Naqib Safi, MD, MBA, MPH (he/him): Senior Lecturer, Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, University of Arizona

Dr. Naqib Safi is an accomplished public health, emergency management and leadership expert. He currently holds the position of Senior Lecturer of Public Health at MEZCOPH, teaching Public Health Leadership and Public Health Courses in area of Pandemic Response, Emergency Management, Disasters Management and overall health systems.

Throughout his career, Dr. Safi has held various roles including leadership coach and trainer in Australia; Director of ERADA (Non-for-profit); and positions within the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), from Chief of Field Office in Sudan, Deputy Country Representative and Acting Country Representative/Director in the Kingdom of Lesotho, to Senior Emergency Coordinator in the Emergency Response Team at UNICEF's New York headquarters.

Dr. Safi also worked for over a decade with the Ministry of Public Health of Afghanistan as Senior Advisor to the Minister of Public Health, Director General of Primary and Preventive Medicine, National Program Manager of HIV/AIDS, National Program Manager of EPI, director of Maiwand Teaching Hospital, Director of Avecina Infectious Diseases Teaching Hospital, Director of Public Health, Parwan Province and head of public health at district level.

Dr. Safi has an extensive educational background, with a Medical Degree (MD) from Avicenna Medical Institute, Kabul University, Afghanistan, Masters of Community Health (MCommH) from the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, UK, Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Edinburgh Business School of Heriot-Watt University of UK, a Certificate of Leadership “Leading with Purpose” from Berkeley Haas School of Business, University of California, a Certificate in Leadership from INSEAD, Fontainebleau, France, a Diploma in Business Administration (DBA), from Edinburgh Business School, and a Post-Graduate Diploma in HIV Management (PDM) from the African Centre for HIV Management, Stellenbosch University, South Africa.

E. Ciszek, PhD (they/them): Associate Professor, Moody College of Communication, University of Texas at Austin

Dr. Ciszek is an Associate Professor at the Moody College of Communication at The University of Texas at Austin. Their research engages in theoretically and empirically rigorous work, engaging with hard-to-reach populations and hard-to-study groups, groups that are marginalized and vulnerable and difficult to represent. They are a leader in strategic communication on LGBTQ research, and their work has received national and international recognition.

Additionally, Ciszek works with organization and corporations to move the needle on diversity, equity and inclusion, incorporating their research to provide actionable recommendations for teams. Their research closes the loop by engaging with practitioners and professional communities who can use their research. Ciszek’s research appears in top communication journals such as New Media & Society, Journal of Communication, and Social Media & Society.

Carolyn Smith Casertano, APR, Fellow PRSA (she/her): Assistant Professor of Practice, Department of Communications, University of Arizona.

Carolyn Smith Casertano is an award-winning communication professional with over two decades of professional expertise in strategic planning, message development, and implementation, media relations, crisis communications, thought leadership, advocacy, and brand positioning. She has worked for a variety of clients within the non-profit, corporate and agency sector, and owns CC Communications, LLC, specializing in marketing, communications and public relations. 

She is accredited in public relations (APR) by the Universal Accreditation Board and is a member of the Public Relations Division of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC). She serves as a Regional Representative for PRSA, providing field service and advocacy for the North Pacific and Western Districts of PRSA, covering 11 states and the 27 local chapters within those districts, and their members. In 2023 Carolyn was accepted into the prestigious Public Relations Society of America’s College of Fellows, an honorary organization within PRSA comprised of more than 350 senior professionals and educators, each of whom has left a significant footprint on the public relations profession. She is also the faculty advisor for the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) University of Arizona chapter. She received the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Western District 2022 Platinum Service Award for her ‘commitment to the field of public relations, outstanding leadership in her professional and community endeavors and ongoing support to her home chapter and the Western District.