Please join members of Antioch University's Anti-Racism Task Force in welcoming Jimel Calliste, NAACP National Field Organizer, Youth & College Division, to learn more about the NAACP and chartering a College Unit at Antioch University.
"Colleges are often incubators of political thought for up-and-coming leaders. NAACP college chapters provide training and fine-tune leadership skills to support an increased level of social and political activism" (NAACP, 2024).
Jimel Calliste, National Field Organizer, Youth and College Division for NAACP- Born in Brooklyn, NY Jimel Calliste attended High School for Civil Rights and Law on Thomas Jefferson Campus. Jimel is a young activist who has dedicated much of his life to defending the rights and improving the lives of the underserved. As President of the Bloomsburg University NAACP, he led the founding committee in chartering the collegiate chapter. He led critical campaigns for voting registration and diversity amongst campus students, faculty, and staff.
In 2019 he joined the NAACP's NextGen Program which provides comprehensive leadership and advocacy training for young adults on a mission to become the next generation of civil rights leaders. In 2020 he served as a Democracy fellow where he managed virtual organizers to phone bank and text-recruited volunteers to mobilize the indirect relational voter turnout (IRVT) program.
He has served as President of the Wilkes Barre NAACP, as well as the Advisor of the Pennsylvania NAACP State Conference Youth & College Division, serving as one of the youngest in history for both positions.
Pia Alexander, Teaching Faculty- Pia Alexander joined Antioch University New England in 2021 as a member of Teaching Faculty in the Couple and Family Therapy program, where she was previously awarded the President’s Doctoral Fellowship as a PhD student in the Couple and Family Therapy program.
Pia is a practicing New York State licensed marriage and family therapist in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and she serves as a family wellness educator and clinical justice advocate with multiple community-based service and social justice organizations.
Pia has advanced clinical training in trauma-focused systemic modalities and medical family therapy. Her primary research interest is in applying critical social theories to better understand and support maternal mental health and reproductive health for African American women and families. She sees this work as benefitting all members of our shared communities.
Stephanie Helms Pickett, Vice Chancellor, Equity, Belonging and Culture- Stephanie Helms Pickett (she/her) joined Antioch University in January 2024 and serves as the Vice Chancellor, Equity, Belonging and Culture. Stephanie has extensive experience in higher education administration, working at private, public, single-sex, predominantly White, and historically Black institutions of higher education, in residence life, commuter life, multicultural affairs, orientation, leadership, international student affairs, disability services, and academic support services. She served as the Associate Vice Provost for Inclusive Excellence and Strategic Practice at North Carolina State University and as the Director of Assessment and Professional Development, as well as the Director of the Women’s Center at Duke University. Dr. Helms Pickett is an Adjunct Assistant Professor in Educational Leadership and Higher Education Policy in the College of Education at NC State University and an Adjunct Professor in the Duke University Divinity School. Her research interests are in the areas of higher education policy, women’s engagement, cultural competency, faith, and leadership. She is a qualified administrator of the Intercultural Development Inventory and uses it in her practice to assist others in developing an intercultural mindset. She presently serves as a member of the BRIDGES Advisory Board, a leadership program advancing women in higher education.
Stephanie holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Radio & Television Broadcasting from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale; and a Master’s and Doctorate degree in Higher Education Administration from North Carolina State University.