AYA Male Health Expert Faculty Program
Young male health remains chronically neglected and underfunded. In response to this, PMY is pleased to announce the launch of its Male Youth Expert Faculty program, which will work to close the gaps in young male health by providing access to some of the foremost voices on the subject. This represents the first time that experts on young male health have been assembled as a whole, on issues pertaining to both physical and mental health, ranging from suicide to sexuality and contraception.
Designed for conference sessions, keynotes and media interviews, PMY’s Expert Faculty brings together a unique network of specialists dedicated to advancing understanding of young male health. They provide the insights, data, and lived perspectives needed to shed light on the struggles and systemic barriers that too often go unseen, helping professionals, policymakers, and the public move toward lasting solutions.
For information about placement or the availability of any particular faculty member contact Dennis Barbour at dbarbour@partnershipformaleyouth.org.
Gary Barker, PhD
President & CEO of Equimundo Center for Masculinities and Social Justice
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Gary Barker, PhD, has been a global voice in engaging men and boys in advancing gender equality, gender justice and positive masculinities for three decades. He is the CEO and co-founder of Equimundo Center for Masculinities and Social Justice (formerly Promundo-US), a major contributor to international activism on male allyship in gender equality. He was the first Executive Director of Instituto Promundo in Brazil and led its pioneering work on healthy masculinities. He is co-founder of MenCare, a global campaign in more than 50 countries to promote men’s involvement as caregivers, and co-founder of MenEngage, a global alliance of more than 700 NGOs. He co-created the International Men and Gender Equality Survey (IMAGES), the largest survey of men’s attitudes and behaviors related to violence, fatherhood, and gender equality. He leads Equimundo’s State of the World’s Fathers reports, which has become a major advocacy platform for the global care economy. He has coordinated Equimundo’s partnerships in conflict-affected settings including work on community-based trauma support and restorative justice in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Balkans, the US and Brazil. He advises the UN, the World Bank, national governments, international foundations and corporations on strategies to engage men and boys in promoting gender equality.
In 2017 he was named by Apolitical as one of the 20 most influential people in gender policy worldwide. He is an Ashoka Fellow and received the Voices of Solidarity Award from Vital Voices for his work to engage men for gender equality. He holds a PhD in Developmental Psychology and a Research Affiliate position at the Center for Social Sciences, University of Coimbra, Portugal. He lived nearly 20 years in Latin America and is fluent in Spanish and Portuguese.
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Promoting and measuring attitude and behavior change with young men on issues related to gender equality, health, and violence prevention.
Hector Colon-Rivera MD, MBA, MRO, FAPA
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Dr. Colón-Rivera is a distinguished quadruple board-certified adolescent, adult, and addiction psychiatrist of the Pennsylvania medical community. He has broad experience in community-based programs, emphasizing those that help increase access to severe mental illness and substance use disorder treatments. He is the Medical Director of the Asociación Puertorriqueños en Marcha, Inc. Behavioral Health Program (APM), a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life of Hispanic communities in the Philadelphia region through direct behavior and substance use disorder services. APM has functions related to education, health, human services, community, foster homes, and economic development.
Dr. Colon Rivera is also an attending physician at the Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic and UPMC through their telemedicine services and the co-founder, volunteer, and member of CrearConSalud.org, a non-profit that aims to support and conduct educational, research, and advocacy activities to increase public awareness and action regarding mental health in Puerto Rico and Latinx communities in the United States.
Dr. Colon-Rivera serves as a clinical advisor for the Advisory on Alcohol and Other Drugs Committee for Pennsylvania under Governor Shapiro's administration and the Opioid State Targeted Response Technical Assistance senior advisor in Puerto Rico.
He has participated in over 95 national and international presentations/workshops/ writings on substance use and related disorders, social determinants, the technology used to expand mental health treatments, and mental health in adults and adolescents.
