Linda Kligman, Ph.D. serves on the cabinet of the International Institute for Restorative Practices, the first accredited graduate school wholly devoted to this new field. She is intrigued by the study and implementation of relational approaches to creating more inclusive and participatory decision making. As Vice President for Administration, she provides leadership for strategic planning, collaboration with their associated organizations, and fosters a climate that nurtures respect, innovation, and excitement.
In 2020, Linda earned a Doctor of Philosophy in Interdisciplinary Studies from Union Institute and University with a concentration in Ethical and Creative Leadership and a specialization in Martin Luther King, Jr. Studies. Her dissertation, Widening Circles: A Grounded Theory Study of Workplace Leadership, received two honors from Union Institute and University: The Marvin B. Sussman Award for originality, interdisciplinarity, and social relevance in scholarship; and the Virgil A. Wood Award for excellence advancing the legacy of Martin Luther King. She holds Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and Appropriate Technology, both from Drexel University, and a Master of Science in Restorative Practices from the IIRP Graduate School.
Linda has two decades of experience in community leadership and raising awareness for purposes dear to her heart. She worked with LaSalle University’s Nonprofit Center as instructor and consultant, was principal of a marketing firm, executive director of a community-revitalization agency, and has won regional awards for successful fundraisers supporting critical social services. Even more dear to her heart are her relationships as mother, daughter, partner, stepmom, sister, colleague, and friend.
Activist historian Stewart Burns, is the only major Martin Luther King Jr. biographer who participated in the Black Freedom Movement, including the 1963 March on Washington. His background includes many years of nonviolent activism organizing for justice and peace that has been enlightened by thirty years studying Dr. King’s leadership and the Black Movement. From forming a high school civil rights committee, to organizing anti-Vietnam War protests and resisting the draft, to protesting nuclear power and first-strike nuclear weapons, to fostering interracial communication at Stanford, Williams, and other colleges, he has devoted his life to teaching and practicing Kingian “soul force.” Dr. Burns is Professor and Chair of Ethical & Creative Leadership, as well as Faculty in Martin Luther King Jr. Studies at Union Institute & University's Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Program.