tina tchen is the executive and chief strategy impact officer for the obama foundation. served for eight years in the obama white house, first as the inaugural director of the white house office of public engagement and then as chief of staff to mrs. obama. tchen served as the executive director of the white house council of women and girls for eight years. after the white house, she worked in the chicago office of the buckley law firm and later served as the president and ceo of times up now and the times up foundation. the panel this evening also includes three hofstra protesters who have scholarly expertise in women's studies, public communications policy making, education and mental health counseling all priorities of michelle obama when she served as first lady. so, farthest to your left, dr. lisa merrill is writing studies and rhetoric in hofstra college of liberal arts and sciences and in the fields of performance studies, cultural studies, and women's and lgbtq history. professor merrill's publications have been awarded. joe calloway book prize, oscar prize, and