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Substance Use Disorder, Depression, Anxiety , Psychosis, Social Media, Trauma ,Self-esteem, Attention deficit , Suicide, Gun Violence, Cognitive Development
David L. Bell, MD, MPH
Medical Director, Lawrenceville School
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With a career spanning over two decades at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Dr. Bell is Professor of Pediatrics and Population and Family Health since 2020. As an adolescent medicine physician, Dr. Bell has been the Medical Director of the Young Men's Clinic at New York Presbyterian Hospital since 1999. This clinic focuses on primary care for adolescent and young adult males, emphasizing high-quality, respectful services, including sexual and reproductive health.
Dr. Bell earned an MD from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School and an MPH from the University of California, Berkeley. He completed his residency and fellowship at New York University and the University of California, San Francisco, respectively.
Dr. Bell's professional accolades include the Lawrence S. Neinstein Award in Young Adult Health and being recognized as a Top Adolescent Medicine Doctor by New York Magazine since 2017. His leadership extends to various national and international consultative roles, including advisory positions with the federal Office of Population Affairs and the Pan American Health Organization. Dr. Bell is a past president of the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine and co-founder and board chair of the Partnership for Male Youth. He is also the current president of the University Glee Club of New York City.
In addition to his academic and clinical responsibilities, Dr. Bell is actively involved in research, focusing on adolescent health, and has received numerous grants and honors for his impactful work. His dedication to mentorship and education is reflected in his extensive involvement in training and advising future medical professionals.
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Reproductive health clinical care
Diane Dempster, CPC, PCC
Parent Coach & Co-Founder, ImpactParents
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As a coach, I have combined my passion for helping people with my ability to lead with integrity, building powerful corporate and coaching careers. I have:
Co-founded ImpactADHD®, the first virtual coaching and training resource designed specifically for parents of children who are challenging to raise
Served on the Board of Directors of ICFGeorgia (state charter chapter of the International Coach Federation)
Earned my coaching certification from the Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC)
Founded Inner Progress Coaching to help professionals discover, or rediscover, their passions, reduce stress, maximize performance, and focus on priorities
Held leadership positions within Kaiser Permanente
Earned certification as an Energy Leadership Index Master Practitioner and Reiki Master
Graduated with a BA in Biology/Human Services from Albion College and a Masters’ Degree in Healthcare Administration from the University of Michigan
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ADHD, Parent coaching
Judy Y. Chu, Ed.D
Lecturer in Human Biology, Stanford University. Ed.D, Human Development and Psychology, Harvard Graduate School of Education
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Judy Y. Chu, Ed.D. is an educator, researcher, author, and advisor. She has taught a course on Boys’ Psychosocial Development at Stanford University since 2003. Her research highlights boys’ relational strengths and how boys’ gender socialization can impact their development, relationships, and well being. She is author of When Boys Become BOYS: Development, Relationships, and Masculinity and co-editor of Adolescent Boys: Exploring Diverse Cultures of Boyhood. Her work has been cited in The Atlantic Monthly, The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN Digital, Newsweek, and Time. She previously served as Chair of Movember's Global Men’s Health Advisory Committee, Co-Chair of Equimundo’s Board of Directors, on the Board of Directors of The Partnership for Male Youth, and on the Professional Advisory Council for Boys Club of New York. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of Roots of Empathy and Build Up Boys, on the Advisory Committee for the Foundation for Positive Masculinity, and on the Expert Advisory Group for NextGenMen.
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Boys' relational strengths, Boys' social and emotional development, Boys' identity development, Boys' gender socialization, Boys' relationships, Supporting boys' healthy development, Fostering boys' connections to themselves and to others.
