DDI Good News | September 2019
Donathan Brown, Ph.D, joined the Division of Diversity and Inclusion in the Office of Faculty Diversity and Recruitment (OFDR) on August 12th as assistant provost and assistant vice president for faculty diversity and recruitment. While overseeing the Office of Faculty Diversity and Recruitment (OFDR), Dr. Brown will provide institutional leadership for the effective recruitment and advancement of a diverse and excellent faculty. He will work collaboratively with senior leaders, faculty, shared governance groups and other senior administrative staff to provide leadership and support of all activities of the Office of Faculty Diversity and Recruitment (OFDR). Particular emphasis is placed on recruitment of historically underrepresented—primarily African American, Latino American, Native American (AALANA) and women—faculty and providing strategic guidance to support retention-related efforts that include professional development, mentoring, academic diversity and equity, work-life policies and other climate issues.
Brown holds a bachelor’s degree from Illinois College, a Masters from Syracuse University in Communications and Rhetorical Studies, and a doctorate in Rhetoric and Public Affairs from Texas A&M University. He also holds a certification in University Teaching from Syracuse University. In 2017, Brown earned a U.S. Fulbright Professorship where he taught race and American politics at the University of Maribor in Slovenia. He has also earned five teaching awards, including Ithaca College’s highest honor, the Ithaca College Faculty Excellence Award.
Katherine (Kit) Mayberry, Ph.D., joined the Division of Diversity and Inclusion on July 1 as Senior Advisor for Student Diversity Outreach, Enrollment and Retention reporting to the Vice President & Associate Provost for Diversity & Inclusion. In this new role, she has responsibility for development of relationships with K-12 institutions for the purpose of creating a more diverse set of students successfully pursuing college degrees. This role is a natural extension of Kit's outstanding work with the RIT- Rochester Prep High School Partnership, in which she has established multiple programs involving faculty and students that are contributing to the remarkable achievement of these high school students.
Kit will also draw upon her years on experience working on student persistence, paying special attention to strategic goals related to the AALANA/non-AALANA graduation gap and STEM enrollment. She will also continue as co-chair of the President's Commission on Women as it takes up its new charge from the president.
William G. Clark, Former President and CEO of the Urban League of Rochester, accepted our offer to serve as the 2019-2020 RIT Minett Professor. Clark, led the Urban League of Rochester for the better part of 37 years.
The 7th Annual Black Doctoral Network Conference, has accepted the abstract by Kareem Hayes and Antonio Williams titled "I'm Black: Imposter Syndrome on PWI's" for presentation October 24-26, 2019 in Newark, New Jersey.