IUP Values Me
Tanniel will graduate this December with a master’s degree in criminology and will pursue a career in victim advocacy. She completed her undergraduate criminology degree at IUP as well, graduating in May 2021. Tanniel has been a graduate assistant in the Social Equity and Title IX office for two years and has been an invaluable member of our team. She acted as a liaison to several student organizations and played an important role behind the scenes at several events, including last school year’s Unity Ball, implicit bias workshops with Justin Brown, and Reflecting on Afghanistan panel discussion. She also helped with tabling for the System-wide Campus Climate Survey, the Center for Multicultural Student Leadership and Engagement Lunch and Learns with Elise Glenn, and this fall’s campus visit by Anouar Rahmani. She has assisted with all aspects of public relations for events and created a new office logo. Through her work in our office, Tanniel said she has “seen firsthand what the university is doing for its diverse student population while acknowledging the work still to be done.” Congratulations on your graduation, and we thank you, Tanniel!
Staff Spotlight: Marveta Ryan-Sams
Marveta is a faculty member in the Department of Foreign Languages, where she teaches Spanish language and Latin American literature and culture. She has published articles and given conference presentations on Dominican, Cuban, and Puerto Rican literature about African and Native American heritage. Marveta is the coordinator of IUP’s Pan-African Studies program. In this role, she works with a faculty and staff committee to promote the academic study of issues affecting people of African descent in the United States and around the world. In addition to offering courses and a minor, the Pan-African Studies program sponsors and cosponsors events, including presentations by guest speakers and Lunch and Learns for Black History Month. Stay tuned this February! We thank you, Marveta!
A note about IUP Values Me: Each week, we highlight one student and one staff member to “shine a spotlight” on their leadership and involvement in campus programs and their great work assisting our campus community with diversity, equity, and inclusion and/or civil rights awareness. If you have a suggestion for an IUP community member to feature in this section, please email social-equity@iup.edu.
