National Convening on Art and Social Connection

Katherine V. Bruss is a licensed clinical psychologist and consultant who lives and works in Atlanta. In her former role as mental health lead in the Division of Population Health at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, she advanced research, measurement, and public-private partnerships in mental health, social connection, and emotional well-being. Her work includes contributing to the U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on Social Connection, developing CDC’s social connection website, and serving as Scientific Advisor for the Social Connection in America™ survey. Her expertise has been featured in media, including a WABE PBS series on loneliness. She holds a doctoral degree from Baylor University and a certificate in Global Mental Health and Refugee Trauma from Harvard University and Istituto Superiore di Sanità.

Jimmy Dills is a senior research associate who lives and works in Atlanta, Georgia. At the Georgia Health Policy Center, he advances community well-being through systems thinking, health impact assessment, and healthy community design. His work examines how environments, policies, and creative interventions shape health, resilience, and quality of life. With a background in public health, urban planning, and cross-sector collaboration, Dills has led and supported projects that integrate data, lived experience, and community voice to guide more equitable decision-making. He holds master’s degrees in public health from Emory University and in urban planning from the University of Louisville, and a bachelor’s degree from Emory University. 

Julia Forbes is the Associate Director of Institutional Research at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, Georgia. She is responsible for designing, implementing, and reporting on quantitative and qualitative research studies regarding the High’s impact and engaging existing conversations and opening productive lines of inquiry for internal and external stakeholders with special emphasis on research that analyzes, interprets, and shares the High’s effectiveness as an arts organization with civic and educational impact. Prior to her current position, Forbes served for over eighteen years at the High’s Shannon Landing Amos Head of Museum Interpretation and is a founding member of the Association for Art Museum Interpretation. Forbes has held education positions at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery, Washington National Cathedral, the Walters Art Museum, and the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. In 2022 she co-authored the book, Family Spaces in Art Museums: Creating Curiosity, Wonder, and Play. She holds degrees in Art History and Cultural Anthropology from the University of California at Santa Barbara and a master’s degree from the George Washington University in Art History/Museum Training. 

Laurel Humble is Associate Director, Creative Aging & Lifelong Learning, at the High Museum of Art. Since joining the High in January 2020, Laurel and her team have developed a suite of dynamic arts programs for Atlanta’s growing older adult population, including studio workshops and conversation-based programs that take place at the museum, in the community, and online. Laurel also spearheads audience research and program evaluation to better understand the needs, interests, and motivations of this diverse and complex museum audience, and uses audience feedback to make the museum more accessible and age-friendly. Prior to joining the High she worked at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, where she oversaw and taught Prime Time programming for older New Yorkers as well as Meet Me at MoMA, the museum’s pioneering program for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and their care partners. Laurel holds a BA in Art History from the University of Georgia and an MA in Urban Education from the Graduate Center, City University of New York.  

Daniel Mantilla is a Colombian-born artist with over a decade of experience teaching young people, families, and adults and an educator at the High Museum of Art. In his paintings, drawing-collages, and cutouts, Daniel explores ideas of transition and instability. He previously lived in New York City, where he recorded instructional videos for public television. His art has been exhibited across the United States and internationally. He has studied paintings in museum collections in Spain, conducted research on cadmium-free acrylic paint, and holds an MFA from Hunter College. 

Nadine J. Kaslow is a psychologist, educator, and researcher who lives and works in Atlanta, Georgia. She is Vice Chair for Faculty Development and Community and Belonging, Chief Psychologist, Director of the Nia Project, and Director of Postdoctoral Residency Training in Emory University’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, and serves as Director of Wellbeing, Resilience, and Flourishing in the Emory at Grady Dean’s Office. A Past President of the American Psychological Association, Dr. Kaslow’s work focuses on culturally responsive interventions, trauma-informed care, suicide prevention, and healthcare worker well-being. She has co-edited seven books, published over 400 articles, and led multiple federal research projects. Her honors include the APA Distinguished Contributions to Education and Training Award, Emory University’s Thomas Jefferson Award, and the Grady Health Foundation Inspiring Mentor Award. She holds a PhD and MA from the University of Houston and a BA from the University of Pennsylvania. 

Noa Schmitz is an art educator and ceramic artist who lives and works in Atlanta. As Senior Coordinator of Art and Social Engagement at the High Museum of Art, she designs programs that use creative practice to support people experiencing social isolation and loneliness, helping participants find connection, expression, and well-being through art. Schmitz began her art education work in 2019, completing docent training and facilitating workshops at the Zuckerman Museum of Art. Her ceramic work focuses on functional ware that merges everyday-use objects with refined sculptural forms. She teaches wheel throwing and hand-building and presents her work regularly at local markets. She graduated with honors from Kennesaw State University, earning a Bachelor of Science in Media and a certificate from the Joel A. Katz Music Business Program. 

Jan Willis is Professor of Religion Emerita at Wesleyan University in Connecticut. Willis has been a scholar and teacher of Buddhism for over fifty years and has studied with Tibetan Buddhists in India, Nepal, Switzerland, and the United States. She has published numerous articles, books, and essays on Buddhism, including her 2020 book, Dharma Matters: Women, Race, and Tantra—Collected Essays. Among the many accolades Willis has received, in 2007, Ebony magazine named her one of its “Power 150” most influential African Americans. She holds degrees in Philosophy from Cornell University and a PhD in Indic and Buddhist Studies from Columbia University.