The artist celebrated for her pioneering role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) will be the keynote speaker at Hollins University’s third annual 领导公平、多样性和正义（Leading EDJ）会议, February 23-24.

Featuring the theme “Barriers and Bridges to Access,” the Leading EDJ Conference will bring together Hollins students, faculty, staff, and alumnae/i for 30 sessions 赌球在线 three time periods.

“Leading EDJ aims to create an intentional and meaningful space for all of us to reflect, learn, and facilitate action toward making Hollins a more equitable and just community,” said Hollins President Mary Dana Hinton. “This event brings together members of our community and prominent local and 赌球在线al figures to learn from one another in various formats, both face-to-face and online.”

Lauren Ridloff will deliver the conference’s keynote address on Friday morning, February 24. A former Miss Deaf America, Ridloff performed on Broadway as Sarah Norman in 次级神的孩子 and in 2018 was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play, the Drama League Award for Distinguished Performance, and the Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Actress in a Play. She subsequently appeared as Connie on the AMC series 《行尸走肉》 and was honored in 2020 with the SAG-AFTRA Harold Russell Award at the Media Access Awards, which highlight and promote disability and its representation in film, television, and new media. 同年，她被英国电影电视艺术学院选为2020年突破性表演者。

In 2021, Ridloff was cast in the movie 永恒 as Makkari, the MCU’s first deaf superhero. “It felt like it was a lifetime of waiting,” Ridloff分享道 各种 after the film’s release. “我从来没有在银幕上看到过像我这样的人。 这绝对改变了我的生活。 我希望这对不同的社区，那些在这个行业中被边缘化或代表性不足的人也能产生同样的影响。 来自聋人和重听群体的反应非常积极。 I feel like a lot of people are thrilled just to see a deaf person of color in the movie.”

Guest speaker Dev Cuny ’02 will kick off this year’s event with a special session for students and alumnae/i on Thursday evening, February 23, entitled “Asserting Identity in the Workplace.” Cuny（他们/他们）是一位非二元演讲者，教育家，牧师和恢复性司法调解人，他以多种身份为处于压迫，创伤和心理健康交叉点的年轻人提供支持。