Moving from diversity as a concept to equity as a practice.
Rutgers University
Senior Vice President for Equity, 2020-present: Leads the University Equity and Inclusion office to ensure the institutional commitment to equity is reflected in the research, educational, and public engagement efforts that occur throughout the university and the focus extends to faculty, staff, and students.
Led by PIs Anna Branch and Michelle Stephens the Black Bodies, Black Health: Imagining a Just Racial Future is a research project (Dec 2022-June 2023) , supported by a $725,000 grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Through seed grants, workshops, conferences and both scholarly and public writing, Black Bodies, Black Health incentivizes humanists, social scientists, and biomedical researchers to engage in interdisciplinary work to explore and unpack structural racism in service of creating equitable health outcomes.
Launch episode of the UEI Holding Space podcast. Listen to learn about the Senior Vice President for Equity role, the impact of diversity, inclusion, and equity work on university life, and define what being a ‘beloved community’ means.
Keynote: RBHS Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Symposium 2021Created the universitywide diversity strategic planning process that provided a framework for the four Chancellor-led units and the central administration to assess and align our efforts recognizing that diversity, equity, and inclusion lead us to excellence.
Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Inclusion, and Community Engagement, 2019-2020: Established the Division of Diversity, Inclusion, and Community Engagement and hired key staff creating capacity to develop and launch signature programming and initiatives.
Led the University Equity Audit of the university central administration and released report outlining next steps to concretize the institutional commitment to diversity.
University of Massachusetts – Amherst
Associate Chancellor for Equity and Inclusion, 2017-2019: Established the Office of Equity and Inclusion, including hiring core staff of five, to create capacity to develop and launch signature programming and initiatives.
Led efforts to promote an institutional culture at UMass Amherst that values and supports diversity and inclusion. Understanding the Forces that Drive Us Apart: 2019 Symposium on Polarization.
Led institutional investment in creating sustaining community and professional development for faculty of color, PI for NSF ADVANCE Institutional Transformation grant. Transitioned to serving on the external advisory board.
Chancellor’s Faculty Advisor for Diversity and Inclusive Excellence, 2016-2017: Led campus forward momentum and redoubling of efforts to improve diversity and inclusion across the campus community.
Led UMass Amherst 2016 Campus Climate Survey effort (design, participation campaign, and launch) , which took a census approach and achieved a 41% response rate (national average is 29%) representing more than 13,000 participants. Led efforts to ensure that the campus climate survey findings were widely shared, informed changes in our day to day practices, and investments in infrastructure that would support improvement.
