Staff and Board
Staff
Cecilia Wainryb
Director
Professor of Psychology
Professor Wainryb grew up in Argentina at a time of profound human rights violations, which fed into her commitment to promoting human rights.
Aleta Tew
Associate Director
Program Manager
Development
Board Co-Chair
Aleta A. Tew earned a B.S. in Behavioral Science and Health from the University of
Utah. She serves as the Associate Director of the Tanner Center for Human Rights and
has been with the Center since its inception in 2006.
Advisory Board Members
Kristin Hilger
Medical School Student &
Volunteer
University of Utah & Various Health-centered Non-profits
Kristin earned her B.A. in Psychology and then her M.A. in Integrative Physiology from the University of Colorado at Boulder. She is a current medical student at the University of Utah and volunteers with various health-centered nonprofit organizations. She hopes to have an impact on health equity in Utah.
Andrew DeQuiroz
Manager of PR & Communications
College of Social and Behavioral Science
Andrew DeQuiroz is the Manager of PR & Communications for the College of Social and Behavioral Science (CSBS). He has 10 years of experience managing and implementing strategic marketing and communications initiatives across a range of industries and organizations. Prior to joining the college, he worked for various nonprofit organizations focused on food access, sustainable agriculture, community development, and health education. Andrew also serves on the College of Social and Behavioral Science Staff Council.
Erika George
Director
The Obert C. & Grace A. Tanner Humanities Center
Served as TCHR Interim Director 2018-2019
Professor George earned a B.A. with honors from the University of Chicago and a J.D. from Harvard Law School, where she served as Articles Editor of the Harvard Civil Rights-Civil Liberties Law Review. She also holds an M.A. in International Relations from the University of Chicago.
Christine Gore
Grants and Contracts Officer
College of Social and Behavioral Science
Christine Gore earned a B.A. in History and Speech and Communications Studies from Clemson University. Christine currently serves as the Grants and Contracts Officer for the Office of Research Administration (ORA). Before joining the ORA team, she worked with the Tanner Center as our Communications Specialist and Program Coordinator where she was instrumental in heading our Exploring Humanitarian Law workshops.
Judith Hillamn
Policy Catalyst
Hilman brings a wealth of experience in public policy research and development, strategic planning and communications, collaborative undertakings, and consumer engagement to Policy Catalyst, which helps organizations answer the fundamental question: what is the change that needs to happen for deeper impact on the issues at hand? Hilman works with clients to articulate and implement those changes for lasting results.
Kathryn Lindquist
ACLU of Utah Board
Kathryn Lindquist earned a B.A. and M.A. in English and Ph.D. in American Studies from the University of Utah. She has retired from teaching humanities courses and directing the Bachelor of University Studies program at the University of Utah. Kathryn is a trustee for The Nature Conservancy and the ACLU in Utah.
Tom Maloney
Professor
Economics Department
Served as TCHR Director 2010 – 2018
Professor Maloney specializes in US economic history, labor economics, and economic demography. His research has focused on inequality in living standards in the US in the 20th and 21st centuries, economic mobility and health status of immigrants in Utah.
Served as TCHR Director from 2010 – 2018.
John Mejía
Legal Director
ACLU Utah
John joined the ACLU of Utah in January 2012. He grew up in Salt Lake City and attended Brown University, where he majored in English and American Literature. At Brown, John served as president of the Latin American Student Organization.
Liz Owens
Chief Executive Officer
YWCA Utah
Liz is a womanist, feminist, multi-racial, multi-cultural woman of color from Provo, Utah. She serves as a community educator, gender justice and racial justice activist. Her multi-issue work is firmly rooted within a human rights and social justice framework with a focus on the intersections of power and privilege. Liz has experience working with women on the intersecting issues that disproportionately impact women, people of color, and historically underrepresented individuals and communities.
