Open forums for VP position begin Tuesday

Three candidates for the position of vice president for Inclusion and Equity will visit campus January 20-22 to give presentations at open forums.

They are Jesse M. Bernal, director of the Office for Diversity and Inclusion at Santa Clara University in California; John F. Gates, president and CEO of Campus Diversity Agenda and principal of Criticality Management Consulting in New York City; and Carmen Suarez, chief diversity officer and associate vice provost for Student Affairs at the University of Idaho.

The forums, which are open to the campus community, are set as follows:
• Suarez: Tuesday, January 20, 11 a.m.-noon, Kirkhof Center, room 2204
• Gates: Wednesday, January 21, 1:30-2:30 p.m., Kirkhof Center, room 2204
• Bernal: Thursday, January 22, 2:30-3:30 p.m., Kirkhof Center, room 2250

In his position at Santa Clara University, Bernal develops strategies for recruitment and retention of faculty from underrepresented groups and coordinates with the Offices of Enrollment Management and Affirmative Action to recruit and support a diverse student body. Prior to that position, he coordinated system-wide diversity and inclusion initiatives at the University of California in the Office of the President.

Bernal earned a bachelor’s degree from Westmont College, and master’s and doctoral degrees in education from UC Santa Barbara.

An organizational scientist, Gates specializes in institutional diversity and inclusion strategies. He has served as an associate dean at Harvard College, faculty member at Harvard University, as special assistant for diversity programs at the University of Vermont, and executive director of global operations at New York University.

He earned a bachelor’s degree from Morehouse College, master’s degree from New York University, and a doctoral degree in organizational behavior from the University of London.

Suarez is chief diversity officer and associate vice provost for Student Affairs at the University of Idaho. She served in a variety of capacities at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, including director of the Office of Diversity and Equity, interim assistant vice chancellor for Enrollment Management, and assistant dean in the School of Law.

She earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in history, and a doctoral degree in education all from SIU.