Conference registration costs $75 per person, which includes lunch and conference materials. Samford students and faculty receive free registration. For the promotional code, contact Scott Bickel at cbickel@samford.edu. A Samford ID must be shown at registration.

Advanced registration is encouraged as seating is limited.

8:00 a.m.

Welcome

8:15 – 9:15 a.m.

Overview: The anxious generation 

 Speaker: Jonathan Thigpen, PharmD, Associate Professor and Assistant Dean for Curricular Innovation and Professional Development, McWhorter School of Pharmacy, Samford University. Co-sponsor of Heterodox Academy at Samford

9:05 – 9:50 a.m.

Neurobiological aspects: Children, teens and the media: It's not all bad

 Speaker: Daniel Marullo, PhD, Clinical Psychologist, Children's of Alabama

9:50 – 10:00 a.m.

Break

10:00 – 10:30 a.m.

Philosophical aspect: Appearance or reality? The issue of truth and social media

Speaker: Dennis Sansom, PhD, Retired Professor and Chair, Department of Classics and Philosophy, Samford University

10:30 – 10:55 a.m.

Student aspect: Thoughts on the effects of technology and social media on their lives

 Panel discussion
Moderator: Amy Broeseker, RN, PharmD, PhD, Professor, McWhorter School of Pharmacy, Samford University

11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Pellegrino Award and lunch

 Keynote: AI ethics: Wellbeing in the age of digital deception
Awardee: Laura DeNardis, PhD, Inaugural Director, Center for Digital Ethics; Inaugural Chair in Technology, Ethics, and Society; Professor, Communication, Culture and Technology, Georgetown University

12:30 – 1:15 p.m.

Legal aspects: Should minors' access to social media be restricted?

Speaker: Greg Laughlin, JD – Associate Professor of Law and Law Library Director Cumberland School of Law, Samford University

1:15 – 2:00 p.m.

Medication aspects: Update on medications related to adolescent mental health 

Speaker: Kim Benner, PharmD and Mary Worthington, PharmD, Professors at McWhorter School of Pharmacy, Samford University

2:00 – 2:15 p.m.

Break

2:15 – 3:00 p.m.

School administrators: When the anxious generation goes to school - How parents and health care professionals can provide support 

Speaker: Anna Gaston, LICSW, Student Assistance Counselor for Vestavia Hills City Schools

3:00 –3:25 p.m.

Panel discussion: Where do we go from here?

All available speakers

3:25 – 3:30 p.m.

Wrap-up and evaluation

Kim Benner, PharmD, BCPS, FASHP, FALSHP, FPPA

Kim Benner is a professor at Samford University's McWhorter School of Pharmacy and a pediatric clinical specialist at Children’s of Alabama. At Samford, she teaches across all four years of the pharmacy curriculum on topics including pediatrics, health-system pharmacy practice, medical mission work, and senior research. Dr. Benner has maintained an active pharmacy practice at Children’s of Alabama for more than 25 years, where she also teaches students and residents from various disciplines. Her research interests and publications focus on pediatrics, cystic fibrosis, and pharmacy education.

Amy E. Broeseker, RN, PharmD, PhD, FNAP

Amy E. Broeseker is a professor at Samford University's McWhorter School of Pharmacy. She earned both a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Florida, with most of her practice experience in critical care. She also earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree and a Thanatology certificate from the University of Alabama. Broeseker was named a fellow in the National Academies of Practice interprofessional organization and has served as a fellow in Samford’s Healthcare Ethics and Law Institute since its inception. Her main interests include ethics, interprofessional education, Christian spiritual formation, the science of learning, and the social sciences in healthcare.

Laura DeNardis, PhD

Laura DeNardis is a professor and the endowed chair in technology, ethics, and society at Georgetown University, where she serves as the inaugural director of the Center for Digital Ethics. DeNardis is recognized as a leading scholar of technology and society in both the United States and internationally. Wired UK recently named her one of “32 Global Innovators Who Are Building a Better Future,” and her book The Internet in Everything: Freedom and Security in a World with No Off Switch (Yale University Press) was recognized as a Financial Times Top Technology Book of 2020. Among her seven books, The Global War for Internet Governance (Yale University Press) is widely considered the definitive source for understanding power struggles over technical infrastructure. She also served as an appointed member of the State Department’s Advisory Committee on International Communications and Information Policy and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. DeNardis holds an AB in engineering science from Dartmouth College, an MEng from Cornell University, a PhD in science and technology studies from Virginia Tech, and was awarded a postdoctoral fellowship from Yale Law School.

Anna Gaston, LICSW

Anna Gaston is a licensed independent clinical social worker (LICSW) with more than 27 years of experience supporting children, families, and individuals. She holds a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) from the University of Montevallo and a Master of Social Work (MSW) from the University of Alabama. Throughout her career, Gaston has developed deep expertise in therapeutic intervention, crisis management, and mental health services. She spent 17 years working in therapeutic foster care, where she honed her skills in supporting children and families through complex issues such as trauma, loss, and family dynamics. In 2017, she transitioned to school social work and joined the Vestavia Hills City School District, where she has served for the past nine years. In addition to her role as a school social worker, Gaston serves as the district's mental health services coordinator. Her career is driven by a passion for promoting emotional well-being, resilience, and academic success in children and adolescents. She is dedicated to creating safe, supportive environments where students can thrive both academically and emotionally.

