Director of Academic Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Columbia College Chicago, 2021-2023

From 2021-23, I served as the Director (Co-Director in 2021-22) of Academic Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Columbia College Chicago. My responsibilities were to lead and manage diversity, equity and inclusion curriculum strategy; develop institutional policies that will employ DEI in the college’s core curriculum; collaborate to bring DEI programming to campus including hosting visits by lecturers and artists; establish and engage with DEI work groups within academic departments; participate on all DEI full-time faculty search committees; collaborate with Student Affairs to encourage student engagement; and serve as a member of the Provost’s Council and the President’s DEI Committee.

I led the Anti-racism Transformation Team where our mandate is to advance the DEI mission of our campus by working for the “equitable redistribution of institutional power, establishing clear accountability protocols, recommending financial priorities, and equitable support of various constituents across the college.” This process has taught me about how internal organizing can help foster organizational change. 

Interim Chair, Design Department, Columbia College Chicago, 2018-2019

As Interim Chair of the Design Department during a period of transition, I helped lead a “Design Futures” collaborative initiative to re-imagine the graphic design curriculum. Informed by industry research and interviews with professionals, I sought to better connect to developing trends and programs in our Interactive Arts & Media Department such as design for immersive environments. My other responsibilities were to facilitate department administration and maintain department alignment with institutional policies and practices; maintaining clear communication with department faculty, staff, and students; infuse department work with specific goals related to the five-year Strategic Plan; assess configuration of the Design Department and its ability to achieve institutional goals; and provide curricular links to community and industry through the requirement of professional or practicum experience and/or internship opportunities.