Alex Binder
Alex Binder is an Assistant Professor of Economics at Pittsburg State University and has a BA, MA and Ph.D. in Economics. Alex and his wife, Ali, of eight years have two sons, Justin and Simon.
Braidon Beard
Braidon is a junior at Pittsburg State University and serves as the PSU Philosophical Society's Vice-President. Braidon was raised in the small town of Neodesha and hopes to become a United Nations peacekeeper.
Cody Pierce
Cody was born and raised in Girard, KS. Cody grew up watching his family play sports, something Cody wasn’t able to do because of a heart condition he was born with. In Junior High, Cody was introduced to Special Olympics. Cody soon began to realize that his dreams of playing sports was coming true. Currently, Cody lives in Pittsburg, and is a captain of the New Hope Bulldogs, a local Special Olympics Program.
Harold Wallace III
Mr. Wallace is a native of Los Angeles, California, who joined Pittsburg State Unmiversity staff as the Assistant Director of Student Diversity Programs and heads up campus organizations for Black, Native American, and Hispanic students.
Jeremy Johnson
Jeremy’s career background is in education and healthcare, and he has used this background to advocate for data-driven decision-making and equitable public policy. Jeremy has served on Pittsburg’s Active Transportation Advisory Board, and on the board of directors for Habitat for Humanity, Eat Well Crawford County, and Wesley House. He served a four-year term on the Pittsburg City Commission and one year as mayor. He was most recently elected as a Crawford County Commissioner. Jeremy lives in downtown Pittsburg with his wife Megan and their son Milo.
John Ross
A native of New Jersey and an award winning artist, John teaches aural skills, theory and composition at Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg, Kansas.
Kristina Adams
Kristina is currently an Assistant Professor and the Coordinator of Secondary Education at Cottey College in Nevada, Missouri. With a more than 20 years of experience teaching, she shares a fresh perspective on the role of a teacher.
Nathan Hughes
Nathan Hughes is a PSU Student currently pursuing a Bachelors in Graphics He pursues his love of nature having been president of the PSU Climbing Club and through long distance cycling trips around the US and abroad.
Richard Horton
Richard is a community planner having completed park and recreation planning projects for cities and counties in 30 states. He is a member of the American Planning Association and a Fellow in the American Academy of Park and Recreation Administration.
Rion Huffman
Rion Huffman is an Associate Professor of Graphics and Imaging Technologies at Pittsburg State University and teaches courses in photography, printing and design. One of his passions is open education.
Shawnee Lorenz
Shawnee Lorenz is a lifelong Pittsburg native, Pittsburg State University grad and the owner of Trajectory Consulting, a strategic development company. When she's not helping her clients reach their goals, you'll find her patching plaster at her century-old home or trying to keep her Irish Setters from eating toilet paper off the roll like Fruit by the Foot.
Zachary Spiering
Zach is a teacher, a writer, and a community organizer in Joplin, MO. He is active in the North Heights Neighborhood Group, and is the lead coordinator of North Heights Porchfest. His talk stems from the experiences of the Neighborhood Group and their efforts to improve the quality of life in a neglected urban neighborhood in a small city.