Week of October 28-November 1

Volume 11, Issue 7

“I do not like carving the world into segments; we are one world.” —Indira Gandhi, first female prime minister of India (Learn more.)

Student Spotlight: Jasmine Bishnoi

An international student from India, Jasmine is in her third year of the English/Literature and Criticism doctoral program. Her research will focus on feminist activism, specifically on how South Asian women’s literature reshapes narratives of gender, identity, and resistance to systemic oppression. As a graduate assistant in the Women’s and Gender Studies program, Jasmine helped coordinate events addressing issues of gender equity, intersectionality, and the empowerment of women and marginalized voices. She is a member of the local American Association of University Women (AAUW) chapter and was the recent recipient of its scholarship award. Jasmine is currently a teaching associate in the Department of Language, Literature, and Writing, and she aims to integrate inclusivity into her role and to empower students from all backgrounds. She has spearheaded a series of cultural exchange programs that brought together diverse student organizations, such as the South Asian Student Association (SASA), for which she has served as vice president since 2023. She also has organized programming to promote understanding and unity among international students, celebrating their unique cultural identities while addressing everyday challenges. Jasmine earned two master’s degrees in India, has spoken at numerous conferences, and has won several awards for her work. She says she is committed to bridging cultures and fostering inclusion, and she sees her time at IUP as an opportunity to continue to amplify the voices of women and other underrepresented groups and to advocate for meaningful and lasting change. We thank you, Jasmine!

Staff Spotlight: Bryant Pinder

Bryant is a navigator in the University College and the Academic Success Center and an IUP graduate. The Navigator program is designed to promote student success by providing support through individualized guidance, coaching, and mentorship. Bryant serves as the single point of contact for his assigned students, along with their families, throughout their careers at IUP. He is proud to inspire and assist them in achieving success—here at IUP and in the next phase of their lives. “My door is always open,” Bryant says, and he provides a safe space for students to talk, to get help with their assignments and financial issues, and to enrich their personal growth. He is passionate about helping in other ways on campus, including through public speaking and singing engagements and as an advisor and co-advisor for three student organizations: the NAACP student chapter, UBORA Men of IUP, and the URBN Dance Team. He can also be seen in a variety of IUP media campaigns, spreading the word about the navigators, freshman orientation, and other IUP initiatives. We thank you, Bryant!

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 (DEI) and/or civil rights awareness.

Digest issues are emailed every Monday morning. Send all information concerning your event to social-equity@iup.edu, and we will include it in the appropriate weekly issue. Please be sure to enter your event in the online DIVERSITY, STUDENT, and CENTRAL CALENDARS so that it will receive wider marketing and achieve greater attendance.

Elise Glenn

Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer/Title IX Coordinator

B-17 Delaney Hall

social-equity@iup.edu

title-ix@iup.edu