About the Facilitators – Kirwan Institute

The presentation will be given by the Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity. Kirwan is an interdisciplinary engaged research institute at The Ohio State University. Kirwan's mission is to create a just and inclusive society where all people and communities have opportunity to succeed. They work toward this goal by educating the public, building the capacity of allied social justice organizations and investing in efforts that support equity and inclusion. Importantly, their research is designed to be actively used to solve problems in society.

Facilitator Biographies

Lena Tenney | Researcher & Facilitation Specialist

Lena Tenney (pronouns: they/them/theirs) joined the Race & Cognition Program at the Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity in 2016. As a Researcher and Facilitation Specialist, they work collaboratively to conduct research on and facilitate workshops, presentations, and trainings about implicit bias and structural racism. A trained intergroup dialogue facilitator, Lena is interested in continually identifying and implementing strategies that encourage active engagement with topics that are often considered difficult to discuss. They are a co-author of the forthcoming 2017 edition of the Kirwan Institute’s State of the Science: Implicit Bias Review publication.

Lena is a founding member of two grassroots community activist groups that have sought to ensure legal protections for and institutional inclusion of LGBTQ+ individuals at the municipal and campus levels. Coalition-building with student activism collectives dedicated to advocating for students of color and students with disabilities has been central to their activism. Lena currently serves on the LGBTQ Student Success Task Force for The Ohio State University and as a member of the Board of Directors for TransOhio—a statewide non-profit organization dedicated to advocating for transgender individuals and communities.

Lena graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a Masters of Education and a Masters of Public Administration. They also hold a Bachelors of Arts in Religious Studies and History from the University of Oklahoma.

Joshua Bates | Social Policy Analyst

Joshua Bates is Social Policy Analyst at the Kirwan Institute for the study of Race and Ethnicity. His research is focused on urban poverty, juvenile justice issues, community trauma, and program evaluation. Furthermore, Joshua works as Outreach Coordinator for I Am My Brother’s Keeper (IAMBK). Within this capacity, he both presents nationally on IAMBK and builds relationships with other programs that engage with youth of color. Joshua works diligently to change lives on the national, local, and individual level.