Join UO ASU on May 6, 2022 in the EMU Lease Crutcher Lewis Room from 5-7 pm for a discussion on Adoption and Intersectionality with three amazing adoptee professionals!
Mission: The goal of the ASU Spring Panel is to provide a space for club members, alumni, and their family and friends to connect with and learn from adoptee professionals and community members. The panel discussion will be led by ASU’s incoming Co-Presidents, Sean Scott and Lyla Balthazaar, and will feature Dr. Lesley-Anne Pittard, Susan Soonkeum Cox, and Moirhian Martin.
Theme: This year, the ASU panel will be exploring how the adoptee identity intersects with other identities. We recognize that each adoptee has a unique set of identities that shape who they are and how they feel they fit into the world around them, and at the same time, adoptees have a shared experience, which binds us all together. The discussion will be split into three sections: Adoptee Perspectives on Intersecting Identities, Finding Belonging as an Adoptee, and Adoptee Identities in the Workplace.
Featured Panelists:
Dr. Lesley-Anne Pittard is the Assistant Vice President for Campus and Community Engagement within the University of Oregon’s Division of Equity and Inclusion. She works with faculty, staff, students, community organizations, and local governments to promote DEI on campus and in the greater UO community. Dr. Pittard leads and supports a number of initiatives and organizations on campus, including the implementation of the DEI’s IDEAL framework, the Center for Multicultural and Academic Excellence pipeline and retention programs, and the Multicultural Center.
Susan Soonkeum Cox is a Korean adoptee and the former Vice President of Policy and External Affairs at Holt International, an adoption agency in Eugene, Oregon. She spent four decades at Holt, where she was the first adoptee to serve on the Board of Directors. Over the course of her career, Cox has organized numerous events for adoptees, including Holt Heritage Camps, as well as served as an advisor for government agencies, including the White House Commission for Asian and Pacific Islanders. Her work has earned her honors from Presidents and Prime Ministers, and she remains an ardent voice for child and adoptee welfare today.
Moirhian Martin is a lesbian and domestic adoptee with decades of experience working as an adoption specialist and social worker in Child Protective Services. Throughout her career, she has been a tireless advocate for LGBTQ+ rights in adoption and foster care. She lives in Washington, where she currently works as a mental health therapist.