Institute Diversity Expands Leadership for Staff Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives

Institute Diversity is expanding its team to provide more focused attention and increased oversight for staff diversity initiatives.

Institute Diversity is expanding its team to provide more focused attention and increased oversight for staff diversity initiatives. 

Effective June 1, 2015, the Culture, Diversity, and Inclusion team (Pearl Alexander, Cheryl Cofield, and Jardyn Lake) from the Office of Human Resources (OHR) will join Institute Diversity to form the core of its new Staff Diversity, Inclusion, and Engagement (SDIE) team. 

Under the leadership of Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer Archie W. Ervin, the SDIE team will expand Institute Diversity's capacity to address staff diversity and inclusion issues; increase programmatic support and advancement for the Institute's Employee Resource Groups; and facilitate community dialogues, workshops, and staff-focused forums. Additionally, their role will include consulting Institute units on best practices to attain diversity and inclusion goals, expanding multicultural and cross-cultural leadership development activities in innovative ways, and providing thought leadership for diversity-related Institute councils or committees. 

“The opportunity to more closely align our efforts toward inclusive excellence and expand our diversity initiatives is energizing and fulfilling for us,” said Alexander. “We are thrilled to be joining the Institute Diversity team.” 

“As the stewards and primary communicators of the Institute’s aspirations and commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, Institute Diversity will be strengthened by this expansion,” said Ervin. “This new team will significantly enhance our work to transform the campus culture in pursuit of our inclusive excellence agenda for all staff, and continue to be a national leader in promulgating staff diversity and inclusion best practices.”