Making Democracy Work: Strengthening Institutions, Engaging Communities, Empowering Citizens

Registration & Continental Breakfast   

8:30 am: Welcome/Introduction

• Victor Desantis, PhD – Vice President for University Relations and Strategic Initiatives
• Daniel Wubah, PhD – University President

8:45 – 9:15 am: Morning Keynote Address: Democracy's Crossroads: Challenges, Strengths, and Pathways Forward

• Amy Widestrom, PhD - Executive Director, League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania

9:15 – 9:50 am: Morning Tribute: Celebrating Public Service: Why Public Servants Matter to Democracy

Moderator: Dr. Karen Halhide - School of Social Work, Millersville University

Featuring:

• Dr. Amber Martin - County Treasurer, County of Lancaster
• Rep. Bryan Cutler - State Representative, 100th Legislative District

Description:

This session honors the dedicated elected officials who serve at every level of government — from state representatives to county commissioners to municipal mayors — and explores why their work is essential to community vitality and democratic function. Our speakers will discuss their pathways to public service, the rewards of serving their communities, and why the next generation should consider careers in public administration and civic leadership.

10:00 - 10:50 am: Morning Breakout Sessions - Part 1

Session A: Truth and Accountability: Political Communication and What Citizens Expect

Moderator: Dr. Laura Granruth - Associate Professor, School of Social Work, and Director, Center for Civic Engagement, Millersville University

Panelists:

• Dr. Robert Spicer - Associate Professor of Communication and Theater, Millersville University
• Ms. Samira Sankarin - Governor's Advisory Commission on Next Generation Engagement 

Description:

Pennsylvanians of all ages are navigating a political landscape filled with competing narratives, misinformation, and strategic deception—much of it on social media platforms. This panel explores what citizens across generations expect from political leaders and institutions around truthfulness and accountability. Samira Sankaran, chair of the Governor's Advisory Commission on Next Generation Engagement, brings the perspective of young Pennsylvanians ages 16-26 and what they are thinking about honesty and engagement in politics. Robert Spicer provides broader context on the challenges facing effective, truthful political communication in the modern media environment and offers insights on how political leaders can build trust through honest engagement.

Session B: Drawing the Line: Fair Districts, Gerrymandering, and Democratic Representation

Description:

Gerrymandering—the deliberate manipulation of electoral district boundaries—is a longstanding practice in American politics with significant effects on representation and electoral outcomes. This session examines how district boundaries are drawn, the mechanisms and strategies of gerrymandering, and how redistricting practices shape political representation across different communities. Fair Districts PA explores Pennsylvania's redistricting landscape, recent developments in fair districts advocacy, and the various approaches being considered to address concerns about district equity.

Speakers:

Carol Kounihan, Fair Districts PA

11:00 - 11:50 pm: Morning Breakout Sessions - Part 2

Session A: Student Voices: What Does Democracy Look Like From Here?

Moderator: Kat Gastineau - Councilor, City of Lancaster; Member, Governor's Advisory Commission on Next Generation Engagement

Panelists:

• Brody Ketner - student, Manheim Twp High School
• Danielle Lutz - student, Hempfield High School
• Tommy Titus - student and Civic Engagement Fellow, Millersville University
• Sevan Sinton - student and Editor of the Snapper, Millersville University

Description:

A student panel featuring high school and college students presenting their perspectives on civic education and democratic engagement. Students will share what's working in civics education, what feels disconnected from their lived experience, and what they want to know about how democracy functions.

Session B: Covering Democracy: How Local Journalists Keep Communities Informed

Moderator: Mary Dolheimer - Senior Director of Public Relations, Millersville University

Panelists:

• Colby Itkowitz - Journalist, formerly with the Washington Post; Board Member, Lancaster County Local Journalism Fund
• Jan Murphy - Director of Government Affairs at Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association; former Capitol Reporter at The Patriot-News/PennLive.com
• Joanna Zuckerman Bernstein - Deputy Director, Spotlight PA

Description:

A panel discussion addressing the structural challenge of diminished local news coverage. The panel — featuring local print/digital journalists, nonprofit newsroom representatives and journalism educators — will discuss coverage triage strategies, new models (nonprofit, collaborative journalism), and the civic consequences of news deserts.

12:00 - 12:50 pm - Afternoon Keynote Address: Constitutional Foundations for Democracy: Why the Constitution Matters Today

• Julie Silverbrook - Chief Content and Learning Officer, National Constitution Center

Description:

The Constitution does more than establish the structure of American government. It creates the framework through which a diverse nation governs itself, divides and limits power, protects individual freedoms, and provides institutions for navigating disagreement. This conversation will explore the constitutional foundations beneath many of the ideas discussed throughout the day, from elections and separation of powers to an independent judiciary and freedom of speech and the press. As America enters the Civic Decade, the years leading to the Constitution’s 250th anniversary in 2037 and the Bill of Rights’ in 2041, it will also consider why understanding and sustaining these constitutional foundations matters for the future of American democracy.

