The Office of Inclusion and Diversity has a new assistant vice president for access and inclusive excellence. Ada K. Wilson from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill began work at Auburn, May 31.
Wilson attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and received a bachelor's degree in journalism and mass communication and a Juris Doctorate. Before working in higher education, she served with Williams Mullen Law Firm in Raleigh, North Carolina as an associate and at Huron Consulting as a legal consultant.
Wilson has previous experience with UNC's Office of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs. During her five years at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Wilson developed access programs for middle and high school students that provide opportunities for student engagement and development.
Wilson's areas of expertise include cultural competence, implicit bias, program design and curriculum development. She worked in the Gillings School of Global Public Health as interim coordinator for recruitment and outreach.
Working with Taffye Benson Clayton, vice president for inclusion and diversity, Wilson will work with student outreach programs and will develop an academic success management model for diverse students.
This model will emphasize underrepresented minority and first-generation students.
“As Auburn continues to foster a more inclusive campus environment, it is imperative that the Office of Inclusion and Diversity continue to develop distinctive programs that are intellectually and socially enriching,” said Clayton. “Ada Wilson is an energetic thought leader who brings a wealth of experience to our campus. I am confident she will work collaboratively with our academic and administrative units to help build Auburn’s inclusion and diversity initiatives into a national model.”
Wilson will manage the development of programs focused on recruiting and representing diverse students. Using research from Auburn's 2016 campus climate study, the leadership team under Wilson and Clayton will work to implement changes.
Working with campus partners, Wilson will collaborate to foster professional development and student mentoring opportunities with issues of inclusion and diversity taking the lead.
"Joining the vibrant and dynamic culture of Auburn University is exciting, and I look forward to forging meaningful and authentic relationships with students, faculty, staff and alumni,” Wilson said. “My hope is to continue promoting inclusive excellence at Auburn by cultivating experiences that affirm and empower the multiple and intersecting identities of all students."
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