Panelists
Juan Eduardo Contreras Barberena, M.A.
Born and raised in Mexico City, Juan worked in the television and media industries in his homeland. Eventually, he moved to the United States to pursue a master’s in mass media communication from The University of Akron. As a result of his graduate studies, he decided to pursue a career in academia and teaching in higher education. Juan has taught at Walsh University, Stark State College, and The University of Akron, where he has worked full-time since 2014. In addition to working as a professor, Juan also works as the General Manager of Z-TV, the student-run television station. He also serves as a volunteer and member of the board of directors of Global Ties Akron, a non-profit organization that deals primarily with international exchanges and educational programs aimed at improving the appreciation of cultural diversity.
David Giffels, M.A.
David Giffels is an award-winning author, essayist, and journalist whose work chronicles the American Midwest and its Rust-Belt culture. He has been characterized as “the bard of Akron, Ohio,” by the New York Times Book Review, “a voice of the Midwest” by Library Journal, and “essential” by the Los Angeles Review of Books.
His 2020 book Barnstorming Ohio: To Understand America (Hachette Books), was described by Publishers Weekly as a “trenchant mix of memoir, reportage, and political analysis,” and selected as one of Library Journal’s Best Books of 2020. His other books include the memoirs Furnishing Eternity (Scribner), a New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice and winner of the Ohioana Book Award and All the Way Home (William Morrow), also winner of the Ohioana Book Award and an Oprah “Fantastic Summer Read.” His essay collection The Hard Way on Purpose (Scribner), was a New York Times Book Review “Editors’ Choice” and longlisted for the PEN/Diamonstein-Spielvogel Award for the Art of the Essay. He has coauthored, with Jade Dellinger, two biographies of the rock band Devo.
A former columnist at the Akron Beacon Journal, his writing has appeared in the New York Times Magazine, The Atlantic, Parade, Grantland, The Iowa Review, Esquire, and many other publications. He also wrote for the MTV animated series Beavis and Butt-Head. He is a professor of English at the University of Akron, where he serves on the faculty of the NEOMFA creative writing program.
Edward L. Gilbert, Esq.
Edward L. Gilbert is presently practicing law in Akron, Ohio at Edward L. Gilbert Co., L.P.A. His practice focuses on civil rights litigation and constitutional law violations.
Gilbert has been a principal in the law firms of Parms, Purnell, Stubbs, & Gilbert and Slater, Zurz & Gilbert. He has more than 50 million dollars in verdicts for civil rights and constitutional law violations.
He is the President of the Akron-Canton Barristers Association, a group of approximately 75 African American attorneys in Stark and Summit Counties. He is a member of the Akron and Ohio Bar Associations and serves on the NAACP Legal Redress Committee covering five Northeastern Ohio counties.
Gilbert earned his degree from Wooster College having received the Schwartz Award for general excellence in college work. He earned his law degree from the University of Akron School of Law where he served as President of the Black American Law Students of America, Akron Branch.
Mike Kulick, M.A. Ed.
With over 20 years of experience working in Career Services, Michael is the current Sr. Associate Director of Career Services & Student Employment. Leadership experiences include building relationships with employers interested in recruiting students for full-time and experiential learning opportunities, managing on-campus student employment activities and structuring the current career advising model. Michael has also assisted with the development of the First Destination Survey and implementing dynamic networking programs for students and employers.
Zach Lininger
Zach is a senior majoring in Media Studies and minoring in Public Relations all while also earning a Professional Social Media Certificate. In his time here at UA, Zach has been a member of the ZTV Sports Report at the TV station, even producing the show for two semesters, and the ESPN Production team, who run the broadcasts for all of the UA sporting events that take place on campus.
David Lee Morgan Jr., M.S., Hon. D.H.L.
Biography forthcoming
