DEI Council

For the 2025-2026 academic year, the members of the SUNY Empire DEI Council are:

• Aley O'Mara, Training Coordinator, Center for Autism Advocacy: Research, Education, and Supports
• Melissa Zgliczynski, Director of Accessibility Resources and Services, Office of Student Life/Title IX
• Quran Bell, Student Success and Development Coordinator, Alumna (’21, ’22)
• Liv Thygesen, OAA- Student Success
• Sine Rofofusky, Student
• Lena Drissi, Student
• Erica Gedney, Administrative Assistant, Office of the President
• Francis Muccigrosso, Student Success
• Cherelle Hall, Enrollment Management
• Parul Khurana, School of Science, Math, and Technology
• Desiree Drindak, Director of Veteran and Military Resource Center
• Tonia Dunson-Dillard, Student Success
• Ariane Garwood, Student Success

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• Ade Byron, Program Manager, Office of Diversity Equity and Inclusion
• Aley O'Mara, Training Coordinator, Center for Autism Advocacy: Research, Education, and Supports
• Anne Sweet, Assistant Director of Veteran and Military Resource Center
• Christol Wright, Student
• Christy O' Callaghan-Leue, Academic Advisor/Professional Mentor for the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences
• Claudia Lovegrove, Visiting Assistant Professor of Spanish Language Bachelor of Business
• Cirita Moffett Martin, Academic Advisor
• Dana Brown, Senior Director of Enrichment an Opportunity Programs, Office of Academic Affairs
• David Fullard, Mentor and Visiting Associate Professor, School of Human Services
• Debra Monte, Assessment Specialist
• Desiree Drindak, Director of Veteran and Military Resource Center
• Frances Boyce, Mentor, School for Undergraduate Studies, School of Business
• John Lawless, Mentor and Professor, School for Community and Human Services
• Joshua Boardman, Interim Director of Student Engagement, Office of Student Success
• Kathy P. Hairston, Director of Academic Review
• Kristina Brousseau, Senior Institutional Research Coordinator, Office of Decision Support
• Lauren Allen, Mentor and Assistant Professor, School for Graduate Studies, Education, and Assistant Director of CAARES
• Lindsay Holcomb, Director of Human Resources, Office of Human Resources
• Luis Camacho, Mentor and Assistant Professor, School for Undergraduate Studies, School of Business
• Margaret Sithole, Mentor and Associate Professor, School for Undergraduate Studies, School of Business
• Melissa Zgliczynski, Director of Accessibility Resources and Services, Office of Student Life/Title IX
• Nadine Wedderburn, Associate Professor/ Mentor School of Social and Behavioral Sciences Department of Social Science and Public Affairs
• Nedelka McLean, Coordinator of Student Services, Harry Van Arsdale Jr. School for Labor Studies
• Noor Syed, Assistant Professor, Applied Behavior Analysis Founding Director & Susan H. Turben Director for Autism Advocacy, Center for Autism Advocacy: Research, Education and Supports (CAARES)
• Quran Bell, Student Success and Development Coordinator, Alumna (’21, ’22)
• Rodlyn Hines, Mentor and Assistant Professor, School of Human Services
• Sophia Mavrogiannis, Director of Academic Support, Harry Van Arsdale Jr. School for Labor Studies
• Theresa Higgins, Administrative Assistant 2, Office of Diversity Equity and Inclusion
• Tina Evans, Alumna (’97) and Member of the Empire State University Foundation

 

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For the 2025-2026 academic year, the members of the SUNY Empire DEI Council Working Groups are:

• Enhance retention and graduation rates for historically underserved students
• Develop micro-credential pathways that build inclusive competencies
• Foster sense of belonging through targeted programming and support services
• Address institutional barriers that impede academic achievement
• Strengthen recruitment and conversion of diverse student populations

• Support faculty development in inclusive online pedagogy and evidence-based practices
• Integrate DEI across the curriculum with a focus on intersectionality
• Enhance accessibility and support for students with disabilities and neurodiversity
• Develop language acquisition support initiatives
• Create international and global learning opportunities

• Implement a comprehensive talent management plan reflecting student demographics
• Enhance recruitment strategies to increase the underrepresented faculty/staff by 2% annually
• Ensure equitable tenure, promotion, and professional development processes
• Provide implicit bias training for all new hires
• Maintain 85% employee retention rate while diversifying workforce

• Create cross-divisional skill-building opportunities for collaborative work
• Improve employee and student perceptions of belonging and fair treatment
• Address disparities identified in climate surveys
• Foster mutual respect and inclusive communication practices
• Ensure every community member takes responsibility for advancing DEI

• Embed DEI in all administrative units, policies, and communications
• Develop data-driven decision-making culture using DEI metrics
• Implement nationally recognized DEISJB best practices
• Increase diverse representation in university media by 25%
• Pursue external grants and partnerships to advance DEI initiatives 

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