Gregory Laughlin, JD, MLIS

Gregory Laughlin has been the director of the Lucille Stewart Beeson Law Library at Cumberland School of Law since July 2008. Prior to joining Cumberland, he served as associate dean for information resources, director of the law library, and associate professor of law at the University of Memphis School of Law from 2000 to 2008, and as director of the law library and assistant professor of law at Ohio Northern University from 1998 to 2000. Laughlin earned a Bachelor of Arts, magna cum laude, in public administration from Missouri State University, a Juris Doctor, cum laude, from the University of Missouri-Columbia, and a Master of Science in library and information science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (1995). While in law school, he served as managing editor of the Missouri Law Review and was selected to the Order of the Coif. Laughlin’s teaching and research interests focus on information access and control as related to information technology. His article, "Sex, Lies, and Library Cards: The First Amendment Implications of the Use of Software Filters to Control Access to Internet Pornography in Public Libraries," was quoted at length by Justice John Paul Stevens in his dissent in U.S. v. American Library Association, 539 U.S. 194 (2003). In addition to his duties as law library director, Laughlin teaches a course on information, technology, and the law, which focuses on the interaction of intellectual property and free speech law as they relate to information technology, with an emphasis on issues of information access and control.

Daniel S. Marullo, PhD

Dan Marullo is a pediatric psychologist and neuropsychologist with Children’s Behavioral Health – The Ireland Center at Children’s of Alabama. He is a member of the Pediatric Psychology Consultation Service at Children’s of Alabama, where he primarily serves children, adolescents, and their families hospitalized with medical conditions involving a psychological component. Marullo is a longtime member of the ethics committee at Children’s of Alabama.

He completed his doctoral training at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Medical Psychology Program and his internship at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. He also completed postdoctoral fellowships in clinical psychology at the Shriners Burns Institute in Galveston and in pediatric neuropsychology at the Sparks Clinics at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Marullo is a past president of the Alabama Psychological Association (aPA) and has chaired several committees, including Ethics, Continuing Education, and as the representative for Alabama on the Council of Representatives with the American Psychological Association.

His professional interests include functional and stress-related disorders in children and adolescents, childhood trauma, transplant, and medical ethics.

Dennis L. Sansom, PhD

Dennis Sansom retired from Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama, in 2022, where he was chair of the Department of Philosophy. He taught a wide range of classes, focusing on Christian, philosophical, and medical ethics. Sansom is a founding member of the Health, Ethics, and the Law Institute (H.E.A.L.) and has served on various ethics committees and institutional review boards. He is married with two grown sons and two grandchildren.

Jonathan Thigpen

Jonathan Thigpen is the assistant dean for curricular innovation and professional development at Samford University's McWhorter School of Pharmacy. He earned his PharmD from Samford before completing two postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine and Duquesne University School of Pharmacy. He then began his academic career as a full-time faculty member at Notre Dame of Maryland University School of Pharmacy.

After six years in Baltimore, where he solidified his passion for academia, Thigpen returned to Samford, where he currently oversees the implementation of a new, innovative curriculum and supports faculty development.

He is actively involved in the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP), having held leadership roles in various standing and ad hoc committees, councils, sections, and special interest groups.

In his free time, Thigpen enjoys spending time with his wife and two children.

Mary A. Worthington, PharmD, BCPS, BCPPS

Mary Worthington is a graduate of The Ohio State University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy and a Doctor of Pharmacy. She completed a residency in hospital pharmacy at Columbus Children’s Hospital and a residency in pediatric pharmacotherapy and home health care at the University of Tennessee in Memphis. Worthington is currently a professor of pharmacy practice at Samford University’s McWhorter School of Pharmacy in Birmingham, Alabama. She holds a joint appointment with Children’s of Alabama as a pediatric clinical pharmacy specialist. Worthington has been actively involved as a pediatric pharmacy practitioner for more than 30 years.

Accreditation Statement

This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint providership of Brookwood Baptist Health and the Samford University College of Health Sciences Office for Faith and Health. Brookwood Baptist Health is accredited by the Medical Association of the State of Alabama to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Designation Statement

Brookwood Baptist Health designates this live activity for a maximum of 6.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Pharmacy

Samford University’s McWhorter School of Pharmacy is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education as a provider of continuing pharmacy education.

This is an ACPE knowledge-based program appropriate for pharmacists.
UAN: 0002-9999-25-060-L99-P

This program provides 6 contact hours if all sessions are attended. No partial credit can be given. Credit will be awarded based on attendance and participation and will be uploaded to ACPE through CPE Monitor within 60 days of attendance; NABP e-Profile ID and date of birth (MMDD) are required.

Social Work

Samford University’s Master of Social Work program is accredited
by the Council on Social Work Education and approved by the
Alabama Board of Social Work Examiners as a provider of CEUs for
those holding an Alabama LMSW or LICSW. Social Work faculty
are among the presenters and all content is relevant for the social
work profession. This program provides 6.0 CEU hours. We are not
able to provide partial credit