Our Founders

  • ​Andrew (Drew) Beiter (he/him) is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Academy. An 8th grade Social Studies teacher at Springville Middle School, Drew also co-founded the Educators' Institute for Human Rights, a Washington DC organization designed to provide Holocaust-based human rights training to teachers around the world. In addition to co-establishing the www.iamsyria.org and www.teachingaboutnorthkorea.org websites, Drew has been a Regional Education Coordinator for the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, a Teacher Fellow for the Lowell Milken Center, and a consultant for the Robert F. Kennedy Center's Speak Truth to Power program. In the past fifteen years, he has spoken in front of thousands of educators both nationally and globally on the power of education to heal the world. In September 2021, he was inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame in Emporia, Kansas.

Our Staff


  • Lea Baker-Ewert (she/her) joined AHR's Board of Directors in 2023 and became Operations Manager in 2024. With a degree in Anthropology from the University of Pittsburgh and a background in advocacy, reproductive justice, and the arts, Lea is committed to human dignity. Her experience as a full-spectrum doula deepened her understanding of presence, connection, and solidarity -- values she applies to anti-genocide efforts. As a theatremaker, Lea believes art, especially as it facilitates survivor testimony, is vital for resisting denial and inspiring action by emphasizing and reminding us of our intrinsic connections to one another. Her interdisciplinary path reflects a commitment to the need to recognize our interconnectedness in preventing atrocities and the imperative of confronting the moral demands of the present. In her personal life, Lea is a mother, wife, and avid reader who enjoys beginning embroidery projects.

  • Tara DeVay (she/her) is the Program Manager of the Academy for Human Rights and the Assistant Principal at Albion High School. With over two decades of experience as a social studies educator, Tara has dedicated her career to advancing human rights education and empowering students to become compassionate, informed upstanders in the face of injustice. Throughout her 22 years in the classroom, Tara created and taught a genocide studies elective that challenged students to engage with history and contemporary human rights issues critically. She also founded the Do Gooders, a student-led humanitarian club that has addressed local, national, and international causes through advocacy and action. Tara holds a BAS in Social Studies Education from SUNY Buffalo State College, a MAS in Education, and a CAS in Educational Administration from SUNY Brockport. She is a proud Teacher Fellow with the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum and traveled to Armenia as part of the Genocide Education Project’s teacher fellowship, deepening her understanding of genocide and its lasting impact. As a founding member of the Holocaust Educator Network (H.E.N.), Tara works to bring high-quality professional development to educators in the Genesee region, helping to strengthen Holocaust education across schools and communities. Tara enjoys traveling, running, and spending quality time with her family when she's not leading initiatives in education and human rights.

  • Katelyn (Katie) Kerker (she/her) is the Summer Symposium and Communications Director of the Academy for Human Rights. She became involved in AHR as a student participant in the organization's 2008 founding year. She earned her M.A. in International Development with a focus in Conflict Resolution and post-conflict peacebuilding from the Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver and a B.A. in Global and International Studies from SUNY Oswego. As part of her undergraduate work, she spent two weeks in Kolkata, India studying human trafficking and sex work, and during graduate school spent two months in Bosnia-Herzegovina studying its culture, history of mass atrocities, and peacebuilding while participating in an internship at a local sustainable tourism company. As an AmeriCorps VISTA alumni (2018-2019), Katie understands the importance of national and community service. When she's not working you can find Katie exploring the shelves of her local library to find her next great read or hiking with her dog, Clutch.

  • Dr. Timothy J. Redmond is an award-winning high school teacher and adjunct professor. He is a regular public speaker and the author of over one hundred articles on critical thinking and politics as well as the book Political Tribalism in America: How Hyper-Partisanship Dumbs Down Democracy. He is also the director of teacher training for the Academy for Human Rights. Redmond, a graduate of Canisius College, received his MA and PhD in political science from the University at Buffalo.

Our Board of Directors

  • Abigail Cordaro is the program director for the National Association of Securities Professionals (NASP HQ) in Washington, DC. NASP is the premier professional association dedicated to expanding access, opportunity, and talent development resources in the financial services industry. Abigail oversees the planning and execution of all NASP HQ programming, including educational forums, conferences, networking events, financial literacy initiatives, sponsorship and partnership efforts, communications, and volunteer engagement, both nationally and internationally.

    “Growing up in the AHR family instilled in me a deep commitment to building a more equitable, just, and informed society. The Academy shaped my academic and professional path, and I carry its mission with me in all the work I do.”

    “Having grown up in the AHR family, this organization instilled in me a passion for fighting for a more equitable, just, and informed society. AHR propelled me into my studies and career, and I carry its mission throughout all the work that I do.”

  • “What motivates me as a board member is seeing students grow into confident advocates who challenge the status quo and stand up for others. Being part of the Academy for Human Rights is my way of giving back to the Buffalo community by helping create opportunities for students to understand global issues and take action locally. The Academy gives them the tools—and as treasurer, I am helping ensure those tools are available and accessible to all.”

  • Calvin Gath is a master student at Sciences Po Paris, concentrating in Human Rights and Humanitarian Action with concentrations in Project Management and Sustainability.

    “Attending the AHR summer symposiums in high school was a formative experience of my youth.  AHR has created a true community in western New York of persons dedicated to standing up for the rights and dignity of all humans everywhere.  I’m proud to be a part of this community and continue this work today!”

  • Jessica Karnes is Coordinator of Staff Development, Curriculum, and Instruction at Erie 1 BOCES.

    “The Academy has given me the gift of learning from individuals from around the world, whose diverse experiences far surpass my own. It is in our sustained connections with one another that possibilities dwell and positive change happens.”

  • Simal Nafees is a communications specialist at the Aga Khan University and Aga Khan University Hospital, where she leads communications for the pioneering Electronic Health Records department - the first of its kind in Pakistan.

    Beyond her corporate role, Simal is a multifaceted artist, nurturing a creative gift that has been with her since birth. She writes and performs her own music, using her voice to raise awareness on social issues that matter deeply to her.

    Through her involvement with AHR since 2020, Simal discovered her passion for teaching and mentoring children, volunteering with various NGOs and NPOs in Pakistan. This experience instilled in her a sense of empathy and purpose.

    "My experiences at the Academy have instilled in me a sense of empathy and a desire to be a voice for myself and others. I'm forever grateful for the lessons learned and the opportunities that have shaped me into the person I am today."