Welcome Miriam!

The Office of Institutional Equity and Diversity is pleased to announce that Dr. Miriam Chitiga has joined the office as the Senior Director for Intercultural Engagement.

Dr. Miriam Chitiga holds a Ph.D. in Educational Administration and a Graduate Certificate in interdisciplinary Gender Studies, from the University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC. She also earned an M.A. in Applied Linguistics as well as a Graduate Diploma in Teacher Education from the University of Zimbabwe. She is an experienced professor who has achieved tenure and Full Professor rank, chaired doctoral dissertations, and served as a higher education administrator; Miriam worked several years at Claflin University in South Carolina, Fayetteville State University in North Carolina and more recently at Warner Pacific University in Oregon. She has provided high quality national and global professional development and training for transformational leadership for diversity, inclusion, equity, belonging and social justice for students, faculty, community and federal government leaders and currently holds a Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship.

––– Upcoming Community Events –––

Sept 4th - Buffalo Soldiers Museum - hosts a Labor Day Festival honoring our military labor force at Cheney Stadium. more

Sept 7, 14, 21, & 28 - Tacoma Art Museum - Free Neighborhood Nights from 5:00 - 8:00 pm.

Sept 9th - Tacoma Public Library - Read & Rant: the South Sound's LGBTQ+ Book Club (Adults) 11:00 am – 1:30 pm Moore Branch
Description: Join us for a monthly LGBTQ+ book club discussion, on the 2nd Saturday of the month! September's title is: The Kingdom of Sand by Andrew Holleran.

Sept 21 - WA History Museum - FREE Third Thursday from 3:00 pm to 8:00 pm!

Sept 23 - WA History Museum - Feminista Frequencies - from 5:30 - 7:00 pm De La Torre will discuss her first book, "Feminista Frequencies: Community Building through Radio in the Yakima Valley," which tracks the emergence of Chicano community radio in rural farmworker communities in the 1970s.

OIED Summer in Review

Northwest 5

The University of Puget Sound hosted this year’s NW5 Faculty of Color Conference and Retreat. The NW5 is a consortium of five Northwest Colleges and Universities which includes Lewis and Clark College, Reed college, Whitman College, Willamette University and the University of Puget Sound. This was an opportunity for faculty of color from all five institutions to share ideas about pedagogy and research as well as share experiences of navigating their roles as faculty of color in predominantly white institutions. The conference/retreat also provided these faculty members with an opportunity to develop connections, make friends and enjoy engaging in relaxing and rejuvenating activities such as hiking trails, printmaking and yoga. This event was designed and co-facilitated by Dean Julie Christoph and Dr. Hernandez Jarvis.

Intergroup Dialogue Training

In the last week of June VP Hernandez Jarvis along with her Co-presenter, Dr. Deirdre Johnston brought together a group of primarily Student Involvement Program staff and student leaders for a 4 day workshop on Intergroup Dialogue and Diversity Education that included topics such as:

Setting the Environment for Effective Dialogue Across Differences
Developing Communication Skills
Exploring Social Identities
Leaning in to Conflict, Emotions, & Triggers
Being an Ally for Social Justice

The goal of this workshop is to develop trained facilitators who can implement opportunities and programs to engage in dialogues leading to deeper understanding of social identity (and other) differences.

Summer Academic Challenge (SAC) kicked off its 33rd consecutive summer program on June 29th. Students going into 7th through 12th grade were invited to campus to explore and expand their knowledge of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics (STEAM) through project based learning. Highlights of the summer included an outdoor lab at Dash Point with Professor Peter Hodum, painting with bioluminescent bacteria with Professor Mark Martin, and exploring Professor Luc Boisvert's chemistry lab. The program concluded on July 27th, with a keynote address by the program's founder, Dr. David Scott, followed by the presentation of final projects, and the receiving of SAC completion certificates.

WHAT'S HAPPENING ON CAMPUS

Affinity groups - Be sure to check out the newly revamped Social Justice Center great room!

Out of state students - If the coming cold catches you off guard, don't forget that the clothing closet at 3219 N 13th Street has winter wear available!

Suggested Reading for September in Honor of Hispanic Heritage Month

Finding Latinx by Paola Ramos

In Finding Latinx, Ramos embeds a collection of stories gathered from numerous individuals from the Latinx community, as well as her own story as an author from the community, to delve into how the term “Latinx” is defined. She delves into the history of Latinx cultures, as well as highlighting the voices of the individuals that have found solidarity and significance behind using the term.

Living Beyond Borders: Growing Up Mexican in America by Margarita Longoria

This book encapsulates the experiences and pieces of media that multiple authors from the Latinx community have contributed, weaving a narrative that informs and empowers the reader.

Trust by Hernan Diaz

In this Pulitzer-Prize winning novel interlaying topics of money, power, class, and the dynamics of relationships, Diaz tells a story that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. This narrative is not only intriguing; it speaks to deeper systems of power and privilege throughout the modern century, inspiring the reader to reflect.

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