Diversity and Inclusivity

Summary:

• Commitment to diversity and equity as a pre-requisite for effective education
• Over a decade of international faculty experience, the majority serving underrepresented and marginalized groups
• Proactive professional development in the development of intercultural pedagogy
• Administrative experience in roles requiring promotion and defense of diversity and equity
• Practical teaching strategies for intercultural development, anti-racist content and micro-affirmations

I believe that high levels of diversity in education (whether based in race, national identity, sexual and gender orientation, family and personal situations, ability levels, age, marriage status or any other demographic or viewpoint) is both inevitable and desirable. These issues require openness and awareness of differences in individuals as well as differences in culture. We all have relationships as faculty, mentors and peers that require proactive efforts to close gaps in cultural understanding, and ongoing efforts to comprehend our individual biases.

Direct experience and efforts

I have had the privilege to work with many globally underrepresented students, including 6 years working with female artists in the Arabian Gulf States as well as serving a very diverse student population at a large public university in the USA. Both of these very different experiences gave me the opportunity to better understand the perils of systemic injustice (and occasionally, the negative consequences of good faith efforts to redress it).

I have pursued professional development opportunities in intercultural pedagogy through the Purdue University Intercultural Pedagogy grant program, which includes both coursework and development of new programs or projects suited to intercultural development (please see CV).

In my position on the board of directors of the Society for Animation Studies (and Special Interest Group Lead), I have had the opportunity to help the SAS advance its equality and diversity agenda from an administrative perspective, including while short-listing potential board members and society positions, promoting Special Interest Groups related to enhancing representation, and ensuring compliance with these issues from potential conference hosts. 

As a member of numerous departmental hiring committees I have participated directly in navigating conflicting equity agendas and university policies.

I have successfully received funding for intercultural exchange and public art production (please see CV), as well as delivering invited animation workshops for marginalized and isolated communities.

In all of my teaching positions, I have received excellent ratings for questions related to respect for students, and creating fair and conducive learning environments (examples available by request).

Practical strategies for inclusivity

I have used elements of the Intercultural Development Inventory within class activities. This rubric helps users understand stages of intercultural development – Denial, Polarization, Minimization, Acceptance, Adaptation – and to understand the characteristics of progression through these stages.

When developing and delivering course content, I strive to adopt antiracist content (for example). This is particularly important when teaching in cultures not traditionally well represented in the animation and digital art histories.