State of Diversity 2021

Dr. Allison Davis-White Eyes currently serves as the Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion as well as Associate Faculty in Leadership Studies at Fielding Graduate University. Allison holds a Ph.D. from Oregon State University in Higher Education with an emphasis in International Education, as well as a Master of Arts and Bachelor of arts in American Indian Studies and US History respectively. She has over 30 years of higher education experience that includes: Admissions, Academic Advising, International Education, and Indigenous Sovereignty. As a scholar her research foci includes: international education systems, anti-oppressive pedagogy and curriculum, post-coloniality and human rights. Along with her academic bona fides, Allison chairs the University of Oregon President’s Diversity Advisory Council, serves on the executive council for the Association of Public Land Grant Universities (APLU) Commission on Economic and Community Engagement, as well as the Leadership staff of Partners in Diversity--a Portland Oregon based organization committed to advancing equity and inclusion across professional communities.

Antonio Farias serves as the Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion responsible for driving and developing initiatives that build on and advance CU Denver’s commitment to equity and justice. Antonio joined CU Denver from the University of Florida, where he served as its inaugural Chief Diversity Officer and Senior Advisor to the President. There he oversaw university-wide efforts to advance The Big I.D.E.A! – Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, & Access. Antonio worked closely with cabinet members, deans, and a network of campus diversity liaisons embedded in the leadership teams of each college and business unit, who advanced I.D.E.A. within their respective micro cultures. Antonio was previously Vice President for Equity and Inclusion at Wesleyan University and, before that, the inaugural Chief Diversity Officer for the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. Antonio has bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Master of Fine Arts from the University of California, Riverside. He worships his daughter, reenergizes through a plant-based diet, runs ultra-marathons to test the limits of WHY, fly fishes to commune with the divine, and believes failure is the greatest teacher. He is currently failing to publish his first novel.

Amer F. Ahmed, Ed.D. is the Founder and CEO of AFA Diversity Consulting, LLC, a consulting practice dedicated to enhancing the development of organizations through intercultural leadership, professional development, assessment, and strategic change. In addition, he currently serves as Vice Provost for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and Faculty in the Higher Education and Student Affairs Administration program in the College of Education and Social Services at University of Vermont. Dr. Ahmed’s approach is grounded in social justice and commitment to inclusive community. He is the host of “The Eclectic Inclusion Podcast”, and has been featured in media such as MSNBC, documentary film, and other national press outlets. He also has keynoted prominent conferences including the National Conference on Race and Ethnicity (NCORE) in Higher Education, White Privilege Conference, and the Society for Intercultural Education (SIETAR) Conference.

Georgina Dodge Ph.D. was appointed the inaugural Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion at the University of Maryland in June 2019. A first-generation college student, Dodge brings a unique perspective to her role through her unconventional path to educational and professional success. Prior to her career in academics, she served in the U.S. Navy as an electronics technician. Upon completion of her six-year enlistment, Dodge attended Golden West College in Huntington Beach and received an A.A. with honors before attending the University of California, Irvine where she received a B.A. in English, graduating summa cum laude. She went on to earn both her M.A. and Ph.D. in English from UCLA.

As an assistant professor of English at The Ohio State University, Dodge taught courses in multiracial and women’s literatures before becoming the director of the Department of African American and African Studies Community Extension Center. There she developed and implemented curriculums for college students and community residents, working with city officials on beneficial partnerships for community development. She later returned to the main campus to serve as Assistant Vice Provost for the Office of Minority Affairs. Dodge left Ohio to become the Chief Diversity Officer and Associate Vice President and Title IX Coordinator at the University of Iowa for seven years, then relocated to Bucknell University in central Pennsylvania as the Chief Diversity Officer and Associate Provost.

Dodge’s various professional activities include serving on the national board for the Association of Title IX Administrators (ATIXA) and for the Stanley Center for Peace and Security. She is a lifelong member of MELUS, the Society for the Study of Multi-Ethnic Literatures in the United States.