Liz has a BS degree in Sociology from Utah Valley University, an MA degree in Human Rights from the University of Essex in the UK and was a visiting research fellow at the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Lynne Shaffer-
Cusworth
Major Gift Officer
College of Social and Behavioral Science
Lynne Shaffer is a Major Gift Officer for the College of Social and Behavioral Science at the University of Utah. Prior to stepping into this position, Lynne held various positions in the nonprofit/not-for-profit sector, including director at an impact investment firm (Impact Investment Leaders), executive director for an international women’s membership association (Executive Women International), and regional director for the largest nonprofit in the Salt Lake market, United Way of Salt Lake. Lynne is committed to community service. With her aptitude for business strategy and development, in her personal time she works closely with nonprofits and start-up organizations as an independent consultant.
Stacy Stanford
Health Policy Analyst
Utah Health Policy Project (UPPI)
Stacy Stanford is the health policy analyst at Utah Health Policy Project. Her focus is on health care access through a disability rights lens, and she has been an advocate for patients for over a decade. Stacy began her career as an activities director in long-term care, working primarily with residents with dementia. She went back to school where she received a BA in Disability Justice from Westminster College in 2016.
Sylvia Torti
Professor and Dean
Honors College
Professor Torti grew up in Salem, Ohio, with an Argentine father and American mother. She completed her undergraduate degree in Biology at Earlham College and then her Ph.D. in Tropical Ecology at the University of Utah. In her work, she tries to find the places where disciplines intersect.
Rudiger Von Arnim
Associate Professor
Department of Economics
Rudi von Arnim (PhD, New School for Social Research 2008) is Associate Professor of Economics. His research focuses on the (1) causes and consequences of inequality and the (2) reasons for the slowdown in the rate of growth across a number of advanced countries. When he’s not on campus working on these themes, he preferably runs around the Rocky Mountains in search of snow or fall colors.
Emeritus Board Members
Barbara L. Tanner
Founder
Tanner Center for Human Rights
Barbara Lindquist Tanner is a community leader, humanitarian, philanthropist, and human rights activist. In 2006, she established The Barbara and Norman Tanner Center for Human Rights in the College of Social and Behavioral Science at the University of Utah.
Leticia Alvarez Gutierrez
Served TCHR 2018 – 2021
Associate Professor
Education, Culture and Society
Associate Professor Leticia Alvarez Gutierrez research draws from critical social theory, ecological systems theory, a sociocultural view of development, migration scholarship, cultural assets frameworks, Chicana feminist theory, ethnographic and participatory action research (PAR) approaches. She believes in teaching that raises social, cultural and political consciousness and that deals directly with bridging theory with practice through community engagement.
Luna Banuri
Served TCHR 2018 – 2021
Founder and Director
Tele Taleem
Luna Banuri is founder and director of TeleTaleem, a social enterprise firm focusing on helping leverage the power of technology, innovative approaches, and partnerships to solve the toughest global development challenges in Education. She has 23 years of experience implementing projects in over a dozen countries.
Cynthia Berg
Served TCHR 2013-2023
Distinguished Professor
Psychology
Professor Berg joined the University of Utah in 1986 as a professor of psychology. She brings together collaborative and interdisciplinary research teams from psychology, pediatrics, medicine and the Huntsman Cancer Institute to approach problems of development and health psychology. Her work helps teams examine how individuals cope with chronic illness (e.g., diabetes, cancer) within close relationships and family systems.
Kathryn Bond Stockton
Served TCHR 2018 – 2021
Associate Vice President
Equity and Diversity, School for Cultural and Social Transformation
Professor Stockton is Distinguished Professor of English, Associate Vice President for Equity and Diversity, and Inaugural Dean of the School for Cultural and Social Transformation at the University of Utah. In 2013, she was awarded the Rosenblatt Prize for Excellence, the highest honor granted by the University of Utah.
Read more about Professor Kathryn Bond Stockston.