Mark Hilinski
Co-Founder, Hilinski’s Hope
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Mark and his wife, Kym, co-founded Hilinski’s Hope, a nonprofit organization that honors their son, Tyler, who passed by suicide January 16, 2018. Mark has worked with ESPN’s E:60 platform and Sports Illustrated to bring the Hilinski’s Hope story to the public. He led the team that brought #3Day and College Football Mental Health Awareness Week (CFMHAW) to life in October 2020, and was made a charity affiliate of the 2021 NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four. Mark and Kym have jointly given over 100 “Tyler Talks'' at campuses and athletic facilities across the country. They lead by example through sharing Tyler’s story openly and without fear, to eliminate the stigma surrounding mental illness, and to inspire others to help. In 2022, Mark was ranked by ESPN as 1 of 11 most powerful voices in College Football.
Prior to Hilinski’s Hope, Mark was the co-founder and Executive VP, Sales and Business Development at The Retail Equation (TRE). Starting the company in 1999, with two other seasoned entrepreneurs, Mark helped lead the company’s growth strategy for over 20 years. TRE was acquired by Appriss by transaction in 2015. Appriss Inc. was valued at over $1B at its latest round of financing in 2018.
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Boys' relational strengths, Boys' social and emotional development, Boys' identity development, Boys' gender socialization, Boys' relationships, Supporting boys' healthy development, Fostering boys' connections to themselves and to others.
Paritosh Kaul, MD, FAAP, FSAHM
Professor of Pediatrics, Past President's Representative to the Board of Director, Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine
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Dr. Kaul is a distinguished physician leader with over two decades of experience in Adolescent Medicine and Pediatrics. His career spans international settings, including India, the Sultanate of Oman, and the United States.
Dr. Kaul is a Past President of the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine and notably the first person of Asian descent to hold this position—demonstrating his exceptional leadership on both national and international stages. He also serves in national leadership roles within the American Academy of Pediatrics.
His professional interests include adolescent health, medical education, faculty development, mentorship, and coaching. He emphasizes learner-centered practices and is deeply committed to principles of inclusion, diversity, equity, and interdisciplinary collaboration. A certified coach and skilled communicator, Dr. Kaul is dedicated to fostering the professional growth of others, drawing inspiration from the mentorship he has received. His work is marked by a focus on resilience, compassion, and a commitment to excellence.
Dr. Kaul’s contributions have been recognized through numerous honors, including:
Scholarly achievements with national and regional publications, abstracts, and presentations
Director’s Commendation from the Office of Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (Title VII)
Adolescent Health Leadership recognition by the City and County of Denver
KA Mullen Outstanding Contribution to Adolescent Health Award
Excellence in Mentoring and Advising Award from the University of Colorado
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Communication Skills, Sexual and Reproductive Health
Jason M. Lavender, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Medicine, Uniformed Services, University of the Health Sciences, Director of Behavioral Research, Military Cardiovascular Outcomes Research Program (MiCOR), The Metis Foundation
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Dr. Jason Lavender, PhD is an Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU) and the Deputy Research Director for the Military Cardiovascular Outcomes Research (MiCOR) program with the Metis Foundation. Dr. Lavender’s research broadly focuses on elucidating risk/maintenance factors for eating disorders, particularly emotion and emotion dysregulation, personality and temperament, and neurocognitive functioning. His interests further include assessment, measure development, psychometrics, and multi-method study designs, including integrating laboratory-based and real-world, real-time data collection methods (i.e., intensive longitudinal data collection, ecological momentary assessment). His research additionally addresses unique factors related to the manifestation and assessment of eating disorder symptoms among boys and men, including muscularity-oriented disordered eating, as well as other under-researched populations (e.g., sexual and gender minorities). At USU, his work focuses on eating and weight-related conditions, along with commonly co-occurring concerns (e.g., anxiety, depression, trauma) and overall psychosocial functioning, among members of the military family including active-duty service members and dependents (offspring, spouses).
