Meet the Contributors

Thanks for perusing this OER! We hope you have found it helpful to the development of your Capstone project. In case you’d like to know a bit about us, we’re including short bios for your reading pleasure.

Dr. Kris Atkinson (she / her) is a mama, lover of nature, gardener, crafter, baker, and athlete.  As a neurodiverse, cisgender white woman from a family of educators, she is dedicated to building alliances and creating transformative educational spaces.  Her practice background is centered around social justice youth development and includes work to reduce interpersonal and community violence, build intergenerational partnerships and embed anti-oppression within organizations. Kris collaborates on research that explores young people’s activism for social justice, as well as how we teach from anti-oppressive, trauma-informed and liberatory approaches. She teaches classes on community and organizational leadership, research methods, and civic engagement. And, in her current role as the Department of Social Work Graduate Program Director, she has the honor of supporting the rich educational community at Metropolitan State University of Denver. 

Dr. Erin Boyce is an assistant professor at Metropolitan State University of Denver, specializing in community-based participatory research, trauma, foster youth, curriculum development, open educational resources, and social justice in higher education. Dr. Boyce’s has a deep commitment to access and participation in higher education informs Dr. Boyce’s work on creating inclusive educational environments that empower historically excluded populations. Dr. Boyce’s dedication to social justice in higher education is evident in her efforts to develop curriculum that is inclusive of diverse lived experience, promotes anti-oppressive and liberatory ideas, and centers the importance of critical self-reflection. One way in which Dr. Boyce demonstrates these efforts is through the creation and use of open educational resources in her teaching practice, ensuring that all students have equitable access to high-quality learning materials. Through her work, Dr. Boyce continues to champion the value of social justice through promotion of access and participation, striving to make higher education a transformative experience for foster youth and other historically excluded groups.

Rocío Durán is a dynamic, purpose-driven leader with more than 20 years of experience in community development, and transformational program design. She has successfully led initiatives impacting hundreds of youth, families, and underrepresented communities In Denver and Latin America, consistently driving equity-focused, high-impact outcomes. As Program Director at Vive Wellness Org, Rocío oversees initiatives serving over 1,500 families and more than 1,000 youth, blending innovation with measurable impact. She is also the Co-founder of the Latina Village Movement, a network of 600+ Latinas advancing education, entrepreneurship, and leadership, and the CEO of Rocio Life Coach, where she develops bicultural leaders for organizations such as DaVita and the Denver Museum of Science among others. Her career includes directing national education programs, and influencing systemic change through cross-cultural training, inclusive leadership development, and strategic community partnerships. Holding advanced degrees in Educational and Community Psychology and currently pursuing a Master’s in Mental Health and Addictions Counseling, Rocío brings both academic rigor and lived experience to her work. An Ironman athlete and passionate advocate for equity and social change, she embodies resilience, vision, and unwavering dedication to building thriving, empowered communities.