The University of Wyoming’s 28th annual Shepard Symposium on Social Justice, which
runs today (Oct. 13) through Friday, includes three keynote speakers as part of a
full day of presentations and workshops Thursday, Oct. 16, in the Wyoming Union.
A luncheon and keynote presentation Thursday from 11:20 a.m.-1:10 p.m. features Caroline
Hayes, senior technical specialist on digital strategies at Equimundo; Jesse Mahler,
program manager in the Public Education Campaigns and Programs Department of Futures
Without Violence; and Saed Deryck Hill, a counseling psychologist, independent consultant
and the harm reduction and community support specialist for Yale University.
The keynote speakers will discuss the Equimundo “State of the American Man” report
and explore themes that arose and how they might apply to UW.
Throughout the week, various workshops, discussions, presentations, a film screening,
informational tables and a music performance are planned and are free and open to
the public. “Walks of Life: Dialogue, Perspectives and Action” is the theme of this
year’s symposium. The program marks the 27th anniversary memorial of UW student Matthew
Shepard, who was murdered in 1998.
The Shepard Symposium has grown from a local grassroots event to an internationally
recognized conference. Originally named “The Symposium for the Eradication of Social
Inequality” by former UW College of Education faculty members Omowale Akintunde and
Margaret Cooney 27 years ago, the annual event was renamed to honor the work of the
Shepard family and the memory of their son.
For more information and to view the entire schedule, visit the symposium website at www.shepardsymposium.weebly.com or follow on Instagram or Facebook.
