Conference Speakers

Erin Todey (she/her) is the Assistant Director for the McNair Scholars Program at Iowa State University and the Managing Editor for the McNair National Research Journal. She earned her BA in French and International Studies, her MA in Applied Linguistics, and is currently pursuing her EdD in Community College Leadership. Erin has worked with undergraduate and graduate students and has a particular interest in integrating trauma-informed practices into the teaching and tutoring of academic communication, especially the empirical research article and self-promotional genres like the statement of purpose. Using her training as a discourse analyst, Erin conducted a study exploring the structure of the statement of purpose and used the framework to write an open educational resource A Guide to Writing the Statement of Purpose for Graduate School Applications which is available from ISU Digital Press.

V. Kaye Monk-Morgan, Ed.D., serves as president and CEO of the Kansas Leadership Center, a nationally respected organization dedicated to strengthening communities through civic leadership. A third-generation Kansan, she brings over three decades of executive experience in higher education and public service, including long-standing leadership at Wichita State University and appointments at local, state, and national levels. Her work has expanded pathways to opportunity, elevated civic participation and built leadership capacity across Kansas and the Midwest. Honored as a “Legend” by the Educational Opportunity Association, Kaye is recognized as one of Kansas’s most influential civic voices, championing the belief that when people lead together, communities thrive. 

Dr. Duren works with clinical and basic science faculty to elevate MU School of Medicine's AAU metrics through competitive federal research grant proposals to NIH and DoD. She also directs the Skeletal Morphology Laboratory where breakthroughs are made in the development and application of methods for assessing skeletal maturation, bone accrual, and fracture risk in the pediatric skeleton, and novel directions are being pursued for protecting musculoskeletal health after life-altering surgeries such as bariatric weight loss surgery and surgical repair of hip fracture in the elderly. Her research is funded by grants from the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, and the Scoliosis Research Society. She has been continually funded since 2007.

Roy Moye III is a dynamic speaker, singer, aerospace engineer, and the founder of STEMusic LLC. He earned his bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering from Wichita State University and spent 9 years working in the aerospace industry. As an accomplished singer, he has sung multiple National Anthems for professional sports teams, earned a Grammy Nomination with his Group "1 Tribe Collective" and has a music video with 46 million views. Roy is also an accomplished speaker with TEDx talk experience, South by Southwest EDU experience, and serves as a regular speaker for thousands of students and educators at USA Science and Engineering festival events. He is passionate about the mission of STEMusic which aims to inspire the next generation of multicultural STEM professionals through engaging and entertaining music.