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Body Image and Eating Disorders and Co-occurring Disorders
Elizabeth Miller, MD, PhD, FSAHM
Professor of Pediatrics, Public Health and Clinical and Translational Science, Edmund R. McCluskey Chair in Pediatric Medical Education, Co-Lead, The Pittsburgh Study, Co-Director, Community PARTners (Community Engagement) Core, Clinical and Translational Science Institute, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
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Liz Miller is professor of pediatrics, public health, and clinical and translational science and holds the Edmund R. McCluskey Chair in Pediatric Medical Education at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. She is also Director of the Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine and the Medical Director of Community and Population Health.
Trained in internal medicine, pediatrics and medical anthropology, she has over 20 years of practice and community-partnered research experience in addressing interpersonal violence prevention among adolescents and young adults in clinical and community settings. With diverse funding from National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Justice, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Office on Women’s Health, and Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Programs, she has developed and tested clinical and community-based interventions in collaboration with youth, patients, health care providers, victim service advocates, public health administrators, educators, and school administrators.
She has conducted several large-scale, community-partnered research studies including a randomized controlled trial of an athletic coach-delivered gender-based violence prevention program across 41 middle schools (R01CE002543), a youth violence prevention intervention titled Manhood 2.0 across 21 neighborhoods with concentrated disadvantage in Pittsburgh (U01CE002528), and a sexual violence intervention with 28 college campus health centers that is the foundation for this proposal (R01 AA023260). Her team is currently fielding two cluster-randomized trials, one testing trauma-focused support groups in middle schools (R01CE002981) and the other evaluating a racial and gender justice-focused youth violence prevention program in community settings (R01MD013797).
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Adolescent Health, Intimate Partner Violence, Teen Dating Violence, Adolescent Relationship Abuse, Reproductive Coercion, Violence Prevention, Health Equity, Community-Based Participatory Research, Stakeholder-Engaged Research
Jason Nagata, MD, MSC
Associate Professor of Pediatrics, UCSF
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Jason Nagata, MD, MSc, is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco specializing in adolescent and young adult medicine. He researches eating disorders, muscle-building behaviors, physical activity, and technology/social media use in boys, men, and LGBTQ+ youth. He edited the book Eating Disorders in Boys and Men and is Senior Editor of the Journal of Eating Disorders. He has published over 300 articles in academic journals and his research has been covered by The New York Times, CNN, NPR, and NBC News. He is the recipient of the American Academy of Pediatrics Emerging Leader in Adolescent Health Award and the International Association for Adolescent Health Young Professionals Prize.
Dr. Nagata earned a bachelor's degree in health and societies, with a focus on the biological basis of behavior, at the University of Pennsylvania. He earned a master's degree in medical anthropology at the University of Oxford in England. He earned his medical degree at UCSF, completed a residency in pediatrics at Stanford University, and a fellowship in adolescent medicine at UCSF.
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Eating Disorders, Muscle-Building Behavior, Muscle Dysmorphia, Physical Activity, Exercise, Technology, Screen Time, Social Media, Cardiovascular Disease, Mental Health, Global Health, LGBTQ+ Health
Roberto Olivardia, Ph.D.
Clinical Psychologist, Lecturer, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School
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Dr. Roberto Olivardia is a Clinical Psychologist, Lecturer in Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and Clinical Associate at McLean Hospital. He maintains a private psychotherapy practice in Lexington, Massachusetts, where he specializes in the treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), and Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD), as well as issues that face students with learning disabilities. He is a nationally recognized expert in eating disorders and body image problems in boys and men. He is co-author of The Adonis Complex, the first book of its kind detailing male body image issues. He has appeared in publications such as TIME, GQ, and Rolling Stone, and has been featured on Good Morning America, CNN, and VH1. He has spoken on numerous podcasts and webinars and presents at many talks and conferences around the country. He currently serves on the Professional Advisory Boards for Children and Adults with ADHD (CHADD) and The Attention Deficit Disorder Association (ADDA). He also serves on the Scientific Advisory Board for ADDitude and is a Featured Expert for Understood. Dr. Olivardia also has lived experience as someone with ADHD and learning differences and the father of two children with ADHD and Dyslexia.
