10/26/2026
Through its theme of “Many Sparks, One Flame,” the 15th annual Student Conference on Diversity, Equity and Social Justice will bring voices from across the state together at SUNY Cortland.
The student-led conference will be hosted Saturday, Nov. 7, at Corey Union from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The daylong event “seeks to ignite a sense of community by celebrating our differences, recognizing passion for change and encouraging collaboration in a world on fire,” said sophomore Jake Niederbuhl, student chair of the conference, who noted the theme is inspired by this year’s SUNY Cortland common read focus of “Fire.”
Registration is free for SUNY Cortland students, faculty and staff. Separate registration is available with a $25 to $30 fee for Cortland alumni and attendees from other institutions.
Yusuf Muhammad ’99, M ’01, an award-winning educational leader with more than two decades of experience transforming urban schools, serves as the event’s keynote speaker.
Faculty and students are asked to work together on their proposals for the conference, allowing a collaborative environment and a mix of perspectives. Throughout the day, attendees experience research presentations, panel sessions, interactive workshops, visual arts, poster presentations and performance art.
“I believe this conference is important as it creates a space for students specifically to speak to a larger crowd about diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice,” Niederbuhl said.
“For a day, this conference allows us to bring together a diverse community to discuss the changes we see, or want to see, in the world and puts the power in the next generation of leaders to inspire that change."
The event was created in 2009 to provide undergraduate and graduate students with an opportunity and a venue to share their academic research and creative initiatives, build their resumes, and network with other students across New York state.
Participants from close to 20 institutions have visited throughout its history to share their research and expertise.
Muhammad will deliver a keynote talk at 9:45 a.m. titled, “Seen. Known. Loved. Then Taught. Building Communities Where Every Student Belongs.” As principal of Phoenix Academy, a public school in Atlanta, he leads with philosophy rooted in authentic relationships and a core belief in every student’s potential.
Muhammad holds a bachelor’s and a master’s degree from SUNY Cortland and a master’s degree from Cornell University and is currently pursuing his doctorate in educational leadership at Clark Atlanta University.
He has been named the 2025 Atlanta Public Schools Principal of the Year, the 2026 SUNY Cortland Distinguished Educator of the Year and, most recently, the Georgia Association for Alternative Education Administrator of the Year. A sought-after voice on school transformation, Muhammad also has delivered a TEDx Talk, presented before the U.S. Department of Justice and facilitated workshops for the Wallace Foundation, a philanthropic organization with the goal of advancing the arts, education leadership and youth development.
This year's student keynote speaker will be Ikenna Okoye, a junior physical education major from Uniondale, N.Y., who will speak on “The Audacity to Start a Fire” at 1:15 p.m.
Okoye has been active in the university’s Educational Opportunity Program, SUNY Cortland NAACP and Men of Value and Excellence, as well as the Cortland Urban Recruitment of Educators.
Earlier this year, he was the central focus of a Feb. 6 social media post from former U.S. president Barack Obama that highlighted the Obama Foundation’s My Brother’s Keeper (MBK) Alliance. He’s one of 18 young ambassadors from across the country in the program working to improve their home communities through service and mentorship.