3rd Annual Inclusive Impact Conference

Join us for our 3rd Annual Inclusive Impact Conference held at Michigan State University featuring two dynamic speakers!

Yomaira C. Figueroa-Vásquez is an Afro-Puerto Rican writer, teacher, and scholar from Hoboken, NJ. She is Professor of Africana, Puerto Rican, and Latino Studies and is the Director of the Center for Puerto Rican Studies (CENTRO) at CUNY Hunter. She is author of the award-winning book Decolonizing Diasporas: Radical Mappings of Afro-Atlantic Literature (Northwestern University Press, 2020; translation, Editora Educación Emergente, 2023), and the forthcoming book, The Survival of a People (under contract with Duke University Press). Her published work can be found in Hypatia, Decolonization, CENTRO Journal, Small Axe, Frontiers Journal, Hispanofila, Contemporânea, Diálogos, and Feminist Formations.

A first-generation high-school and college graduate, Dr. Figueroa-Vásquez is passionate about mentoring underrepresented and first-generation students. She earned her BA in English, Puerto Rican & Latino Studies, and Women’s & Gender Studies at Rutgers University, New Brunswick (Douglass College) and her M.A. and Ph.D. in Comparative Ethnic Studies at UC Berkeley. At her former institution, Michigan State University) she founded the Mentoring Underrepresented Students in English Program (MUSE), the Womxn of Color Initiative, #ProyectoPalabrasPR, and the award-winning digital/material project Taller Electric Marronage. She is the PI of the 2022-2027 “Diaspora Solidarities Lab,” a $4M Mellon Higher Learning project focused on Black feminist digital humanities initiatives that support solidarity work in Black and Ethnic Studies and leads the CENTRO “Rooted and Relational” Initiative, a $6.48M project supported by the Mellon Presidential Initiatives.

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Joshua Doss is a pollster, data scientist, and political strategist at the forefront of understanding how culture, identity, and public opinion intersect in modern America. As the founder of Discourse Media and a senior leader in national research and strategy spaces, his work has shaped messaging, campaigns, and narrative frameworks for some of the country’s most influential organizations and movements. Blending rigorous data analysis with cultural fluency, Joshua specializes in uncovering the deeper psychological and structural forces that drive political behavior—particularly among young voters and communities of color. His research has informed national conversations on democracy, economic mobility, and social change, and he is widely recognized for translating complex data into compelling, accessible insights. Beyond his research, Joshua has built a powerful media presence, reaching millions across platforms with content that bridges politics, culture, and storytelling. His work has been featured on major national outlets, and he is known for his ability to connect academic ideas to real-world experiences in ways that resonate across generations. At the core of his work is a simple but urgent question: how do people build a democracy that people actually feel a part of? Through his research, media, and public engagement, Joshua challenges institutions to rethink how they listen, communicate, and respond to the communities they serve.

The Inclusive Impact Conference is an annual professional development initiative aimed at bringing together MSU campus partners with local, statewide, national and global community members for a day and a half to expand education opportunities and advance inclusion. The conference is led by the Inclusive Campus Initiative working in partnership with a planning committee of volunteers. This conference is open without preference or restriction based on personal protected identity.

The first conference was hosted at Michigan State University during the summer of 2024.

Register Today to reserve your space!

Because we aim to maintain a high-quality event with outstanding speakers, there is a cost to attend.

Cost for MSU participant $60.00.

Non-MSU participant is $75.00.

Cost for MSU participant $75.00.

Non-MSU participant is $100.00

Registration covers Breakfast Buffet, Lunch, snacks, dynamic speakers, breakout sessions and more.

Reserve a hotel room at conference venue.

Kellogg Center Home Page | Kellogg Center

Address: 219 S. Harrison Road, East Lansing, MI 48824

Front Desk: 517-432-4000 | Reservations: 800-875-5090

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