1:00 - 1:50 pm - Afternoon Breakout Sessions - Part 1 

Session A: Elections Drive Democracy: Election Administration, Security, and Access

Panelists:

• Jonathan Marks - Deputy Secretary for Elections and Commissions, PA Department of State
• Ray D'Agostino - Commissioner, Lancaster County

Description:

Elections are the foundation of democracy—this session features county and state election leaders discussing what it takes to administer secure, accessible, and trusted elections in Pennsylvania. Speakers explore election safety measures, strategies for encouraging voter participation, and how election officials at the county and state levels work together to strengthen democracy. The conversation emphasizes why professional, dedicated election administration is essential to democratic health and how communities can support elections that truly serve democracy.

Session B: Civic Engagement Beyond Voting: Building Social Capital

Panelists:

• Stephen Medvic, PhD - The Honorable & Mrs. John C. Kunkel Professor of Government and Director, Center for Politics and Public Affairs, Franklin & Marshall College
• Bill Madway - Co-Chair, Braver Angels Pennsylvania
• Dave Wagner - Co-Chair, Braver Angels Pennsylvania

Description:

Moving beyond voter participation to explore how communities can create spaces for deliberative democracy and civil dialogue. Speakers examine how structured conversations and civil discourse enable citizens and policymakers to engage meaningfully on complex policy issues and bridge ideological divides.

2:00 - 2:50 pm - Afternoon Breakout Sessions - Part 2

Session A: Teaching Democracy in a Polarized Classroom

Panelists:

• Dr. Nivedita Bagchi - Professor, Department of Government, Law, and International Relations, Millersville University
• Jonah Farber - Lead Teacher in Social Studies Department, Columbia Borough High School
• Brian Booker - Teaching and Learning Consultant – Social Studies, Lancaster-Lebanon Intermediate Unit 13

Description:

An education focused session designed so educators at all levels leave with strategies and classroom-ready resources they can implement immediately. The session will feature teachers sharing successful approaches, explore curriculum resources and provide networking opportunities for civics educators across the region. Addresses the real challenge of teaching controversial civic topics in a way that builds critical thinking without advocacy.

Session B: The Courts as Democratic Guardrails: Understanding the Role of an Independent Judiciary

Panelists:

• Hon. Lawrence Stengel - former United States Distict Judge; United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
• John J. Hare - Attorney, Marshall Dennehey; Member, Supreme Court of Pennsylvania Historical Commission and the Commission on Judicial Independence

Description:

The session will walk through Pennsylvania's retention election model, recent major court rulings on election laws and redistricting, and why an independent judiciary matters for democratic stability. Focuses on structural and institutional questions rather than specific case outcomes.

 

Keynote Speakers:

Amy Widestrom, PhD - Executive Director, League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania

Amy Widestrom holds a B.A. in Theater and English from Oberlin College and an M.A. and Ph.D. in Political Science from Syracuse University. Her scholarship and teaching focused on American politics, with an emphasis on civic engagement and voting behavior, public policy, campaigns and elections, and the role of women in politics. Prior to joining the League, Amy served as a faculty member and Chair of the Department of Historical and Political Studies at Arcadia University. Her professional background also includes roles in the nonprofit sector, at the Brookings Institution, and with the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. She brings this experience to her work leading the League's civic engagement, advocacy, and voter education programs and initiatives across the Commonwealth.

Julie Silverbrook - Chief Content and Learning Officer, National Constitution Center

Julie Silverbrook is Chief Content and Learning Officer at the National Constitution Center, where she leads the strategy, development, and delivery of the Center’s content, public programs, and educational initiatives in service of its mission of nonpartisan constitutional education and civil dialogue. A leading advocate for civic education and constitutional literacy, she writes and lectures on civic learning, the Constitution, and its history, and regularly moderates the Center’s podcasts and public programs. Prior to joining the Center, Silverbrook served as Senior Director of Partnerships and Constitutional Scholar-In-Residence at iCivics and as Executive Director of the Constitutional Sources Project (ConSource). She holds a JD from William & Mary Law School and graduated summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, from The George Washington University with a BA in political science.  

