vitalvoices-2025-2026
he vitalvoices Speaker Series serves as a forum to bring scholars and practitioners alike to speak
to students, faculty, alumni and community partners at UHD's College of Public Service.
It is our hope that those we invite to speak will share, from the heart, their professional
experiences, their knowledge, and how the work they do impacts society as a whole.
We like to feature people whose work is interdisciplinary and touches upon the fields
social work, criminal justice and urban education.
FALL SEMESTER
Schizophrenia & Culture - Insights from Four Decades of Research
Tuesday, August 26th from 5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Speaker: Padmavati Ramachandran, Director at the Schizophrenia Research Foundation (SCARF)
This talk will critically examine the challenges of delivering equitable mental health care across diverse cultural contexts. It will emphasize the necessity of dismantling cultural barriers to care and advocate for a global mental health perspective that both respects and integrates diverse cultural narratives surrounding mental illness.
Dr. Padmavati Ramachandran
A dedicated clinician, Dr. Ramachandran is deeply invested in needs-based psychosocial interventions for individuals seeking treatment and rehabilitation at SCARF’s clinical services.
AI Revolution: Smart Cities & Future Careers
Thursday, September 4th from 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Speaker: Darius Henry, Brown Rock founder and CEO
Join Dean Uzman, and professors Lin and Izadi as they host Darius Henry, founder and CEO of Brown Rock, to discuss how AI, drones, and robotics are reshaping
smart cities—enhancing traffic optimization, disaster response, and urban security.
This session will delve into the educational implications, showing students how to
leverage these technologies for future careers.
Darius Henry, Brown Rock founder and CEO
An innovative and dynamic executive leader with 10+ years of experience managing projects is the founder and chairman of Brown Rock Holdings, a global conglomerate comprised of companies in a multitude of technology and service areas.
For more information contact Steven Villano, director of the Center for Public Service and Community Research at villanos@uhd.edu.