The keynote speaker is Marybeth Gasman. She is the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Endowed Chair in Education and the Associate Dean for Research in the Graduate School of Education at Rutgers University. A Distinguished Professor, she also serves as the executive director of the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Institute for Leadership, Equity & Justice and the executive director of the Rutgers Center for Minority Serving Institutions.

In addition to exploring the role and impact of HBCUs in American higher education, industry and community; this year’s DoCA will also engage conversations in learning sessions targeting Health Equity (health disparities, social determinants of health, implicit bias; while bridging main campus with health sciences in the community); along with Social Responsibility and excellence through bridge building and strategic partnerships.