Panelists: 

Brian Booker - Teaching and Learning Consultant – Social Studies, Lancaster-Lebanon Intermediate Unit 13

As a Curriculum and Instruction Specialist at IU13, Brian brings years of experience as a middle school social studies teacher. His focus is on research-based strategies to increase student engagement, critical thinking, collaboration, and creativity in the social studies classroom. He is passionate about how the intersections of different social studies disciplines allow students to have a better understanding of themselves, the past, and the world around them. Brian’s focus areas include: (1) Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment Design and Development, (2) Best Practices in Social Studies Education, (3) Instructional Coaching, (4) Gifted Education Network and Services, and (5) Project and Inquiry Based Learning. He holds a B.S. in Social Studies Education from Elizabethtown College, a M.Ed. in Educational Leadership from Edinboro University and a M.Ed. in Instructional Media with a STEM endorsement from Wilkes University. 

Rep. Bryan Cutler - State Representative, 100th Legislative District

Serving his tenth term in Pennsylvania General Assembly, Bryan Cutler represents the 100th Legislative District in Lancaster County. In June 2020, he was elected by his colleagues to serve as the 139th Speaker of the House, having previously serving as the Majority Leader. He was re-elected Speaker on January 5, 2021. Rep. Cutler became Minority Leader for the 2023-24 session. For the 2025-26 session, he served as the Republican chairman of the House Education committee. While in office, Bryan has worked on welfare reform efforts and issues related to health care. He received a Health Care Management Degree from Lebanon Valley College and a Law Degree from Widener Law School. He is a member of the Lancaster Bar Association, and practices law with the firm of Nikolaus & Hohenadel. 

Jonah Farber - Lead Teacher in Social Studies Department, Columbia Borough High School

Jonah Farber brings 9 years of experience in teaching high school social studies and is the lead teacher for the social studies department at Columbia Borough High School within the Columbia Borough School District. He currently teaches AP Government, Honors World History, College and Career, and folk lore and legends, encouraging his students to think critically about the issues of the day and express their opinions through various discussions and debates. In his role as lead teacher, he oversees the social studies department fostering curriculum development and directs the social studies department in collaborative thought and productive discussions. Jonah is an alumni of Millersville University of Pennsylvania with an Undergraduate Degree in Secondary Education, Social Studies. He later earned his Masters Degree in Instructional Technology from Bloomsburg University.   

John J. Hare - Attorney, Marshall Dennehey; Member, Supreme Court of Pennsylvania Historical Commission and the Commission on Judicial Independence

John is a member of Marshall Dennehey P.C.'s three-person Executive Committee, which is responsible for the firm’s daily operations and management of more than 500 attorneys across 19 offices in seven states.  He also serves as chair of the Firm’s seventeen-attorney Post-Trial and Appellate Advocacy Practice Group.  As appellate counsel, John has litigated more than 500 appeals in state and federal appellate courts, representing individuals, corporations, and insurers in many of Pennsylvania’s highest-profile civil appeals.   
 
John is actively involved in the Pennsylvania legal community. He has edited and co-authored two books on Pennsylvania appellate courts. The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania; Life and Law in the Commonwealth, 1684-2017, was published by the Pennsylvania State University Press in 2018. Keystone of Justice: The Pennsylvania Superior Court, 1895-1995, was published by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 2000.  He also serves by appointment of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania as the co-chair of the Court’s Historical Commission and on the Commission on Judicial Independence. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers, an invitation-only group of America’s top 500 appellate lawyers, and he spent six years on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s Civil Procedural Rules Committee, the last two years as chair.  He serves on the advisory board of Ohlbaum on the Pennsylvania Rules of Evidence (Lexis-Nexis), regularly speaks at appellate court events and continuing legal education seminars, and previously served on the Board of Governors of the Bar Association of the Third Federal Circuit and as co-chair of the Amicus Curiae Committee of the Pennsylvania Defense Institute.   

Danielle Lutz - student, Hempfield High School

Danielle Lutz is a current senior at Hempfield High School and the President of the Model UN. She is interested in policy and lawmaking and is pursuing a Fall Internship with the League of Women’s Voters. Danielle has been very passionate about student involvement in politics and community and hopes to bring more opportunities for civic involvement to her fellow students. Upon graduation, she intends to pursue a double major in Biology and Political Science to pursue a career in public health. 

Stephen Medvic, PhD - The Honorable & Mrs. John C. Kunkel Professor of Government and Director, Center for Politics and Public Affairs, Franklin & Marshall College

Stephen K. Medvic is The Honorable and Mrs. John C. Kunkel Professor of Government at Franklin & Marshall College.  He also serves as the Director of F&M’s Center for Politics and Public Affairs.  Dr. Medvic received his Ph.D. in political science from Purdue University and taught at Old Dominion University in Virginia before joining the faculty at Franklin & Marshall in 2002. His research and teaching interests include campaigns and elections, political parties, the media and politics, public opinion, and democratic innovation.  He has written numerous academic articles and book chapters, and is the author or editor of eight books including Gerrymandering:  The Politics of Redistricting in the United States (2021, Polity Press), Are All Politics Nationalized? Evidence from the 2020 Pennsylvania Campaigns, co-edited with Matthew M. Schousen and Berwood A. Yost (2023, Temple University Press), and Campaigns and Elections:  Players and Processes (5th edition, 2026, Routledge).  Dr. Medvic provides frequent political analysis for the media and his commentary has been used by, among others, NBC Nightly News, CNN, The Washington Post, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Fox News Online and the NewsHour on PBS. 

