Cyber Bullying: Bullying in the Digital Age
Thursday, April 28, 2011    
Loyola Marymount University

KEYNOTE SPEAKER and PANEL MEMBER

Patricia Agatston, Ph.D.
Dr. Agatston is co-author of the book, Cyber Bullying: Bullying in the Digital Age with Robin Kowalski, Ph.D., and Susan Limber, Ph.D. She is also co-author of the Cyber Bullying Curriculum for Grades 6 – 12 and the Cyber Bullying Prevention Curriculum for Grades 3 - 5. Dr. Agatston is a certified trainer and technical assistance consultant for the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program. She has been quoted in articles on cyber bullying in The Washington Post, CNET news, Time Magazine, and the Christian Science Monitor. She has appeared on CNN as well as other local and national radio and television programs to discuss cyber bullying and other youth online risky behavior. She was a participant in the CDC’s Expert Panel on Electronic Media and Youth Violence, and has presented nationally and internationally on cyber bullying.

Dr. Agatston is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Prevention Specialist with the Cobb County School District’s Prevention/Intervention Center in Marietta, Georgia. She serves on the Board of Directors for the International Bullying Prevention Association and Connect Safely.


PANEL MEMBERS

Elizabeth Brewer, M.A. '06
Doctoral Candidate and Adjunct Professor, School of Education, Loyola Marymount University
Beth Brewer is an adjunct professor in the School of Education at Loyola Marymount University in West Los Angeles. She teaches in the department of specialized programs in urban education and conducts research on the use of technology as a tool to educate middle school students about cyber bullying and its dangers.

Ms. Brewer holds a dual Bachelor’s degree in political science and creative writing from the University of Southern California, a Masters degree in Secondary Education from Loyola Marymount, and will be awarded a doctorate in Educational Leadership for Social Justice in May.  Prior to teaching at the university level, Ms. Brewer taught government and economics to 12th grade students at a Catholic school in West Los Angeles.

In addition to her work on cyberbullying research, Ms. Brewer is a member of the Culver City Unified School District’s Anti-bullying Task Force and speaks about cyber bullying at conferences and schools across around the country.

Emily S. Fisher, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, School Psychology, LMU School of Education
Emily S. Fisher, Ph.D., is an assistant professor in the School Psychology Program at LMU.  She is currently working on two books focused on creating supportive school environments for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning students and families, and she has presented on this topic at state and national conferences.

Kristin Linden, Ph.D.
Director, Student Psychological Services, Loyola Marymount University
Kristin Linden, Ph.D., is current Director of Student Psychological Services at LMU. Prior experiences include teaching in private education, direct services as a school psychologist with  the Los Angeles County Office of Education to students identified with special needs, e.g., atypical development, seriously emotionally disturbed, incarcerated youth, as well as consultation to districts and other mental health professionals. Adjunct Faculty 1995 – 2000, LMU School of Education/School Psychology. A current board member with Airport Marina Counseling Center.

Edmundo F. Litton, Ed.D.
Professor and Chair, Specialized Programs in Urban Education Department, LMU School of Education
Edmundo F. Litton, an immigrant from Manila, Philippines, is the Chair of the Department of Specialized Programs in Urban Education and Professor in the School of Education at Loyola Marymount University. As Chair, he oversees the teacher preparation programs for teachers who work in under-resourced Catholic and public schools. At LMU, he has also served as Coordinator of the Secondary and Bilingual Education Programs, Executive Director of the LEAD Center, Coordinator of the Teaching Performance Assessment and Acting Associate Dean. He completed his Master of Arts in Teaching degree at Georgetown University. He also holds a MA in Educational Technology and a Doctorate in Education in International and Multicultural Education from the University of San Francisco. Prior to immigrating to the United States, he was a high school teacher in the Philippines with the Brothers of the Christian Schools. In the United States, he has worked in the Catholic schools of the Archdiocese of San Francisco and Los Angeles. He is the co-author of the book by NCEA, Equity, Advocacy and Diversity: New Directions for Catholic Schools. He also served as one of the authors on a recently completed study on the effectiveness of Catholic schools in Los Angeles.

Francesca Piumetti, M.A.
Associate Dean of Students and Chief Judicial Officer, Loyola Marymount University
Francesca is in her ninth year as Loyola Marymount University’s Associate Dean for Student Affairs and Chief Judicial Officer. Currently, she sits on the Wellness Committee, Student Affairs Critical Incidents Team, Students of Concern Team, Behavior Intervention Team, and the Division of Student Affair’s Management Team.
 
Prior to her role as the Associate Dean/Chief Judicial Officer, Francesca was the Associate Director for Campus Recreation at Loyola Marymount University from 2000-2002. She received her M.A. in Counseling and her B.A. in Sociology, both from Loyola Marymount University. Prior to coming to Loyola Marymount University, Francesca was a middle school counselor in the IUSD, Inglewood Unified School District. Francesca is a member of ASCA, NABITA, and NASPA.

Carlos Valverde, Ed.D. '10
Director, Student Activities and Teacher, Culver City High School
Carlos Valverde, Ed.D., earned his Doctorate in Educational Leadership for Social Justice from LMU in 2010. He is the Director of Student Activities and a teacher at Culver City High School. He helped establish the first Multicultural Club on campus, sponsored Latinos Unidos among other efforts to promote cultural understanding. He earned the LA County Teacher of the Year award in 2001-2002.