Josh Phillips

Josh Phillips is a PhD student in Speech Communication and currently completed his Graduate Certificate in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. His academic interests include rhetoric, intercultural communication, gender violence, and poverty. In 2013, Josh hopes to have completed his dissertation, which will focus on the narratives of people entrapped in the cycle of poverty and homelessness.

In addition to teaching on SIU's campus, Josh also speaks on campuses throughout the United States in an effort to end gender violence in our communities. In 2010, he published his first book 1,800 Miles: Striving to End Sexual Violence, One Step at a Time, recounting stories from an advocacy walk he was a part of in 2008 that journeyed from Miami to Boston.

Josh is an avid reader as well as a volunteer firefighter with the Carbondale Township Fire Department.

Rachel Griffin

Dr. Rachel Alicia Griffin has been actively involved in the movement against gender violence for seven years. Rachel's passion for gender violence advocacy is derived from her personal experience as a survivor and serving as an advocate for others. Holding a Ph.D. in Intercultural Communication and Diversity in Higher Learning from the University of Denver, Rachel is dedicated to generating social consciousness. Regarding gender violence as tragic, unnecessary, and systemic she understands that raising awareness is a personal and social responsibility that she holds close to her heart.