Jan Murphy - Director of Government Affairs at Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association; former Capitol Reporter at The Patriot-News/PennLive.com

Jan Murphy is Director of Government Affairs for the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association, where she advocates for the news media industry at the Pennsylvania Capitol. In this role, she champions First Amendment protections, government transparency, accountability and accessibility, as well as the preservation of strong local journalism. Before joining the association, Jan spent more than four decades in journalism, including over 20 years covering state government from the Capitol newsroom for PennLive. Throughout her career, she earned numerous journalism awards and accolades for her work. In 2024, she was inducted into the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association’s Hall of Fame in recognition of her lasting contributions to journalism and the news media industry. 

 

Register Now

The Ware Center – Millersville University
42 N. Prince St.
Lancaster, PA 17603
717 871-7018

Millersville University's Ware Center is Lancaster’s premier performing arts center. Located on Lancaster’s famous Gallery Row, our mission is to foster creativity, learning, and understanding in our great community.

Parking:  Event parking at the Ware Center can be found at the Prince Street Garage (corner of Prince and Orange) or the Hager surface lot, both of which are within a block of our facility.

Start planning your trip at Discover Lancaster.

May 7, 2026

Millersville University to Host Sept. 15 Conference on Strengthening Democratic Institutions

MILLERSVILLE, PA — May 7, 2026 — Millersville University will host its 6th Annual Sustainable Development Goals Conference on Sept. 15, 2026, focusing on "Making Democracy Work: Strengthening Institutions, Engaging Communities, Empowering Citizens." This one-day conference will take place at The Ware Center in downtown Lancaster from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., bringing together policymakers, educators, journalists, election officials, and community leaders to examine how democratic institutions function in practice.

Registration is open at www.millersville.edu/ceged/events. Registration is free for all educators and students. For other attendees, registration is $20 per person and includes breakfast and lunch.

Pennsylvania's 2026 midterm elections and ongoing debates over election reform, voting access, and civic education make this a critical moment to examine how democratic systems serve communities. The conference coincides with Constitution Day and contributes to America250, the national commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, providing a timely opportunity to explore the principles and systems that sustain American democracy.

The conference aims to facilitate nonpartisan dialogue on how democratic institutions work in practice — from election administration and judicial independence to local journalism and civic education — in alignment with the UN's Sustainable Development Goal 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions.

"Our annual SDG Conference has become a vital platform for cross-sector collaboration on urgent social issues," said Dr. Victor DeSantis, vice president of university relations and strategic initiatives. "This year's focus on strengthening democratic institutions reflects our commitment to ensuring that democracy works effectively for everyone — through robust civic education, transparent governance, and informed participation. We are very excited to welcome K-12 educators and students to this year’s conference."

The day-long event will feature:

• Keynote addresses on election systems and institutional resilience
• Interactive sessions on election administration, judicial independence, combating misinformation, and civic engagement
• Panel discussions with election officials, journalists, educators, and legal experts
• Student panel featuring high school and university students on civic education
• Networking opportunities for educators, community leaders, and civic organizations

Conference participants will explore how democratic systems function at the county and state level, successful strategies for civic engagement and voter access, practical approaches for teaching democracy in increasingly polarized classrooms, and the role of local journalism in sustaining informed communities.

Conference partners thus far include the League of Womens Voters, FairDistricts PA and Braver Angels. Additional conference partners are welcome.

About the SDG Conference Series

Millersville University's annual SDG Conference series, launched in 2021, brings together diverse stakeholders to address critical challenges related to the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Each year, the Conference focuses on a specific aspect of sustainable development, providing a platform for dialogue, learning, and collective action.

About The Ware Center

The Ware Center, located in the heart of downtown Lancaster, is Millersville University's center for visual and performing arts, community engagement, and cultural enrichment. The facility provides an ideal setting for collaborative discussions and community-focused events.

Contact

Dr. Victor DeSantis, Vice President of University Relations and Strategic Initiatives, Millersville University, 717.871.5955, victor.desantis@millersville.edu.

We are honored to have the following organizations partnering with us on this year's "Making Democracy Work" conference:

• League of Women Voters
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