Keynote Speakers

Dr. Thierry Kolpin
Brandman University, USA

Thierry Kolpin received his Ph.D. from Stanford University’s School of Education, with an emphasis in school and community-based counseling psychology. He has taught at several institutions of higher education including Santa Clara University, California State University Long Beach, University of La Verne Regional Campuses, and California Southern University. He has developed and instructed on subjects including counseling, psychology, education, law, and ethics.
Dr. Kolpin’s research interests include school counseling perceptions, counseling effectiveness in schools, mindfulness in counseling, and professional development schools, and he has published and presented on research locally and nationally. He practices part time as a psychologist in the greater Long Beach area, and he is one of the researchers and developers for the Professional Development School Exploration and Assessment (PDSEA) process that several schools and universities have used to determine readiness to engage in school-university partnerships. Dr. Kolpin volunteers monthly with his wife and three children at the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve, and enjoys spending time with family and friends (including four-legged ones) at the beach.

Dr. Justyn Howard
Director, Student Conduct & Compliance
Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor of Enrollment and Student Affairs
Brandman University
USA

Justyn Arias-Lynn Howard is a California licensed attorney. Justyn studied sociology at the University of California, Santa Barbara (U.C.S.B.) where he received his Bachelor of Arts degree (B.A.).  He continued his education at the University of California, Los Angeles (U.C.L.A.) in 2004, where he received his Master’s in Education (M.Ed.) and a multiple subject teaching credential.  From 2005 to 2010, Justyn taught sixth grade math, language arts, science, and social studies in Los Angeles, California.  In 2013, Justyn graduated from the University of Southern California (U.S.C.) with his Juris Doctorate (J.D.) degree.  Justyn practiced civil rights and special education law for four years before starting his career in higher education.

While practicing law, Justyn represented hundreds of K-12 and higher education students in due process cases, as well as in civil cases under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.  From 2017-2018, Justyn worked at UCLA Extension as a student conduct officer, Title IX officer, and supervisor over the Disability Services Office.  Currently Justyn is the Director of Student Conduct and Compliance for Brandman University, located in Irvine, California. In his current role, Justyn services as a student conduct investigator, Title IX coordinator, ombudsmen, behavior intervention team (B.I.T.) member, and general compliance overseer.

Nekram Upadhyay
Head, Department of Assistive Technology
Indian Spinal Injuries Centre
India

Speech Title: ‘Assistive Technology Eco-system is the key to effective Service Delivery Provisions’

Nekram Upadhyay is the head of Department of Assistive Technology at Indian Spinal Injuries Centre, New Delhi, India. He completed his higher studies at University of Illinois at Chicago, USA specializing in Assistive Technology and Rehabilitation Engineering. Mr. Upadhyayjoined Indian Spinal Injuries Centre in 2006 where he established the first Department of Assistive Technology. His primary work is focused on the provision of assistive technology services to provide appropriate assistive devices to the people with special needs. The Assistive Technology center also specially focus on Assistive Technology Research and Development, evidence based practice provisioning, developing academic training.
Mr. Upadhyay has been an active member of various national and international organization working in the area of the healthcare and assistive technology. Nekram invented an upper extremity assistive device for quadriplegics and received the ISSICON 2018 Gold Medal Award. He has been awarded with a prestigious Universal Design Award 2013 for his unique contribution in the area of disability and technology, Rotary Innovative Technology Professional Award, and the Ford Foundation International Fellowship Award.

Dr. Henry Metcalf
Accessible Education Specialist
Office of Accessible Education and Counseling Services
Brandman University
USA

Dr. Henry Metcalf serves Brandman University in the Office of Accessible Education and Counseling Services. He is also a professor at Chapman University in Orange, California in the Wilkinson College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, where he also earned his Ph.D. in Higher Education with an emphasis in Cross-Cultural Studies. Dr. Metcalf is an advocate for people from diverse backgrounds and different ways of learning. His ongoing efforts include making education accessible and attainable for people throughout his community and around the world. Additionally, Dr. Metcalf is a member of Brandman University’s advisory board for student educational accessibility, a board member for the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiative as well as the Community Engagement Committee.
Dr. Metcalf has published articles and book chapters in addition to speaking at the American Educational Research Association (AERA) national conference, the American Association for Hispanics in Higher Education (AAHHE) national conference, and most recently at the Pacific Rim International Conference on Disability and Diversity in Honolulu, Hawaii. Prior to transitioning to higher education fulltime, Dr. Metcalf served his community mentoring and working with primary and secondary school students which has given him a broader insight to the many ways students learn and grow. Dr. Metcalf is passionate about working with his students and has made it his life’s work to make the world a better place through a pedagogy of love and compassion.

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