In The Margins

In this episode, Diverse host David Pluviose welcomes two distinguished guests, Dr. Alonzo Plough and Dr. Thomas LaVeist. Plough is vice president of Research-Evaluation-Learning and chief science officer for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. LaVeist is dean of the School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine at Tulane University and chair-elect of the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH). Plough and LaVeist share the challenges universities face, particularly in their efforts to foster diversity and inclusion. They discuss the impact of COVID-19 on health disparities and the valuable lessons learned from the pandemic. LaVeist stresses the influence of social factors and racial segregation on health inequalities, while Plough highlights the importance of addressing inequity in public health practice and academia. They also explore their involvement in the recently established program, Transforming Academia for Equity, and shed light on large-scale initiatives, such as those led by ASPPH, that aim to transform institutions. This episode serves as a call to action, urging institutions to engage with these programs and initiatives to contribute to the vital work of closing health equity gaps. So, join the conversation and find out how academia can better serve marginalized communities and tackle health disparities effectively. KEY POINTS: - Dr. Thomas LaVeist's transition to health inequity research - Dr. Plough's activist roots and journey to public health - Social factors and the role of racial segregation in COVID-19 disparities - Uncovering weaknesses in the U.S. public health system during the pandemic - The importance of fostering dynamic community partnerships in schools of public health - The necessity of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion cultural competency and improving the workforce - Transforming academia with an equity program and how it can help address inequalities - The importance of diverse leadership in academia - Developing the next generation of equity-focused leaders QUOTABLES: "The social factors, political issues, economic issues, can be as important as biological issues in determining the health of populations." - Dr. Thomas LaVeist "The COVID-19 outbreak continues to be something that amplifies marginality and unfair health outcomes, and it should've been more than a teaching moment."- Dr. Alonzo Plough GUEST RESOURCES: Learn about Dr. Thomas LaVeist at https://sph.tulane.edu/hpm/thomas-laveist-phd and Dr. Alonzo Plough at https://www.rwjf.org/en/about-rwjf/staff-and-trustees/staff/p/alonzo-l-plough.html OR FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter: http://twitter.com/diverseissues Instagram: http://instagram.com/diverseissuesinhighereducation Facebook: http://facebook.com/DiverseIssuesInHigherEducation/ LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/company/diverse-issues-in-higher-education Transcription services are available upon request. Please, drop us a line using the form here.

In this episode, Diverse host Dr. Jamal Watson engages in a thought-provoking discussion with Dr. Stephanie Y. Evans, a distinguished professor at Georgia State University's Institute for Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, who draws upon her extensive experience as a former department chair from 2010 to 2022. Evans recently edited a book with Drs. Stephanie Shonekan and Stephanie G. Adams, "Dear Department Chair: Letters from Black Women Leaders to the Next Generation." Evans sheds light on the book's compelling themes in this interview. She speaks on the importance of documenting personal journeys and experiences, emphasizing the critical role of self-care in leadership positions, and challenging established paradigms of leadership. The dialogue also explores fresh perspectives on leadership within the academic sphere and underscores the transformative influence of mentorship on the journey to success, particularly for aspiring Black women leaders. Tune into this enlightening exchange, as Watson and Evans light the way for a future of empowered Black women leaders. KEY POINTS: - Dr. Stephanie Y. Evans' Remarkable Path to Higher Education - The motivating force behind Dear Department Chair and its influential reach - How Dr. Stephanie Y. Evans navigated the multifaceted role of Department Chair - Dr. Stephanie Y. Evans' transition from intellectual history to mental health - The power of mentorship and peer networks - The significance of mentorship and peer networks - How Dr. Stephanie Y. Evans and her co-editors advocate for the next generation of Black Women Leaders QUOTABLES: "This book is an outgrowth of my experience as a department chair. We must keep a record of our personal experiences, but also give context to those experiences." - Dr. Stephanie Y. Evans "If you don't take care of yourself, there's no way that you can have any sort of clarity to be a leader. You have to respect the autonomy of others. If you're going to say no and you're going to set boundaries, you also have to accept that other people are going to say no. You have to have certain types of understandings of what it means to be a human being in this position." - Dr. Stephanie Y. Evans GUEST RESOURCES: Dr. Stephanie Evans' new book: https://www.wsupress.wayne.edu/books/detail/dear-department-chair OR FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter: http://twitter.com/diverseissues Instagram: http://instagram.com/diverseissuesinhighereducation Facebook: http://facebook.com/DiverseIssuesInHigherEducation/ Linkedin: http://linkedin.com/company/diverse-issues-in-higher-education Transcription services are available upon request. Please drop us a line using the form found here.

