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Humanities and Social Sciences 
Faculty and Staff Resources

Diversity Action Committee

The chair of each academic unit’s diversity committee or the department DEI equivalent committee represents their unit on the Diversity Action Committee (DAC). Four staff members represent the staff on the DAC. The DAC meets twice every semester or as needed.

Membership by Unit

  • Juliana Makuchi Nfah-Abbenyi, associate dean and chair of the DAC
  • Donise Benton, Staff Senate representative
  • Natalie Bullock Brown, assistant teaching professor, Interdisciplinary Studies
  • Helen Burgess, professor, Department of English
  • Kat Charron, associate professor, Department of History
  • Ernest Hendley, director of student diversity
  • Tim Hinton, professor, Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies
  • Claudia Kearney, Staff Senate representative
  • Maryam Mohaghegh, lecturer, Department of World Languages and Cultures
  • Mark Nance, associate professor, School of Public and International Affairs
  • Melvin Thomas, professor, Department of Sociology and Anthropology
  • Vanessa Volpe, assistant professor, Department of Psychology
  • Jodi Wahba, senior lecturer, Department of Communication
  • Nashia C. Whittenburg, lecturer, School of Social Work
  • Crissy Williams, dean’s executive assistant

Committees by Unit

  • Department of Communication: Equity Action Committee
  • Department of English: Diversity, Recruitment and Retention Committee
  • Department of History: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee
  • Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies: Diversity Committee
  • Department of Psychology: Equity and Justice Committee
  • School of Public and International Affairs: Diversity Committee
  • School of Social Work: Diversity, Recruitment and Retention Committee
  • Department of Sociology and Anthropology: Diversity Coordinator
  • Department of World Languages and Cultures: DEI Committee

Major DAC Accomplishments

  • 2013-2015: Recruitment and retention plans: “Suggested Best Practices for Recruiting and Retaining Faculty of Color.”
  • 2016-2017: Campus/college climate: “Recommendations for Diversity and Inclusive Classroom Strategies.”
  • 2020-2021: Racism audits: “Suggested Strategies to Promote Anit-Racism.”