Eric Loucks

Eric B. Loucks, PhD, is a professor, researcher, and pioneer in the study of mindfulness and health. As director of the Mindfulness Center at Brown University, Loucks teaches mindfulness-based programs and leads research on the science of mindfulness. He developed the Mindfulness-Based College (MBC) program. Dr. Loucks has received numerous National Institutes of Health research grants to evaluate mindfulness-based programs. His book, entitled The Mindful College Student: How to Success, Boost Well-Being and Build the Life you Want at University and Beyond, was released in 2022. Dr. Loucks’s work has been distributed in media such as The New York Times, TIME Magazine, and the BBC, along with presentations to national and state governmental bodies.

Kaliko Kalahiki

Kalikoonāmaukūpuna (Kaliko) Kalāhiki is a queer and māhū Kanaka Maoli student, community builder, artist, creative, and farmer. They are currently a junior at Brown University studying Critical Native American and Indigenous Studies. Their work focuses on building sustainable, supportive, loving, and caring communities for peoples from marginalized identities. After college, they hope to return to their home island Oʻahu where they will continue learning about and practicing traditional loʻi kalo farming partially as a means of healing intergenerational trauma and interpersonal conflict. They believe that turning towards Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Lifeways, coupled with recognizing and upholding the sovereignty of Native communities, is essential to actualizing environmental justice and combating climate change.

Barbara Tannenbaum

Barbara Tannenbaum, Ph.D. is a Distinguished Senior Lecturer in the Department of Theatre Arts and Performance Studies. She teaches the popular course TAPS0220 Persuasive Communication. She also teaches in graduate programs in the School of Engineering and in the School of Professional Studies. She consults to global corporations, non-profits, and leaders on how to achieve more through powerful communication. Her volunteer work has long been in support of women.

Rishika Kartik

Rishika Kartik is a creative activist and disability advocate who feels fortunate to have worked with the blind community for several years. As the founder of “Touch and Create Studios” and the “Vision of the Artist's Soul” project, Rishika champions museum accessibility and creates tactile art experiences for blind people nationally. She is a sighted member of the National Federation of the Blind and enjoys teaching, learning, advocating for legislation at the Capitol, and doing educational research at the Bedny Lab at Johns Hopkins and the American Foundation for the Blind. Rishika is a 2022 US Presidential Scholar, a Coca Cola Scholar, a Live Más Scholar, and the recipient of multiple arts grants. Planning to pursue an independent concentration in “Disability and Design” at Brown University, she believes accessibility unlocks new ways of thinking, connecting, and experiencing the world.

Vincent Zhou

Vincent Zhou is a Team USA figure skater, 2-time Olympian, Olympic medalist, 2-time World medalist, 14-time major ISU international medalist, 9-time National medalist, and 3-time National champion. He is currently a freshman at Brown University pursuing a degree in Economics. His hometown is Palo Alto, California, but he has lived and trained all over the world and competed in 17 countries. He is currently on the US Figure Skating Singles Development and Technical Committee and is involved with building the next generation of US figure skaters. In the future, he aims to work in management consulting, investment banking, or venture capital. In his spare time, he is an aspiring mountaineer who loves bouldering, scrambling in the Colorado 14ers, and listening to music.