consultant, teacher, and clinician, she passionately promotes cultural inclusion, awareness, and competence within the social work field.

At "Through My Lense Consulting Services LLC," Dr. O infuses her humor and infectious energy into every consultation, training session, and course, to prepare and inspire the next generation of professional troublemakers. Her commitment has earned her the 2024 NASW Emerging Leader in Social Work Award.

Specializing as a reproductive mental health provider, Dr. O is devoted to advancing reproductive education, a mission deeply influenced by her personal experiences with infertility and child loss. She began her journey in human services with a Sociology degree from North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University, later earning her Master of Social Work (MSW) from North Carolina Central University, and Doctor of Social Work (DSW) from the University of Kentucky.

Outside of her impactful work, Dr. O embraces her creative spirit—when she’s not making a difference professionally, you might find her singing, dancing, crafting handmade soap, or jet-setting to her next adventure!

Jamie Sundvall, PhD, PsyD, LCSW

Dr. Jamie Sundvall is a distinguished national expert in artificial intelligence (AI) and an esteemed academic. She serves as the Touro University System Assistant Provost of Artificial Intelligence, and as the Assistant Dean and Director of Distance Education and Online Programs in the Graduate School of Social Work. In her role, Dr. Sundvall oversees system wide AI operations, governance, guiding AI technology acquisition, AI faculty and staff training, support of AI integration across diverse programs in the system, and distance clinical education.

She completed a CSWE-accredited MSW in Clinical Practice and Gerontology, a PsyD in Clinical Psychology, a PhD in International Psychology specializing in Trauma Services, and a prestigious post-graduate trauma fellowship at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. She is a former Medical Service Corps officer in the United States Navy, known for her leadership in program development, clinical and forensic practice, and research, also serving as an international liaison and US diplomatic advisor. In academia, Dr. Sundvall has held positions as a professor, research chair, program administrator, and systemic leadership roles in psychology, social work, counseling, and human services programs. An expert in online education and remote program delivery, Dr. Sundvall excels in managing organizations, systems, sites, and teams nationally and internationally, while navigating complex legal and accreditation standards to ensure high quality programming. She is a published author and public speaker on AI, trauma, military and veteran practice, acculturation psychology, cross-cultural psychology, clinical practice, geriatric practice, online education, ethics, and digital ethics.

Dr. Sundvall is leading the way with AI advancement, bringing extensive expertise, and contributing back to other professionals and organizations in their growth process.

Eric Rice, PhD, MA
Eric Rice is a Professor at the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work and the director of the USC Center for AI in Society, a joint venture between the schools of social work and engineering at USC. Rice received a BA from the University of Chicago, and an MA and PhD in Sociology from Stanford University. He was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of California, Los Angeles. He joined the USC faculty in 2009. For several years he has been working with colleagues in computer science to merge social work science and AI, seeking novel solutions to major social problems such as homelessness and HIV. He specializes in applications of AI to social work, social network science, and community-based research. His primary research focus is on youth experiencing homelessness and their housing issues and behavioral health risks. Rice is the author of approximately 200 peer-reviewed articles and the recipient of grants from the National Institute of Mental Health, the California HIV/AIDS Research Program, the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, the Army Research Office and other agencies.