About the Speakers (click on their name or scroll down for information)
Dr. Wilfred H. Farquharson IV Erin McCloskey Dhanu Sannesy Lynne Sacks Elizabeth Rizzi
Keynote Speaker
Dr. Wilfred H. Farquharson IV (Wil) is a native of Long Island, New York. With an innate love for helping others, Dr. Wilfred Farquharson aka "Dr. Wil" grew up assisting friends, family and strangers alike through acts both big and small. Recognizing the joy and satisfaction he received from helping those around him, it seemed a perfect fit for Dr. Wil to pursue a career as a Psychologist, with a passion for counseling youth and adolescents. He attended the University of Buffalo where he earned his Doctor of Philosophy in Counseling Psychology. Soon after earning his doctorate degree, Dr. Wil became a NYS licensed clinical psychologist in 2011. His work has been proven to aid in the emotional healing of children, adolescents, and young adults. His previous work experience includes a private practice serving Long Island NY for 7 years. He has also worked with emotionally disturbed youth in residential care where his primary clinical focus was trauma and other related disorders at Madonna Heights in Dix Hills NY. Dr. Farquharson then went on to work as a licensed psychologist at Creedmoor Psychiatric Center in Queens, NY where he served a severe and persistent mentally ill population. He is currently at Stony Brook Renaissance School of Medicine Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health. He is the Director of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Outpatient Services, providing care as a psychologist and teaching the next generation of providers in his Clinical Assistant Professor role.
Panelists
Erin McCloskey is an Associate Professor and the chair of the Education Department at Vassar College. She received her PhD from the University at Albany, SUNY. This semester she is teaching courses on literacy development and community engaged research methods. Erin’s research is grounded in disability studies in education and she has a new book coming out in early 2022 entitled, A World Away from IEPs: Disabled Students Learning in Out-of-School Spaces with Teachers College Press. Her research has been published in journals such as International Journal of Special Education, the International Journal of Inclusive Education and the Journal of Early Childhood Literacy among others. For fun, she enjoys painting, running, hiking, and being outside in general.
Dhanu Sannesy is the President of NAMI Orange County, NY (National Alliance on Mental Illness). Dhanu has been involved with NAMI since 1992 & has firsthand experience by caring for her loved one with mental health conditions. She thoroughly understands what families & individuals experience in their daily lives facing everyday challenges. She advocates for access to services, treatment, supports and research and is steadfast in her commitment to raising awareness and building a community of hope & recovery for all those in need. She supports families/caregivers or anyone concerned with mental illness. Provides free educational courses for families, as well as advocate for legislation and the rights of people with mental illness. She organizes special events throughout the year for families and their loved ones.
Lynne Sacks is the Research Director at the Education Redesign Lab and leads the Lab's research activities. Lynne has over 20 years of research, non-profit, and policy experience. She heads the ongoing By All Means documentation and evaluation study as well as the Lab’s other research. Before joining the Lab, Lynne worked for the Center for Equity and Excellence in Education at the George Washington University and the National Center on Education and the Economy. She has conducted research for the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and the American Institutes for Research; she has also served as a consultant to New Profit, the Annenberg Center for School Reform, the Massachusetts Executive Office of Education, and the Commonwealth Corporation. Lynne is a former high school and adult English and English as a Second Language teacher. Lynne received her undergraduate degree from Cornell University, and her M.Ed. and Ed.D. degrees from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
Elizabeth Rizzi, MA is a practicing School Psychologist at John Jay High School in the Wappingers Central School District where she has worked since 2009. She currently serves as President of The New York Association of School Psychologists (NYASP). She is a NYS Certified School Psychologist and completed her training at Marist College. Her areas of work interest include assessment for learning disabilities, cross battery assessment, teacher consultation, and school-based counseling to improve student outcomes. Health and Wellness are a passion for Beth in all aspects of life, both personal and professional.
