Moderator: 

Rosalie Rodriguez

Rosalie M. Rodriguez serves as the senior associate dean of students for diversity, equity, and inclusion and director of the Butler Center at Colorado College. In addition to the DEI leadership team, Rodriguez leads the student-centered staff and programming at the Butler Center, where the focus is on empowering and engaging underrepresented students through initiatives like the First Gen Program, the Enclave Living Learning Community, the Masculinity Project, and International Student Initiatives. Rodriguez employs systems theory to her antiracism work, focusing on the power of community and coalition building for sustainable long-term change.

Panelists:

Yogesh Chandrani

Yogesh Chandrani is assistant professor of religion and Asian studies at Colorado College. His teaching and research focus is on the intersection of religion and politics in South Asia and on the history and anthropology of modern Asia. He is co-editor of "The Selected Writings of Eqbal Ahmad" (Columbia University Press, 2006) and is currently working on his book manuscript, tentatively titled: "Legacies of Colonial History: Region, Religion and Violence in Postcolonial Gujarat," a historical anthropology that explores the rise of Hindu majoritarianism in western India.

Aline Lo

Colorado College Assistant Professor of English Aline Lo works and teaches on Asian American literature. Her primary interests are critical refugee studies and Southeast Asian American, especially Hmong American, narratives.

Mateen Zafer

Mateen Zafer joined the Butler Center staff in August 2019. He coordinates the Butler Center internship program, provides support and programming for residents of the Enclave and Glass House Living Learning Communities, QuestBridge Scholars, Denver Scholarship Foundation Scholars, and Minority Association of Pre-Health Scholars, and serves as a holistic mentor to CC students and student organizations. Zafer also serves as a mentor through Peak Education, supporting low-income first-generation students in Colorado Springs.

Zafer previously served as assistant director of undergraduate admissions at New York University in New York City. In this role, he worked with students, counselors, and organizations around the world and worked closely with the Center for Multicultural Education and Programs, the Islamic Center, and NYU's Prison Education Program.

Zafer was born in Bombay, India, and immigrated to Chicago, where he developed a deep love for Chicago sports and pizza. Zafer holds a BA in communications from Western Illinois University, an MSW from New York University, and is a licensed social worker in the state of Colorado.

Amairani Alamillo '16

Amairani Alamillo is the administrative assistant in the Butler Center. She supports the rest of the staff, supervises program assistants, and serves as a mentor, particularly to first-generation CC students and those in underrepresented groups. Alamillo assists with the coordination of two programming initiatives: Mind, Body, and Soul, as well as #BeyondCC: Senior Transition Series.

Alamillo graduated from Colorado College in 2016 with a Spanish major and dance minor. She participated in the Bridge Scholars Program, Community Engaged Leadership Certificate Program, and was a Woman's Educational Society scholar. During her time at CC, Alamillo had leadership roles in SOMOS and CCSGA.

Alamillo is passionate about intersectionality in student growth and development. In May, Alamillo will be completing her master's in counseling and human services with an emphasis in clinical mental health. Through her studies at UCCS, Alamillo is being trained in the treatment of trauma using evidence-based practices as well as treatment in addiction. She is an aspiring licensed professional counselor candidate and believes therapy is a collaborative process between the client and therapist.