Diverse host David Pluviose welcomes special guest Dr. Jessica DeHart, associate professor in the School for Community and Global Health at Claremont Graduate University in California. DeHart, a self-described "mama scientist," founded the nonprofit Living Your Truth Empowered, whose mission is to improve the wellbeing and quality of life for cancer survivors. The organization helps to provide after-treatment when cancer survivors are in remission. In this episode, DeHart discusses the formation of her organization and the driving forces compelling her focus on cancer survivorship work. She shares the story of her personal trajectory through higher education, motherhood, and why it is critical for women in STEAM/STEM, academia, and the C-suite to understand that, through hard work and prioritization, they can excel in both their careers and family life. Tune in as DeHart and Pluviose share this fascinating discussion. KEY POINTS: DeHart's journey into higher education DeHart's decision to help cancer survivors The importance of doing scientific research in diverse communities How DeHart transitions scholarship to advocacy work at CGU How #mamascientist works to encourage women to pursue STEAM/STEM careers QUOTABLES: "Everything has been driven by passion, but not just that, [it's] almost a serendipitous journey. I'm adopted because my mom had ovarian cancer when she was young. My parents couldn't have children. So right off the bat, cancer kind of started my journey." – Dr. Jessica DeHart "The second reason I wanted to go to CGU is to teach and to show other women in science that you can do it. You can be a mom, and you can be a scientist at the same time." – Dr. Jessica DeHart GUEST RESOURCES: Jessica DeHart Supports Cancer Survivors and Mama Scientists: https://www.cgu.edu/news/2023/05/jessica-dehart-supports-cancer-survivors-and-mama-scientists/ OR FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter: http://twitter.com/diverseissues Instagram: http://instagram.com/diverseissuesinhighereducation Facebook: http://facebook.com/DiverseIssuesInHigherEducation/ Linkedin: http://linkedin.com/company/diverse-issues-in-higher-education Transcription services are available upon request. Please drop us a line using the form found here.

Don't miss this captivating discussion between two Black Los Angeles-area college presidents who shared their journey from South L.A. to the presidential suite in commemoration of Juneteenth. Dr. Anthony Culpepper, president of Los Angeles Southwest College, joined Robert Brown, Esq., president of the University of West Los Angeles, for a special chat about their life paths and the impact education had on their success. As two Black children who led parallel lives a generation apart, the presidents discussed pivotal moments in their young lives growing up in South Los Angeles that led to their decisions to seek more than what the streets offered. They connect on their recognition of the fragility of life, their responsibilities as role models, and their humility through success. Their raw discussion acknowledges their paths are not special, and in fact, they are fortunate their decisions led them to success — decisions they hope to pass on to new generations. QUOTABLES "The ghetto is not a territory, it's a mindset. Juneteenth for me is a day to reflect on overcoming the mindset of being imprisoned, oppressed and impoverished." - Robert Brown, Esq. "I'm hoping that we get to the point where we're not dependent on a holiday to know that we're free. Freedom is a frame of mind and if I'm free in my mind, you can never cage me." - Dr. Anthony Culpepper WATCH THIS VIDEO AND OTHERS ON OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL: https://www.youtube.com/@DiverseIssuesInHigherEducation OR FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter: http://twitter.com/diverseissues Instagram: http://instagram.com/diverseissuesinhighereducation Facebook: http://facebook.com/DiverseIssuesInHigherEducation/ Linkedin: http://linkedin.com/company/diverse-issues-in-higher-education Transcription services are available upon request. Please drop us a line using the form found here. In The Margins is produced by Diverse: Issues In Higher Education and edited by Instapodcasts (visit at instapodcasts.com)

In this episode, Diverse host Ralph Newell sits down with noted DEI expert and strategist Dr. Sumun L. Pendakur. Named one of the top 35 women in higher education by Diverse: Issues In Higher Education magazine, Pendakur speaks to the racist framing behind the label "model minority," the chilling and silencing effects of red state legislation, and why protesting affirmative action is opposition to the promise of education. KEY POINTS: Why the "model minority" label is so problematic How the model minority myth masks the experiences of Asian American students Challenges facing undocumented Asian students The importance of targeted spaces and cultural centers Is anti-affirmative action really just anti-racial justice? Racial battle fatigue on the already marginalized Unseen DEI barriers in higher education QUOTABLES: "The model minority naming is designed to create division. It's designed as part of a design, divide, and conquer strategy." - Dr. Sumun L. Pendakur "There's no good stereotype, because it creates a narrowing of possibility." - Dr. Sumun L. Pendakur GUEST RESOURCES: About Dr. Sumun L. Pendakur: http://www.sumunpendakur.com/about OR FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter: http://twitter.com/diverseissues Instagram: http://instagram.com/diverseissuesinhighereducation Facebook: http://facebook.com/DiverseIssuesInHigherEducation/ Linkedin: http://linkedin.com/company/diverse-issues-in-higher-education Transcription services are available upon request. Please drop us a line using the form found here. In The Margins is produced by Diverse: Issues In Higher Education and edited by Instapodcasts (visit at instapodcasts.com)

