Brian Kapinos, Ed.D.
(he/him)
Courses taught: EDLR 5122 - Foundations of Higher Education and Student Affairs
Bio: Brian Kapinos holds a doctoral degree in Educational Leadership from the University of Hartford and serves as the Interim Executive Director of Advising Operations and Strategy for Connecticut State Community College. Dr. Kapinos has worked in higher education for the over 10 years, holding various roles in academic advising and academic affairs as well as several adjunct faculty roles within the Massachusetts Community College system. Dr. Kapinos is also a part-time faculty member in the Doctoral Program for Educational Leadership at the University of Hartford. Finally, Dr. Kapinos’ research focus is on advising systems, middle management, and the coordination of advising services within community colleges and serves as a reviewer for several academic journals including the NACADA Review, Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory and Practice, the Journal of Applied Research in the Community College, and others.
Kelly Schlabach
(she/they)
Courses taught: EDLR 5105 - Structured Dialogue in Student Affairs
Bio: Kelly Schlabach (she/they) is a current Ph.D. student in the Learning, Leadership and Educational Policy program at the University of Connecticut and works as a Graduate Assistant in two areas: the Office for Diversity and Inclusion and the Department of Educational Leadership. Kelly received their Bachelor’s degree in Social Work at Ohio University in 2016 then went on to receive her Master of Arts in Higher Education at the University of Denver in 2018. In their master’s program, they won the Leadership in Inclusive Excellence Award presented by the Department of Higher Education. Kelly then worked full-time as a Case Manager for three years at the University of Denver. At UConn, they have supported the coordination of the International and Comparative Advancement of Racial Equity for Social Justice (ICARE4Justice) Summer Summit for three years, held at the ECHO Center for Diversity Policy, University of Connecticut, and the University of Nottingham. Kelly’s research interests include deconstructing whiteness in educational systems through examining policies and structures that maintain whiteness, and more specifically, how institutional agents invoke police to protect white interests.
Michael Vidal
(he/him/his)
Courses taught: EDLR 5105 - Structured Dialogue in Student Affairs
Bio: Michael F. Vidal is a professional with a decade-long experience in higher education, diversity, equity, inclusion, and leadership development. He currently serves as the Interim Director of the Puerto Rican/Latin American Cultural Center at the University of Connecticut. Michael previously served as Director for Diversity and Inclusive Excellence at Clark University, where he engaged internal and external community partners to advance the institution’s diversity, equity, and inclusion goals. This included coordinating the Bias Incident Response Team, the Diversity and Inclusion Certificate Program for university employees, and serving as the Principal Investigator for the Survey on Campus Culture and Community. Michael has taught undergraduate and graduate courses on intergroup dialogue, identity-based facilitation, and critical self-awareness. His passion for creating sites of connection and care guides his practice as a mentor, colleague, and administrator in higher education. Michael is currently pursuing his PhD in Educational Leadership with a concentration in Higher Education, Racial Justice and Decolonization at the Neag School of Education.