Keynote Speakers

Rick Hanson, PhD
Neuropsychologist and Author

Rick Hanson, PhD, is a neuropsychologist and author of the bestselling Buddha’s Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love, and Wisdom (in 21 languages). Founder of the Wellspring Institute for Neuroscience and Contemplative Wisdom and Affiliate of the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley, he’s taught at Oxford, Stanford, and Harvard, and in meditation centers in Europe, North America, and Australia.

An authority on self-directed neuroplasticity, Dr. Hanson’s work has been featured on the BBC, NPR, Consumer Reports Health, and U.S. News and World Report. He edits the Wise Brain Bulletin, and his weekly e-newsletter – Just One Thing – has over 20,000 subscribers, and also appears on Huffington Post, Psychology Today, and other major websites. Dr. Hanson is a trustee of Saybrook University and served on the board of Spirit Rock Meditation Center for nine years.

Susan Kaiser Greenland, JD
Author, Educator
Co-Founder, Inner Kids

Susan Kaiser Greenland is a former corporate attorney who developed the Inner Kids mindful awareness program for children, teens and their families. Research on the Inner Kids elementary school program was conducted at the Mindful Awareness Research Center at UCLA and is published in the Journal of Applied School Psychology. Susan is author of The Mindful Child: How to Help Your Kid Manage Stress and Become Happier, Kinder, and More Compassionate (Free Press, 2010). She teaches children, parents and professionals around the world and consults with various organizations on teaching mindful awareness in an age-appropriate and secular manner. With her husband, Seth Greenland, she co-founded the Inner Kids Foundation. Susan lives in Los Angeles with her husband, and their two children. She can be found online at www.susankaisergreenland.com

Amishi Jha, PhD
Psychologist and Researcher
University of Miami

Amishi P. Jha, PhD is an Associate Professor at the University of Miami. She received her PhD from the University of California-Davis in 1998 and received post-doctoral training in functional neuroimaging at Duke University’s Brain Imaging and Analysis Center. She was an Assistant Professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, before joining the University of Miami in 2010 to spearhead the development of their Neuroimaging Center. Her research involves the use of functional MRI, electroencephalography (EEG), and neurobehavioral measures to investigate the basic mechanisms of attention, working memory, and mindfulness. Her work is supported by the Department of Army, NIH, and gifts from individuals and private foundations. She has received several awards for teaching and innovation in science.

Pamela Siegle, MS
Executive Director
Courage & Renewal Northeast

Pamela Seigle, MS is Executive Director of Courage & Renewal Northeast and founder of the nationally recognized Open Circle Program, a social and emotional learning program based at the Wellesley Centers for Women, Wellesley College. She is co-author of the Open Circle Curriculum and the Open Circle Parent Program. She is on the Leadership Council of the Initiative on Contemplative Education at the Garrison Institute and the Passageworks Advisory Board. Pamela is a community activist in Boston. She served as a Trustee of the Boston Public Library and chaired its Trustees’ Education Committee, which she founded to link the Library with public schools. She was a Director of the Boston Public Library Foundation and the Urban Libraries Council. She is currently a member of the Library’s Compass Strategic Planning Committee. Pamela is on the board of the Conservatory Lab Charter School and the JazzBoston advisory Council.

Chip Wood, MSW

Chip Wood, MSW (Robert A. Wood) has been an activist in the fields of education and child development for the past forty years. He most recently served as Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Professional Development for the Gill-Montague Regional School District in Turners Falls, MA. He has extensive experience as a classroom teacher and principal in both public and private schools. He served as a national trainer and consultant for Gesell Institute of Child Development. He was a co-founder and co-developer of The Responsive Classroom® approach to professional development, and executive director of its non-profit organization, Northeast Foundation for Children. He is author of Yardsticks: Children in the Classroom, Ages 4-14 (NEFC,2007 revised),Time to Teach, Time to Learn: Changing the Pace of School (NEFC,1999),and co-author of Responsive School Discipline: Essentials for Elementary School Leaders (NEFC, in press) as well as numerous book chapters and articles. He writes a blog for parents and teachers at www.yardsticks4-14.com. He served on the Massachusetts Governor’s Readiness Panel Sub-Committee on Expanded Teaching and Learning Time. He is also a facilitator with Courage & Renewal Northeast in Wellesley, MA, helping to provide retreat and renewal experiences for teachers and school leaders.