Werner Institute Faculty
Arthur Pearlstein
Professor of Law and Director
Prior to joining Creighton, Arthur was General Counsel and Director of Alternative Dispute
Resolution and International Programs at the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, an independent federal dispute
resolution agency, in Washington, D.C. He earned a B.A. from Haverford College, a Masters in Dispute Resolution from the
Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution at Pepperdine Law School where he served as a Fellow, and his law degree from
Harvard Law School. Arthur has years of experience as a lawyer, mediator and dispute resolution specialist as well as
an extensive background in teaching and training overseas and in the U.S.
Jacqueline Font-Guzmán
Assistant Professor & Associate Director
Jacqueline has a B.A. from Coe College, a Masters in Health Care Administration from Saint Louis University, and her
law degree from the Interamericana University. She is a candidate for a Ph.D. in Conflict Resolution at Nova Southeastern
University. Jackie is an experienced mediator, attorney, and healthcare administrator who has done substantial work in the
field of conflict resolution. She is a certified and highly accomplished mediator in Puerto Rico, and has been very involved
in the training of third party neutrals. Jackie co-founded and developed Conflict Resolution Center, Inc., a certified provider
of mediation and training services in Puerto Rico. She has actively participated in the field of conflict resolution through
national and international conferences and workshops, and has conducted a wide variety of trainings and seminars in the field,
particularly in the Caribbean and Latin America.
Bryan Hanson
Assistant Director
Bryan has a B.S. from Minnesota State University – Mankato in Speech Communications, and an M.A. from John F. Kennedy
University in Organizational Psychology with a graduate certificate in Conflict Management. Prior to joining the Werner
Institute, Bryan was a university administrator in the San Francisco Bay Area where he also devoted substantial time to
work as a mediator, facilitator and trainer in conflict resolution.
Bernie Mayer, PhD.
Resident Professor of Conflict Resolution
Bernie is an icon in the world of conflict resolution. With over a quarter century of experience in the field, he was a
founding partner at CDR Associates, the internationally recognized mediation and conflict resolution organization, and
originally trained as a psychotherapist. He has worked across the globe as a mediator, facilitator, teacher, trainer, dispute
systems designer, and program administrator. A true scholar as well as leading practitioner in the field, Dr. Mayer is the
author of many works including the book Beyond Neutrality: Confronting the Crisis in Conflict Resolution, and has taught
courses for Harvard, University of Missouri, University of Colorado, Antioch University, the Budapest College of Economics,
University of Warsaw, and Colorado State University, among others. He earned his Ph.D. in Social Work with an emphasis on
conflict resolution.
Debra Gerardi
Chair, Program on Healthcare and Adjunct Professor of Law
Debra is a licensed registered nurse with a BSN and Juris Doctorate from Creighton as well as a Master’s in Public Health from UCLA.
With over 25 years of clinical and administrative experience in major health care organizations such as UCLA Medical Center and
Stanford Hospital and Clinics, she is a pioneer in health care conflict resolution, having provided mediation, facilitation,
systems design and training in the field of health care, including intervention in complex, multi-party disputes. Among the organizations
for which she has headed such projects are the American Medical Association, the Medical Group Management Association, the Health Insurance
Forum, the American Association of Critical Care Nurses, the American College of Health Care Executives, Stanford Hospital and Clinics and
Kaiser Permanente.
Brad Ashford
Senior Fellow in the Werner Institute and Chair, Public Issues Collaboration Initiative (PIC)
As an attorney, businessman, civil servant, and elected official, Brad has spent most of his career in public service. He has
been elected three times to the Nebraska Legislature, most recently serving as chair of the Judiciary Committee. Brad has
also served as a Judge in the Nebraska Court of Industrial Relations; a Board member on the Metropolitan Entertainment and
Convention Authority Board (a public /private partnership responsible for the development of a Convention Center/Arena in
Omaha); Executive Director of the Omaha Housing Authority and Chairman of the Board of Directors. An attorney in private
practice for many years, Brad has extensive training and experience in mediation and other facilitated processes aimed at
resolving conflict in the most efficient, productive, and humane way. As a state senator, Brad has been a sponsor and
co-sponsor of major legislation related to mediation and alternative dispute resolution in areas of domestic relations,
school law, and development of statewide mediation centers. Brad is a graduate of Colgate University in New York
(Phi Beta Kappa) and the Creighton University School of Law in Nebraska. He is a member of the Nebraska and Minnesota
Bar Associations and has certifications in mediation from the Nebraska Office of Dispute Resolution. You can contact
Brad directly at (402) 708-1477.
Karen Jenkins, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Karen Jenkins earned a Ph.D. in Conflict Analysis and Resolution from Nova Southeastern University in Florida, a Masters in
Communication from the University of Nebraska at Omaha, and a B.A. degree in Mass Communication and Journalism from Creighton
University. Karen has conducted extensive research on the application of transformational conflict resolution theory to
transnational peace-building activities in post-conflict societies. She has traveled internationally, including to Nigeria,
Northern Ireland, Haiti, and Italy, in her research. Karen has worked as an elections monitor and researcher for the Carter
Center (TCC) in Atlanta, GA. She is an experienced mediator and analyst, working with community mediation programs that
focus on resolving community-based violence and family conflict issues. Karen has years of experience in training and
facilitation for quasi-governmental agencies, community-based organizations, and national and international non-profit
organizations such as the Federal Reserve Bank, IBM, Goodwill Industries, and the Salvation Army.
Julie Zabrowski
Program Coordinator
Julie has over 25 years of legal experience in law firms assisting attorneys whose specialties include litigation,
retirement plan administration and employment law. Julie works directly with the Institute Director and faculty to
initiate and administer education and training programming appropriate to the Institute’s mission. Julie is also
responsible for the day-to-day management of the Institute.
