Humanities Career Conversations Event

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Held on Friday, May 9, 2025

12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.

Smith Memorial Student Union (SMSU) - Room 294

1825 SW Broadway, Portland, OR 97201

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Join us on May 9th for Humanities Career Conversations! Speak with various professionals from History, Education, and Community Organizing fields and learn what it takes to transform your degree into an occupation. From 12-1 will be panelist introductions and conversations. Lunch and continuing discussions from 1-1:30.

This event has been made possible by an anonymous donor in memory of Bertha Edith Gwinner Morrill.

Alexis Baghdadi - Oregon Museum of Science and Inquiry

Alexis Baghdadi is the Director of Campus and Museum Engagement at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. In this role, Alexis oversees strategic projects and museum experiences that improve learning and equity outcomes for OMSI’s visitors and staff. Prior to joining the museum in 2018, Alexis collaborated with students and families to challenge traditional learning paradigms within public school systems. Alexis holds a bachelor’s degree in education from Smith College, a master’s degree in language, literacy, and culture from the University of Massachusetts, and an executive MBA from the University of Oregon.

Daniel Guilfoyle - Native American Youth and Family Center

Daniel Guilfoyle is the Director of Youth and Education Services at the Native American Youth and Family Center. They have been with NAYA since 2007 and have held several roles throughout the years. They also serve on the Board of Directors for Cascade AIDS Project and Prism Health. They are Onöndowa’ga (Seneca) from the Allegheny Reservation in Western NY.

Nicole Yasuhara - Oregon Historical Society

Nicole is the OHS Museum Director and is responsible for overseeing the museum’s vast collections and exhibitions along with the staff charged with stewarding them. Nicole graduated from University of Hawaii with a B.A. in anthropology and earned an M.A. in museum studies from George Washington University. Before moving to Oregon, she interned at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of the American Indian Cultural Resources Center and the National Museum of American History’s Archives Center. These experiences sparked her interest in collections stewardship, specifically cultural care of Indigenous belongings in museum collections. Nicole serves on the board for the Cultural Advocacy Coalition of Oregon and is a member of Governor Kotek’s Task Force on Oregon Tribal Cultural Items.

Sarah Harris-Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education

Sarah Harris has her B.A. in American History (and a minor in Religion) from Arizona State University and a M.A. in Public History from PSU. She has worked in museums since 2017. A few years after she graduated from PSU she began working full-time in historic interpretation. In 2022, Sarah started volunteering by organizing the unorganized collections at the Milwaukee Museum, as well as in the archives at the Oregon Jewish Museum. In 2023, she accepted a position as the full-time collections manager and registrar at the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education.

Rachel Nelson - Jewish Federation of Greater Portland

Rachel Nelson has worked at the Jewish Federation since 2013 and is passionate about the Jewish community and strengthening ties with the broader community. Rachel received a BA in Family and Human Serves from the University of Oregon, a BA in Hebrew Letters and MAED with a focus in Experiential Education from American Jewish University. She currently focuses much of her time working with the Interfaith and Interethnic community, facilitating dialogues and building strong relationships as well as working closely with area schools and districts to share about the Jewish experience.

Laura Cohen-Licensed Clinical Social Worker

Laura Cohen, LCSW, ACSW, is a licensed clinical social worker with extensive experience in behavioral health program design, implementation, and management. With a master’s in social work from Loyola University of Chicago, Laura has built a career developing innovative clinical programs and fostering strategic partnerships across various healthcare and criminal-justice settings. Currently serving as an independent consultant, Laura provides expert guidance on a variety of behavioral health projects, including the development of diversion programs, a deflection management system and crisis stabilization centers. Her previous roles include leadership positions at the Multnomah County Mental Health Court and Harris County (Houston, TX) Felony Mental Health Court, Portland’s Cascadia Behavioral Healthcare where, as Senior Director of Diversion Services, she managed large clinical teams and with Jewish Family and Child Service as a child and family therapist. Throughout her 34-year career, Laura has demonstrated expertise in implementing evidence-based interventions, developing criminal-justice diversion programs, and designing person-centered healthcare models, while maintaining a strong commitment to serving diverse populations with complex behavioral health needs.