Next Steps in Institutional Diversity Search

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Jan. 15, 2021) — University of Kentucky President Eli Capilouto announced in an email to faculty, staff and students today that the search for a new vice president for institutional diversity is underway. Please see the message below.

Dear Campus Community,

I am pleased this morning to announce a committee to help lead the national search for our next Vice President for Institutional Diversity (OID).

It is a committee, comprised of members who have worked long and hard, with passion and purpose, on an aspiration we all share – to make our community a more inclusive and accepting place for everyone.

The co-chairs of our search committee are:

• Dr. Trisha Clement-Montgomery, Acting Dean of Students; Co-Chair
• Dr. Bob DiPaola, Dean, UK College of Medicine; Co-Chair

Other members of the committee include:

• Dr. Cristina Alcalde, Associate Dean of Inclusion and Internationalization for the College of Arts and Sciences, Professor of Gender and Women’s Studies
• Dr. Chana Akins, Assistant Provost for Faculty Advancement Initiatives and Professor in the Department of Psychology
• Dr. Ihsan Bagby, Associate Professor of Modern and Classical Language, Literature and Cultures
• Dr. Mia Farrell, Assistant Dean and Director for Diversity in the College of Agriculture, Food and Environment
• Dr. Huajing Maske, Executive Director of the UK Confucius Institute and Director of the UK Office of China Initiatives.
• Dr. Everett McCorvey, Professor in the College of Fine Arts and Director of the UK Opera Theatre
• Mr. Joe Reed, Chief Accountability Officer and Audit Executive, Internal Audit
• Dr. Tukea Talbert, UK HealthCare Chief Diversity Officer

In the coming days, we will add representatives to the search committee from the University Senate, Staff Senate, and the Student Government Association.

I want to thank these campus members for taking on such an important role.

The committee will begin its work shortly with the goal of having a new leader for OID in place for the start of the 2021-2022 academic year. Fortunately, we have continued capable and experienced leadership for the Office for Institutional Diversity in Dr. George Wright in the interim.

And we have a compelling case to make to attract a national leader for this critically important position. We are more diverse than at any time in our history. We have demonstrated an intensive focus on, and commitment to, efforts around diversity, equity and inclusivity. Hundreds of members of our campus community are working on a range of exciting and important projects – some initiatives we will announce substantive progress on this semester; others will be the focus of years of sustained effort.

The range of issues we are addressing speaks to what only a flagship, land-grant institution like the University of Kentucky can do.

This is our moment to ensure that our aspirations as a community meet the reality of who we are and what we are becoming.

We plan to take it.

Eli Capilouto

President