The last in a series of conversations with Diverse Organizational Impact and Transformation (DOIT)-certified school presidents, this episode features Dr. David K. Wilson, president of Morgan State University. Tune in as Wilson speaks with Diverse host Ralph Newell about the times in which we live, where in so many corners of our nation, institutions are trying to wipe the challenges of underrepresented peoples from the history books and pretend those challenges do not exist or do not matter. Wilson urges students to grasp, to own, and to make this period of resistance their era to challenge what he calls the "nonsense" of today. Along with his take on the attacks against DEI and his mission to create a living laboratory for diversity at Morgan, learn more about Wilson himself, including his upbringing in rural Alabama and what's on the menu at the next family reunion. KEY POINTS: · A look into Wilson's childhood in rural Alabama · The history of innovation and creativity in the Black community · How Wilson's student experience impacts his work today · Why becoming a Research 1 institution is important for Morgan · Creating a living laboratory for diversity on campus · Effects of the constant attack on DEI in education QUOTABLES: "You take what you have and make what you need. A phrase right now that is deeply rooted in the Black community." - Dr. David K. Wilson "Talking about loving students, well, it's a different kind of love. It's loving the potential. It's understanding the potential. It's putting students in a position where they come face to face with potential, and then they marry it." - Dr. David K. Wilson GUEST RESOURCES: About the Diverse Organizational Impact and Transformation Certification: diverseeducation.com/page/DOIT Eye to the Future: Morgan State University earns DOIT certification: diverseeducation.com/page/Morgan-State-University President Wilson's bio: Biography (morgan.edu) WATCH THIS VIDEO AND OTHERS ON OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL: youtube.com/user/Diversediversedivers OR FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter: http://twitter.com/diverseissues Instagram: http://instagram.com/diverseissuesinhighereducation Facebook: http://facebook.com/DiverseIssuesInHigherEducation/ Linkedin: http://linkedin.com/company/diverse-issues-in-higher-education Transcription services are available upon request. Please drop us a line using the form found here. In The Margins is produced by Diverse: Issues In Higher Education and edited by Instapodcasts (visit at instapodcasts.com)

In this second in a series of conversations with DOIT certified school presidents, Diverse host Ralph Newell welcomes Dr. David T. Hayes, president of Coe College. Tune in as Hayes speaks to building a safe space for open and honest conversations at Coe, one of only three schools to receive the inaugural DOIT (Diverse Organizational Impact and Transformation) certification. He will discuss the role of small liberal arts colleges in preparing students to be citizens in a participatory democracy. The talk is not all business though. We also learn what is on Hayes's bucket list, his love for Star Wars, and why there is no such thing as too much coffee. KEY POINTS: · Dr. Hayes revolving journey to Coe College · Why Dr. Hayes continues the challenging work of DEI · Examining the decision to expand the role of diversity officer · How Coe College measures progress and initiatives · Building spaces for open and honest conversations · Anti-DEI legislation and its effect on higher education institutions QUOTABLES: "When else would you rather be trying to put your shoulder into an institution to move it forward and keep it healthy and vibrant than at a time of challenge and with the disruption of the last several years." - Dr. David T. Hayes "Coe was such a great experience for me as an undergrad. I have a lot of loyalty to Coe, and I literally want every student, faculty, staff, community member, and alum to have that same feeling of gratitude toward the college because they feel like the college added value to their lives." - Dr. David T. Hayes GUEST RESOURCES: About the Diverse Organizational Impact and Transformation Certification: diverseeducation.com/page/DOIT Coe College Open to Change Open to Change | Diverse: Issues In Higher Education (diverseeducation.com) President's welcome and bio: coe.edu/why-coe/discover-coe/presidents-welcome WATCH THIS VIDEO AND OTHERS ON OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL: youtube.com/user/Diversediversedivers OR FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter: http://twitter.com/diverseissues Instagram: http://instagram.com/diverseissuesinhighereducation Facebook: http://facebook.com/DiverseIssuesInHigherEducation/ Linkedin: http://linkedin.com/company/diverse-issues-in-higher-education Transcription services are available upon request. Please drop us a line using the form found here. In The Margins is produced by Diverse: Issues In Higher Education and edited by Instapodcasts (visit at instapodcasts.com)

