LUNCH AND LEARN - Community Norms: Building a Foundation to Engage in Difficult Conversations

Mo Burke
Assistant Director, Global and Intercultural Affairs Center
University of Dayton

Margaret “Mo” Burke had her first international experience during her college years, when she studied abroad in Cartago, Costa Rica. This experience was transformational on her professional path moving forward, as she then applied to and was awarded a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship in Costa Rica for the 2017 year. After her Fulbright, she remained in Costa Rica and she taught ESL in a nearby private school and high school, and then transitioned into the Senior Adviser position for EducationUSA Costa Rica, a program funded by the U.S. Department of State that supports international students as they apply to U.S. universities and colleges. In this role, Mo confirmed her love and desire to continue working with intercultural and global learning and education. Upon her return to the U.S. and the Dayton area, she began her new role as the Assistant Director in the Global and Intercultural Affairs Center at UD, where she will be supporting on campus, local, and virtual global and intercultural learning opportunities, through programs and initiatives like Diversity Peer Educators, the Global Learning Living Community, and the Dialogue Zone.

Dr. Jason Combs
Dialogue Zone Coordinator
Principal Lecturer, College of Arts and Sciences: Communication
University of Dayton

Jason Combs’ research focuses on creating unity within communication systems. In his teaching, Jason focuses on conditions that make unified action possible among people, such as creating and maintaining dialogue, developing community, making decisions and solving problems through collaborative means, analyzing power and establishing conditions for ethical organizational action. As the inaugural coordinator for the Dialogue Zone, Jason seeks to build capacity among faculty, staff and students for having challenging conversations about topics that otherwise might divide people and building mutual understanding. He oversees all of the Dialogue Zone’s operations, including assessment, programming, budgeting, training, supervising student workers and graduate assistants, marketing, registration, needs assessment, building relationships with campus partners and strategic planning. Jason has had extensive experience in working as a communication trainer and consultant for businesses and non-profit organizations throughout the Midwest in various industries, including hospitals, credit unions, IT companies, manufacturing firms, energy services providers and dental offices. Such experience informs his teaching in communication management concentration and his training and consulting work through the Dialogue Zone.

Dr. Julio A. Quintero
Director for Inclusive Excellence Strategy and Initiatives
Office of Diversity and Inclusion
University of Dayton

Julio Quintero joined the University of Dayton as the Associate Director for Inclusive Excellence Education and Initiatives in the Office of Diversity and Inclusion in 2019. Quintero believes that inclusion relates to a humanistic quest for which understanding is defined as an engagement with different and sometimes contradictory points of view across cultures, locations, and times. Inclusion defies the epistemological mandate –so typical of modern thought– to resolve contradiction for the sake of historical advancement and a linear evolution of ideas. Inclusion does not necessarily strive to synthesize contradiction, but affords a space of dialog and reflection in which diverse points are given equitable treatment. In a truly inclusive environment, polemical discussions give in to an empathetic commitment to respect everyone’s right to belong. Quintero brings his experience and expertise in curriculum design, management, delivery, and assessment to the Office of Diversity and Inclusion. In his role, he assists with the implementation of the Inclusive Excellence Academy, a program for faculty and staff designed to educate and create conversations on the intersections between learning and a positive campus climate. Quintero collaborates closely with the Office’s goal to provide leadership and connect efforts destined to advance the institution’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Prior to joining the University of Dayton, Quintero served as an assistant professor for six years and as an associate professor for five years in two liberal arts institutions, teaching Spanish language and Latin American cultures. Quintero’s areas of interest include the intersections between belonging and cultural manifestations, representation and imagination (particularly in relation to artists and political leaders), utopian and travel literature, and migration within Latin America. He is the author of two books, El poeta en la novela hispanoamericana (2010) and La máquina dictatorial (2016). His articles and reviews in Spanish and English have been published in journals such as Hispania, Hispanic Issues On Line, Istmo, and Revista Hispánica Moderna, among others.

Megan Woolf
Associate Director for Multicultural Education
Student Development: Multi-Ethnic Education and Engagement Center
University of Dayton

Megan Woolf joined the University of Dayton as the Associate Director for Multicultural Education in the Multi-Ethnic Education and Engagement Center in 2019. Megan received her B.S. Ed. in Adolescent to Young Adult Education and M.S. Ed. in College Student Personnel from the University of Dayton. During her master degree studies, she served as a Graduate Assistant for the Center for Student Involvement, Housing and Residence Life, and the Global and Intercultural Affairs Center. She shares her experience in engaging curriculum design, dialogue facilitation, assessment, and identity development with the UD community. In her role, Megan manages, creates and facilitates multicultural education opportunities for all UD students through digital platforms, workshops, consultations and more. She also serves as adviser to the Diversity Peer Educators and as a member of the Dialogue Zone Coordination Team.