We are proud to have some terrific GAs and Part-time staff working for us who participate in all of our programming, and play direct service roles as facilitators and educators.

Russ Eckell is our Technology Specialist.

Russ has been with the office since January of 2000. Starting out as a "lowly" workstudy undergraduate student, Russ worked his way through the trenches to become a beloved member of the OHRP family.

In the office, Russ enjoys designing and maintaining our various websites including the OHRP Website, the Words of Engagement Website, and various President's Commissions Websites.

He also has the esteemed honor of helping to develop printed and web-based materials, designing graphics, and maintaining an ever-vigilant tech support program for the various computers in the office, a program which he deems "Russonomics".

Outside of the office, Russ takes part in many different types of hijinx as the singer of Oddzar, a nationally touring hard-rock band. In September 2004, they released their debut album, which is also available nationwide. Russ also takes pleasure in pursuing his degree in Information Systems at the Robert H. Smith School of Business when he's got the time.

Our Graduate Assistant and Intergroup Dialogue Specialist, Saswat Pattanayak, currently a PhD candidate at the Philip Merril College of Journalism in University of Maryland, has been an industrial psychologist, a working journalist and an author. After completing post-graduation in Journalism at the Indian Institute of Mass Communication, New Delhi, he worked for The Economic Times, The Asian Age and The Hindustan Times before deciding to pursue research. He also edits a psychology journal, Ego, and is an online activist (http://www.saswat.com). His research areas include blogging diversity.

Aaron Tobiason is the Theatre and Social Change Fellow for 2004-05.

This is his first year of graduate study. He earned his B.A. from Western Washington University, where he was the College of Fine and Performing Arts Presidential Scholar and the Department of Theatre Arts’ Outstanding Scholar during his final year. He was also regional winner of the Critic’s Section of the annual Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival for two consecutive years. As a theatre graduate student, he plans to study the various ways in which theatre has and may yet influence both the specific communities it serves and the broader social fabric in which it is presented.