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Body Image Issues, Eating Disorders, Body Dysmorphic Disorder , Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Learning Disabilities (such as Dyslexia), Depression and Suicide
Mary A. Ott MD MA
Mount Sinai Medical School
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Dr. Ott is an adolescent medicine physician and researcher who works with adolescents both in the US and globally. Her expertise is in adolescent development, including early adolescents, sexual and reproductive health, and ethical issues related to adolescent health. Her research examines the implementation of pregnancy and STI/HIV prevention programs, contraception, and empiric ethics issues related to adolescent capacity, consent, and confidentiality. She has taught extensively in both domestic and global settings on adolescent development, interviewing adolescents, consent and confidentiality, and sexual and reproductive health.
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Adolescent Development, Early Adolescents, Sexual and Reproductive Health, Global Adolescent Male Health
J. Terry Parker, PhD, CHES, FASHA
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Dr. Terry Parker has extensive experience in the area of adolescent male Health/Sexual Health Education,Services and Related Programs, including condom education and puberty education. He has worked directly with adolescent males in a variety of settings including public schools, youth sports organizations, community-based organizations and faith-based organizations. He also served almost two decades in the CDC's Division of Adolescent & School Heath where he worked with urban school districts across the country facilitating work in these areas as well. He has served on the Medical Advisory Board (Male Sexual Health) for sexetc.org, a website for teens by teens; is the past Chair of both the American School Health Association's councils on Health Behaviors and Sexuality Education & Reproductive Health; and is a former adjunct faculty in the Emory University Department of Psychology where he taught Human Sexuality. Dr. Parker currently serves on the Board of Directors, Partnership for Male Youth, Washington, DC, and as a peer reviewer for the American Journal of Sexuality Education and the Journal of Adolescent Health.
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Adolescent Male Health, Sexual Health Education, Services Related Programs, Including Condom Education and Puberty Education
Jason Rafferty, MD, MEd, MPH
Medical Director, Gender and Sexuality Program, Hasbro Children's Hospital
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Jason Rafferty, MD, MEd, MPH, is a board-certified child psychiatrist and pediatrician in the Vista program at Bradley Hospital and medical director of the Gender and Sexuality Program at Hasbro Children’s. He is also a clinical assistant professor of psychiatry and human behavior and pediatrics at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University
Dr. Rafferty graduated from Harvard Medical School and obtained post-graduate training through the Triple Board Residency at Brown University. The Triple Board is a combined program in pediatrics, general psychiatry, and child/adolescent psychiatry. He has additional degrees from Harvard University in public health, concentrating on maternal and child health, and education focused on adolescent development and psychology. He is involved with the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) as the chair of the Section on LGBTQ+ Health and Wellness, frequently reviewing policy and publications related to LGBTQ+ adolescent health. Dr. Rafferty was the lead author of the AAP’s 2018 policy statement, “Ensuring Comprehensive Care and Support for Transgender and Gender-Diverse Children and Adolescents.”
He is a board member for the Partnership for Male Youth and was a 2017 Laughlin Fellow of the American College of Psychiatrists, which recognizes graduating trainees deemed likely to make a significant contribution to the field of psychiatry.
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Gender and Sexuality
Andrew Reiner
Towson University
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Andrew Reiner is a Teaching Professor at Towson University, where he created the course The Changing Face of Masculinity. He is author of Better Boys, Better Men: The New Masculinity That Creates Greater Courage and Emotional Resiliency. (HarperOne Books) and the upcoming book Boys Re-Connected (Johns Hopkins University Press). He has written extensively about boys’/men’s issues for the New York Times, the Washington Post, NBC THINK, as well as for the Boston Globe, among other publications.
