The Graduate School announces changes in the Office of Recruitment and Diversity Initiatives. Dr. Manuel A. Perez-Quinones has served as Director of said office and Associate Dean of the Graduate School since August 2008. Since November of 2009, Dannette Gomez Beane has served as Assistant Director of the office.
Dr. Manuel A. Perez-Quinones has completed his term as Associate Dean and is returning to his home department, Computer Science, to resume his duties as professor and researcher. During his tenure at the Graduate School, the ORDI office went from a series of ideas and plans to support diversity at the Graduate School to what today is a series of well-defined programs making the Graduate School a more inclusive environment.
In the last 2 years, and under the direction of Dr. Perez-Quinones and Ms. Gomez Beane, the ORDI office has had many accomplishments; among them are the creation of a Global Diversity course that is part of the Transformative Graduate Education Initiative, the reorganization and leadership of the Coordinated School Visits Program, the creation of the Diversity Initiatives Program, and the Diversity Scholars program. In addition, the ORDI office co-sponsors many events on campus that celebrate diversity and that foster a more inclusive environment for graduate students.
Ms. Dannette Gomez Beane will become Director of the ORDI effective immediately. She will continue to lead us into the future of diversity and inclusiveness at the Graduate School.