Betsy Burton
Served TCHR 2013-2018
Co-founder and Co-owner
The King's English Bookshop
Vincent Carson
Served TCHR 2021-2023
Youth Program Director
Utah Council for Citizen Diplomacy
Vincent Carson moved to Utah from Austin, Texas in early 2020, joining Utah Council for Citizen Diplomacy as Youth Program Director. Vincent leads the high school Young Diplomats of Utah program and the Global Leaders Scholarship Fund.
Vincent is currently pursuing a Master’s in Public Administration at the University of Utah, and received his undergrad degree from the University of Texas at Austin. When not at work, you can find Vincent skiing, backpacking, or exploring Utah’s swimming spots.
Neelam Chand
Served TCHR 2018 – 2021
Diversity and Inclusion Officer
Zions Bank
Neelam Chand is the CEO and founder of Shift SLC, a diversity and inclusion consulting firm located in Salt Lake City, Utah. She is an accomplished diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging expert with a decade of experience in change management, inclusive messaging, crisis communications, and facilitating critical dialogue on systemic change within a workplace environment. Chand’s areas of focus include racial equity, intersectionality, tokenism, microaggressions, and women of color in the workplace
George Cheney
Served TCHR 2006-2018
Professor of Communication
University of Colorado
David Derezotes
Served TCHR 2011-2018
College of Social Work
University of Utah
Catherine deVries
Served TCHR 2007-2013
Pediatric Urology
University of Utah
Mary Dickson
Served TCHR 2007-2013
KUED Channel 7
University of Utah
Fred Esplin
Served TCHR 2006-2018
Vice President for University Relations
University of Utah
Brian Farr
Served TCHR 2007-2018
Former Division Chief
Utah Attorney General's Office
Maria S. Farrington
Served TCHR 2007-2018
Chief Executive Officer
Discovery Gateway
Angie Gamarra
Amnesty International Student Activist Organizer
University of Utah
Rev. Tom Goldsmith
Served TCHR 2007-2013
Minister
First Unitarian Church
Nancy Haanstad
Served TCHR 2007-2013
Department of Political Science
Weber State University
Len Hawes
Served TCHR 2007-2013
Department of Communication, College of Humanities
University of Utah
Samira Harnish
Served TCHR 2018 – 2021
Founder and Executive Director
Women of the World (WoW)
Samira Harnish arrived in America from her native Iraq, struggled against bigotry to get her degree in engineering, and worked for 17 years as an R&D engineer at the largest domestic manufacturer of semiconductor memory. Samira, along with her husband Justin Harnish, founded Women of the World (WoW). Samira has led WoW to become the preeminent women’s refugee service organization in Utah.
Boyer Jarvis
Served TCHR 2007-2013
Community Leader
Kim Korinek
Served TCHR 2009-2018
Department of Sociology
University of Utah
Mark Lewon
Served TCHR 2013-2018
Vice President of Operations
Utah Metal Works
Jerilyn McIntyre
Served TCHR 2010-2018
Professor Emeritus
University of Utah
Dr. Richard J. Nelson
Served TCHR 2007-2013
Co-founder Delegates of the American Society of Internal Medicine
Dee Rowland
Served TCHR 2007-2018
Former government liaison
Salt Lake City Catholic Diocese
Karen Shepherd
Served TCHR 2013-2018
Former Utah Senator
Deb Sawyer
Co-founder
Tanner Center For Human Rights
Deb Sawyer is a peace activist who helped create the Utah Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons and the Gandhi Alliance for Peace, a life's work that began in the 1980s when she started attending the Salt Lake Society of Friends (Quakers) services. Deb's commitment to creating a more peaceful world continues in the hope that humans will eventually become "hooked" on democracy, human rights and nonviolent problem solving.
Jesús N. Valero
Served TCHR 2018 – 2021
Assistant Professor
Department of Political Science
Jesús N. Valero, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Utah. His research explores government-nonprofit partnerships, effective leadership in nonprofit organizations, and the use and impact of technology in public service.
Ted Wilson
Served TCHR 2007-2013
Former Salt Lake City Mayor
Salt Lake City