SUBJECT: Behaviors that Create Barriers to Engaging Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Karen Rice serves as the Chair of the School of Social Work at Millersville University of PA. Utilizing a human rights framework, her research centers on ways to enhance individuals' levels of compassion, advocacy, and dialogue across and within various social groups. Trained in the Intergroup Dialogue approach, Dr. Rice conducts trainings and co-facilitates dialogues to raise awareness, foster understanding and appreciation, build alliances, and develop individual and collective efforts to promote positive social change, specifically related to creating diverse, equitable, and inclusive policies, practices, and programs, and institutions and communities. Her training and research resulted in the development of initiatives and programs that address the United Nation’s Global Goals, specifically hunger, poverty, gender equality, quality education, mental wellbeing, and just institutions. Dr. Karen Rice obtained her MSW from Temple University and her PhD in social work from the University of Maryland Baltimore. She currently serves on the Housing Development Corporation MidAtlantic Resource Development Committee, United Way of Lancaster Equity Committee, and co-chairs PA Governor Wolf’s Poverty Reduction Action Team.