Theme: Empowering Change

The goal of this event is to allow a platform and an opportunity to unleash new ideas, inspire and inform. This event brings together bright minds to promote thriving ideas, invite wonder, provoke thoughtful conversations, and facilitate a shift in perspective for the audience.

Yarborough Auditorium Clark Hall
5400 Ramsey st, Fayetteville, NC, 28311
NC, North Carolina, 28311
United States

Ajita Robinson

Grief and Trauma therapist, PhD

Dr. Ajita Robinson is known as The Experts’ Therapist. She is a Grief & Trauma therapist, Award-winning and Bestselling Author of The Gift of Grief: A Practical Guide on Navigating Loss, International Speaker, and Income Strategist. She has been seen in places such as the Headspace, Wall Street Journal, Huffpost, Washington Post, CNBC, Business Insider, Bustle, Essence Wellness House, and Therapy for Black Girls. Dr. Robinson completed the Doctor of Philosophy in Counseling at The George Washington University, she holds a Masters of Arts-Research in Counseling and Human Development from Saint Louis University (in Missouri). She has also earned a post-Masters certification in Grief, Loss, and Life Transitions and a certification in Neurodevelopment Disabilities. Additionally, she has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology.Dr. Robinson has spent much of her career as a practitioner and scholar working with children, adolescents and families.

Andrew Ziegler

Chair, Political Science Department & Director, Lura S. Tally Center for Leadership Development, PhD.

Andrew Ziegler joined the full-time faculty of Methodist University in 1998. In April 2014, Dr. Ziegler received the MU Cleveland Award for Excellence in Teaching, and in 2017, he was named the Lura S. Tally Professor of Leadership. His publications include articles in peer-reviewed journals, a book chapter, and a co-edited book on comparative politics. His research interest is Leadership Development. Dr. Ziegler served as an Infantry officer in the United States Army, retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel.

Chris Cronin

Professor of Political Science, PhD

Dr. Cronin received his Ph.D. from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. His first book (The Cross, the Fall, and the Resurrection) looks at the Social Gospel Movement and the Democratic Party. His second book (Mormons in American Politics) deals with the rise to power of prominent Mormon politicians. His ongoing research focuses on religion and politics. He is interested in research related to religion and politics, fundamentalist rhetoric, minority religions in majority politics, social movements, and religion, and religious leaders as political leaders.

Mark Kline

Chair, Psychology and Sociology Department, PhD.

Dr. Mark Kline is primarily interested in the relationship between belief and experience as influences on behavior. Early in his career, he focused on the topic of alcohol use in adolescents. His experiences at Methodist University have expanded those interests into the realm of PTSD and to a focus on intervention studies surrounding binge drinking and academic performance. He has recently been addressing the topic of social media use and the negative impacts that come from that. Dr. Kline's passion is to find new and engaging approaches to teaching students about Psychology. He has used zombies, teenagers, and research projects to allow the world of Psychology to come alive for the students.

Mfon Akpan

Assistant Professor, Accounting, MBA.

Mfon Akpan is a professor of accounting at Methodist University. Mr. Akpan’s area of expertise is generating an estimated valuation of earned social media from corporate social responsibility engagement to generate an estimated return on investment and trend analysis. His professional activities include serving as a steering committee member for the American Accounting Association’s (AAA) Conference on Teaching and Learning in Accounting (CTLA) and planning committee member for the AAA’s Teaching, Learning and Curriculum Section (TLC). He is a five-time TEDx speaker, and his most recent TEDx talk gives practical steps on how we can return to life after the COVID-19 pandemic. Mfon is a doctoral candidate in Accountancy at Indiana Wesleyan University.