Dr. Thomas A. Parham, president of California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH), shares what he believes are the fundamental ingredients for success for Black faculty and students in the 114th episode of In The Margins. In this episode, Diverse host David Pluviose welcomes Parham, who speaks to his own journey to university president and the implicit bias he has encountered in higher education. Be sure not to miss this conversation on what Parham calls the stones of stagnation and rocks of resignation that keep higher education from being the diverse, inclusive, and socially minded institutions they say they want to be, and hear how he plans to close the gap between the aspirational and the actual. KEY POINTS: - Parham's journey to CSU, Dominguez Hills - Fundamental lessons for Black faculty success - The importance of defining and re-framing the narrative - Mental health when it comes to Black students - The impact of the pandemic on diverse students - Current and future initiatives to promote Black excellence at CSUDH QUOTABLES: "Never seek validation from your oppressor. So, the problem was never that people have a negative opinion about Black folk or women or LGBT, or whatever it is. The problem is you give a darn about what they think in the first place." "Recognize that this individual, who I consider to be a seed of divinely inspired possibility, if we can nurture that individual in its proper context, they'll grow into the fullest expression of all they're supposed to become. So, our campuses, my campus, is a soil." "Crisis does three things. It reveals character. It exposes weakness. But it also creates opportunity." GUEST RESOURCES: Dr. Thomas A. Parham: President's Bio (csudh.edu) OR FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter: http://twitter.com/diverseissues Instagram: http://instagram.com/diverseissuesinhighereducation Facebook: http://facebook.com/DiverseIssuesInHigherEducation/ Linkedin: http://linkedin.com/company/diverse-issues-in-higher-education Transcription services are available upon request. Please drop us a line using the form found here. In The Margins is produced by Diverse: Issues In Higher Education and edited by Instapodcasts (visit at instapodcasts.com)

Tune in as Dr. Kimberly Greene goes beyond preconceived notions of what it means to be a teacher and shares her vision of an education that is synonymous with exploration and innovation while acknowledging there is more than one way to learn. In this episode, Diverse host David Pluviose talks EdTech with Greene, professor of education and chair of the Master of Arts in Education Program at the University of Massachusetts Global School of Education. Greene speaks to the ways EdTech can progress in terms of diversity in the classroom and urges listeners to recognize that education is in a new day. She says it is time to stop dehumanizing a profession that is all about building relationships to gain trust and empower people to take chances, grow, and bloom. KEY POINTS: - Dr. Kimberly Greene's accidental path to education - Why is teacher diversity still a problem today? - Changing cultural perspectives on learning and education - The over-politicization of education - EdTech's role in advancing diversity in the classroom QUOTABLES: "One of the things that can truly hold us back is our experience. That we're not able to step back and recognize just because it's what we lived at the time, doesn't mean that it was either the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, or the way things need to be going forward." - Dr. Kimberly Greene "We can't assembly line education." - Dr. Kimberly Greene GUEST RESOURCES: Dr. Kimberly Greene: umassglobal.edu/about-umassglobal/our-people/kimberly-greene-edd OR FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter: http://twitter.com/diverseissues Instagram: http://instagram.com/diverseissuesinhighereducation Facebook: http://facebook.com/DiverseIssuesInHigherEducation/ Linkedin: http://linkedin.com/company/diverse-issues-in-higher-education Transcription services are available upon request. Please drop us a line using the form found here. In The Margins is produced by Diverse: Issues In Higher Education and edited by Instapodcasts (visit at instapodcasts.com)

Grand Valley State University is among the first cohort of institutions to be granted the coveted DOIT (Diverse Organizational Impact and Transformation) Certification. So, in this episode, Diverse host Ralph Newell sits down with the institution's president, Dr. Philomena Mantella, to discuss the recognition and Mantella's mission to improve the social mobility of young adults through education. Don't miss this conversation focused on action, improved pathways to education, working alongside the community, and setting the tone in DEI work in higher education with Mantella. KEY POINTS: Receiving the Diverse Organizational Impact and Transformation (DOIT) Certification The most challenging work behind the DOIT certification process What is REP4 and how can people get involved? Why is Dr. Philomena Mantella so passionate about first-generation students? Navigating recent attacks on DEI initiatives How business and industry can be key allies to DEI education QUOTABLES: "The opportunities we have with diverse students or students that have been underserved or underrepresented in higher education is to give them that sense of possibility that perhaps they haven't contemplated before." "I get really frustrated when I hear people say things like, 'we don't have enough talent.' Because we are leaving so many people out of the knowledge economy or not relating to other educational pathways more seamlessly, creating these ceilings." "We see the promise of individuals of all backgrounds, but we understand that those structures of systemic inequity are really inhibiting the equality of opportunity." GUEST RESOURCES: About the Diverse Organizational Impact and Transformation Certification diverseeducation.com/page/DOIT Setting the Tone in DEI, Accessibility Work diverseeducation.com/from-the-magazine/article/15306543/attention-to-details OR FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter: http://twitter.com/diverseissues Instagram: http://instagram.com/diverseissuesinhighereducation Facebook: http://facebook.com/DiverseIssuesInHigherEducation/ Linkedin: http://linkedin.com/company/diverse-issues-in-higher-education Transcription services are available upon request. Please drop us a line using the form found here.