To enhance the capacity of departments, colleges, and campus committees to reduce bias and enhance equity in the academic work environment, the ADVANCE Program, in collaboration with the Office of Diversity and Inclusion and the Office of Faculty Affairs, is launching an Equity Coaches program. Equity coaches are faculty and administrators who are well versed in the literature on bias in the academic work environment and the strategies for mitigating it, as well as in best practices for facilitating equity-based conversations. They will serve as facilitators of a range of ADVANCE-workshops related to equity in faculty evaluation and inclusive faculty hiring, among other content areas.
Coaches have a proven track of engagement on diversity, equity, and inclusion issues in their own unit and/or professional associations; openness to engaging with campus constituents; good communication skills; and the ability to problem-solve quickly. Coaches receive intensive training/coachingfrom ADVANCE/ODI related to bias awareness/reduction, evidence-based best practices, and group facilitation. After completing the training, each coach is asked to facilitate 3-4 workshops in pairs depending on availability, campus interest, and skill.
We anticipate that Equity and Diversity Officers, former/current ADVANCE Professors, and others involved in campus DEI activities may be particularly well-suited for this role. In addition, we hope that faculty and administrators who serve as Equity Coaches may be well-suited for serving in campus leadership roles, including as Equity or Diversity officers, in the future.
Questions? Please email Dawn Culpepper, ADVANCE Associate Director, at dkculpep@umd.edu
Tej Anand
Clinical Professor, Practice, Decision, Operations, and Information Technologies
Tejwansh (Tej) Singh Anand is a Clinical Professor of Practice and the Academic Director for the MS in Information Systems programs at the Robert H. Smith School of Business. Tej is also a visiting lecturer at the School of Professional Studies, Columbia…
Nneka Chisholm-Edwards
Coordinator for Staff Development; Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer, University LIbraries
Nneka Chisholm is the UMD Libraries’s first Diversity, Equity and Inclusion officer and a doctoral student at UMBC in the Language, Literacy and Culture department. Ms. Chisholms’ research relates to the media's influence on the Black women’s sexual…
Alison Flatau
Professor and Chair, Aerospace Engineering
Alison Flatau received her undergraduate degree in Chemical Engineering, and the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Mechanical Engineering, and then taught Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics at Iowa State University for eight years prior to serving as the…
Renee Hill
Principal Lecturer; Diversity and Inclusion Officer; Equity Administrator, Information Studies
Dr. Renee F. Hill is Principal Lecturer, Diversity and Inclusion Officer, and Equity Administrator at the University of Maryland’s College of Information Studies. In this capacity, she teaches courses and provides guidance that prepares graduate students to…
Zeinab Karake
Clinical Professor, Associate Dean, Decision, Operations, and Information Technologies
Zeinab Karake is a seasoned higher education professional; she is the associate dean for culture and community and a clinical professor of Information Systems in the Department of Operations and Information Technology, at the Robert H. Smith School of Business…
Lori Lynch
Professor and Chair, Agricultural and Resource Economics
Dr. Lynch's research has specialized in agricultural and resource policy analysis. Her earlier work focused on invasive species, pesticides, and trade issues. Her research on land-use has included the existence of a critical mass, farmland…
Marinel Martinez-Benyarko
Coordinator, Human Resources, Training, and Development
Marinel Martinez-Benyarko works within the Adele H. Stamp Student Union—Center for Campus Life as a Coordinator for Human Resources. Marinel oversees the STAMP GROW employment program, training and development, onboarding, and payroll.…
Erin McClure
Director of Operations and Chief of Staff; Diversity Officer, Public Health
As part of the School of Public Health senior leadership team, Erin McClure oversees operations and partnerships, building on strengths, implementing best practices and supporting the school and campus in enacting their equity and inclusion values…
Kim J. Nickerson
Assistant Dean, Diversity Officer, Equity Administrator, College of Behavioral and Social Sciences
Dr. Kim J. Nickerson plays a leadership role in maximizing the educational and career outcomes of students, faculty and staff in the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences, as well as helping foster an environment that values diversity, equity, inclusion,…
Trevor Parry-Giles
Professor, Associate Dean, Equity Administrator, Arts and Humanities
Dr. Parry-Giles’s research and teaching focus on the historical and contemporary relationships between rhetoric, politics, law, and popular culture. He is the award-winning author or editor of four books…
Lourdes Salamanca-Riba
Professor, Materials Science and Engineering
Dr. Lourdes Salamanca-Riba is a Professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. She is the chair of the diversity equity and inclusion (DEI) committee in the MSE Department and the Chair of the DEI Council in the Clark School of…
Amanda Shaffer
Diversity Officer, Agriculture and Natural Resources
Amanda Shaffer currently serves as Diversity Officer for AGNR where she is responsible for managing, coordinating, and providing guidance in support of AGNR’s diversity, equity, inclusion, and respect (DEIR) programs in the college, MAES, and UME. She also …
Mega Subramaniam
Professor, College of Information Studies
Dr. Mega Subramaniam is a Professor and the Associate Dean for Faculty at the College of Information Studies at the University of Maryland. Her research focuses on enhancing the role of public and school libraries in fostering the mastery of digital literacies among non-dominant youth. Her work…
Kerry Tripp
Principal Lecturer, Family Science
Kerry Weil Tripp is a graduate of the Notre Dame Law School and practiced law in San Francisco and Baltimore. Her research looks at family law and public health issues through a legal lens. She teaches graduate and undergraduate law classes, including a study…