In his own research Andrew focuses largely on boys’ mental health—with a focus on resiliency: boys’ high levels of loneliness, feelings of alienation and disconnect in school and in relationships, all exacerbated by a lack of help-seeking behaviors. He has worked extensively with high school-aged boys, as well as college freshmen in the U.S. He co-teaches the course The Resilient Boy for the International Boys’ School Coalition.
Andrew has given talks and workshops to educators, parents and students in the U.S., Canada, Australia and New Zealand on these topics, including the need to help boys develop what he calls ‘emotional safety nets.’ He has been interviewed about such topics on PBS NewsHour, CNN/Amanpour, Australia’s Today Show, CNBC, Tapestry on the Canadian Broadcasting Company (CBC), as well as for articles in the New York Times, the Washington Post, Wired and Forbes. He also has appeared on many podcasts and radio shows in the U.S., U.K., Singapore and New Zealand.
Andrew lives with his family and three unruly dogs on a small unruly mountain in Maryland, U.S.A. Becoming a husband and, especially, father to his son have been the most transformative experiences of his life.
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Michael C. Reichert, Ph.D.
Applied and Research Psychologist
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Michael Reichert is a clinical and consulting psychologist, researcher, and writer. He is the Executive Director of the Center for the Study of Boys’ and Girls’ Lives, a research collaborative at the University of Pennsylvania, and the supervising psychologist at The Haverford School outside Philadelphia. In clinical practice, he has long specialized in work with boys, men, and their families.
His research teams have conducted studies of boys’ education resulting in presentations, publications, and professional development workshops for educators in schools around the world. More recently, he was co-investigator on the State of American Men study that serves as the basis for a Campaign for Men co-sponsored by Equimundo, Futures Without Violence, and Movember. In the public health arena, he founded an urban youth development program in the tri-state region around Philadelphia, Pennsylvania recognized as a “promising practice” in violence prevention by the state’s Attorney General.
His writing has been published in The Atlantic, New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Time, Fatherly. Good Men Project and others. His books include Reaching Boys, Teaching Boys: Lessons About What Works—and Why (Wiley/Jossey Bass, 2010), I Can Learn From You: Boys as Relational Learners (Harvard Educational Press, 2014), and How to Raise a Boy: The Power of Connection to Build Good Men.
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Relational Development, Education, Youth Development
Barbara Robles-Ramamurthy, MD
Triple Board Certified Adult, Child and Adolescent and Forensic Psychiatrist.
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Dr. Barbara Robles-Ramamurthy is a nationally recognized physician, health equity expert, community organizer and social entrepreneur with expertise on the intersection between child and family mental health and social justice. She is the Founder and CEO of Teku, a virtual platform promoting healing-centered family mental health through caregiver education and empowerment.
She is a triple-board certified Adult, Child and Adolescent, and Forensic Psychiatrist and is an academic physician with more than 50 combined published peer reviewed and non-peer reviewed scientific publications, abstracts and national conference presentations. Her teaching, research, leadership and mentorship are nationally recognized, and she has served in national committees in the American Psychiatric Association, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and the American Psychological Association. She also serves on the board for non-profit organizations and supports local advocacy efforts that promote child and family wellbeing. Her scholarly work advances research and advocacy for family mental health, asylum seekers, court-involved kids and families, among other historically marginalized groups. She has a Psychology Today blog on ‘Collective Healing’ promoting awareness of holistic and intersectional approaches to promote community mental health,
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Depression, Gender and Sexuality, Violence and Trauma
Ross Szabo
CEO, Human Power Project
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Ross Szabo is a founding faculty member and Wellness Director at Geffen Academy at UCLA. Geffen Academy is a school for students in grades 6-12. Ross created a program for students to learn about mental health once a week during every year of their education. Each summer, Geffen Academy hosts the only Mental Health Education Institute in the country to teach other schools how to normalize mental health education in their classrooms.
