Dear Faculty, Staff and Students,
I am delighted to announce that Professor of History Chia Youyee Vang has agreed to serve as UWM’s Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, starting January 3, 2022.
The Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) reports directly to me, is a member of the Chancellor’s Executive Cabinet, and serves as a campus leader providing strategic vision, policy direction, and operational oversight for DEI actions and results at UWM. The vice chancellor also leads the Division of DEI, which includes Equity/Diversity Services, McNair Scholars Program, Panther Foundations for Success, the WiscAMP STEM-Inspire Program, the Student Parent Success Program and the Multicultural Student Centers which include the American Indian Student Center, the Black Student Cultural Center, the Roberto Hernandez Center, and the Southeast Asian American Student Center. The Division of DEI leads the integration of diversity, equity, and inclusion principles into UWM’s actions and operations, and oversees the advancement and measurement of UWM’s DEI framework and action plan.
I am thrilled to appoint Dr. Vang to this position after a national search that yielded competitive candidates, significant campus input, and strong support for the process and resulting outcome. I am grateful for the service of the search and screen committee led by co-chairs Professor Kim Cosier and Associate Professor David Pate.
Dr. Vang brings significant experience to this position, including three years as an associate vice chancellor for the Division of Global Inclusion and Engagement (the former name of the Division of DEI) and 15 years in the UWM History Department, where she is a well-rounded teacher and scholar with a robust publishing record and strong commitment to students and instruction. In recent years, Dr. Vang has had instrumental roles in DEI work at UWM including leading a group to enact the Racial Justice and Equity Program, co-editing and co-authoring a new history book about contributions diverse groups have made and continue to make to UWM, and co-leading UWM’s roles to improve diversity, equity and inclusion in southeastern Wisconsin through participation in the MMAC Region of Choice and Milwaukee Anchor Collaborative, among other efforts. Outside of academia, Dr. Vang has more than 10 years of experience facilitating processes and developing opportunities for diverse communities.
Please join me in congratulating Dr. Vang on her new appointment.
Best regards,