Before coming to Geffen Academy, Ross had a long history as a mental health advocate and curriculum designer. He was the Director of Outreach for the National Mental Health Awareness Campaign from 2002-2010. The National Mental Health Awareness Campaign was the country's first public health approach to mental health education. During his time with the Campaign, Ross developed the first large scale mental health assemblies for schools and launched the country's first mental health speakers bureau. In 2013, Ross started a mental health curriculum company called Human Power Project. The company's curriculum is used by over 300,000 students nationwide. Ross has spoken to over 2 million people and authored 2 books, Behind Happy Faces; Taking Charge of Your Mental Health and A Kids Book About Anxiety, which was named one of Oprah's favorite things in 2020. He has excelled in making mental health an easier topic for people of all ages.
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Mental Health. As a mental health advocate, Ross has spent decades working with young males to help them feel more comfortable with their emotions. He has worked with some of the nation's largest fraternities to implement mental health curriculum and spends time with young men in grade 6 through college at his school Geffen Academy at UCLA. He has been successful in creating programs for young men to openly express emotions, lessen the stigma around mental health and support their peers.
Elaine Taylor-Klaus, MCC, CPCC
CEO, ImpactParents.com & ImpactADHD®
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A Master Certified Coach, Elaine Taylor-Klaus is a change-maker, an innovator, and a ground-breaker, a trusted advisor for parents, and an inspirational mentor for professionals. Elaine is an internationally recognized thought leader at the intersection of neurodiversity, coaching and parenting. A voice for neurodiversity-informed coaching, she's the mom in an ADHD ++ family of six and the co-founder of the first global coaching organization for parents of complex kids, ImpactParents.com.
Impact uses neurodiversity-informed coaching essentials to educate and empower families and professionals of kids age 4 to 44, which a strong emphasis on parenting teens and young adults. Elaine co-hosts the Parenting with Impact podcast and has authored several books including The Essential Guide to Raising Complex Kids with ADHD, Anxiety and More -- a typical parenting book for kids who aren't so typical, and Parenting ADHD Now! Easy Intervention Strategies to Empower Kids with ADHD.
Author: Parenting ADHD Now! & The Essential Guide to Raising Complex Kids with ADHD, anxiety, and more
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The parent to four young adults, ages 23 to 35, Elaine actively supports parents and grandparents of young adults as a private coach, in training programs, and in an ongoing coaching group for parents of young adults that has been meeting twice-monthly for more than 3 years.
Ari Tuckman, PsyD
Psychologist/ ADHD Expert/ Author/ Speaker
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Ari Tuckman, PsyD is a psychologist, international presenter, author, and ADHD thought leader. He has been in private practice for 25 years, specializing in diagnosing and treating ADHD, and has done more than 40,000 client sessions, including individual, couples, and family therapy. He has given more than 650 presentations and podcast interviews, across America and in nine other countries and routinely earns excellent reviews for his ability to make complicated information understandable and useful. He is the author of four books on adult ADHD and a frequent contributor to ADHD-related publications such as Attention and ADDitude. He is a former board member of CHADD, currently serves as a co-chair of the largest annual ADHD conference, and was awarded CHADD’s 2023 Hall of Fame award for his significant contributions to the field. A popular expert and advocate, he has been widely quoted in national media such as The New York Times, Washington Post, Boston Globe, Men’s Health and countless podcasts.
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ADHD, Mental Health, Relationships, Sexuality
Niobe Way, PhD
New York University
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Internationally recognized NYU developmental psychologist Dr. Niobe Way has spent nearly 40 years conducting empirical studies with teenagers, particularly boys and young men from diverse backgrounds. Her social science research, which focuses on social and emotional development and how cultural ideologies shape child development, has made her a go-to expert on friendships, loneliness, teenagers, gender stereotypes, masculinity, and the roots of violence. In her pioneering new book, REBELS WITH A CAUSE: Reimagining Boys, Ourselves, and Our Culture (Dutton | July 9, 2024), Way draws a direct line from her subjects’ insights—and suffering—to a much wider crisis that is impacting us all, but is in our power to change.
Dr. Way is a Professor of Developmental Psychology at NYU, the founder of the Project for the Advancement of Our Common Humanity (PACH), co-founder of agapi.teens, and the principal investigator on the Listening with Curiosity Project. Dr. Way was the President of the Society for Research on Adolescence, she received her B.A. from U.C. Berkeley, her doctoral degree from Harvard, and was an NIMH postdoctoral fellow at Yale in the psychology department.
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Gabriela Vargas, MD, MPH
Boston Children’s Hospital
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Dr. Vargas is an Adolescent Medicine Physician at Boston Children’s Hospital that delivers care to patients in both primary and subspecialty care.
With a particular focus on adolescent and young adult male health, she serves as the Director of the Young Men’s Health Site, which reaches a global audience. Her clinical and research interests include topics such as teenage pregnancy prevention, the use of protein and muscle-building supplements, and young men’s experiences of sexual violence. She has co-authored publications on these subjects and has presented on national and local platforms. Additionally, she has been featured in media outlets discussing relevant issues such as muscle dysmorphia.
In collaboration with an endocrinologist, Dr. Vargas, developed the Young Men’s Health Consult Program at Boston Children’s Hospital to address the unique needs of young men with special health care needs. This initial program addresses the need of young men with Duchenne’s Muscular Dystrophy.
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General Health, Sexual Health, Contraception
Noah Weatherton, DNP-PMHNP, ARNP
University of Washington's School of Nursing
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Dr. Noah Weatherton, DNP-PMHNP, ARNP (he/they), is a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner and educator at the University of Washington's School of Nursing, where he teaches NSG 570: Management of Substance Use Disorders and Other Addictions. He earned his Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) from UW in 2020, and was a Fellow in the Leadership Education in Adolescent Health (LEAH) program, where he studied the mental health impact of traditional masculinity on young men. His research and clinical interests include substance use disorders, process addictions, and the intersection of masculinity and mental health. He also has a background in harm reduction and community-based interventions, previously working with the Doorway Project to improve services for youth experiencing homelessness.
Beyond academia, Dr. Weatherton is a board member of the Partnership for Male Youth, advocating for adolescent and young adult male health. His career began as a "street medic" providing care at political protests and encampments, shaping his commitment to social justice in healthcare. As a practicing PMHNP in community mental health, he focuses on patient-centered care while promoting health equity and ethical psychiatric practice. Originally from Chicago, he now lives with his partner in Seattle, WA.
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Masculinity, Mental Health, Substance Use Disorders
Michael C. Zibilich
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Michael is a retired commercial real estate executive who resides with his wife, Gayle, in Atlanta, Georgia. Tragically, on April 21, 2012, they lost their only child, Michael “Keller” Zibilich. As a second-semester Sigma Chi freshman at LSU – to suicide.
Devastated by this inexplicable loss, they have dedicated their time and resources to promoting suicide education and awareness to college students throughout America. With the generosity of family and friends, they partnered with the Sigma Chi Foundation to create the “Keller Zibilich Fund” and “The Keller Zibilich Sigma Chi Lifeline” program – both a suicide prevention hotline and an in-depth suicide education and prevention curriculum (Strong Arms and Reach Out) for all 17,000 active Sigma Chi’s across the nation. Additionally, the Zibilich Family participated in the development of a major suicide awareness documentary, titled “Wake Up.” This documentary includes the story of Keller Zibilich and focuses on their efforts to erase the stigma of suicide and to bring awareness and prevention to this most serious tragedy.
Michael is also a professional suicide awareness speaker for “Active Minds”-a premier national organization dealing with young adults and their mental health needs on over 600 college campuses across America. Over the last ten years, Michael has spoken to thousands of university and high school students throughout the United States. His message is simple – In the fight against suicide, all of us must consider ourselves as first responders, in our own lives and the lives of those we know and love.
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