23-24 Annual Report | Office of Transformational and Inclusive Excellence (2024)

Our Approach to Transformational Excellence

Transformational Excellence is a continuous process through which individuals and units actively and intentionally use an intersectional lens to innovate and improve processes, experiences, and policies. The goal is for inclusive excellence to be intentionally embedded into all processes and policies, as well as throughout the Miami community collectively. Through these proactive steps, we embrace transformation to more fully reflect an inclusive and intersectional Miami. In our everyday work as well as in our short and long-term strategizing and planning, the following core values guide our efforts:

Intersectional Lens

We recognize the multiple identities and experiences of individuals in the Miami community to be a fully inclusive and accessible community. We strive to foster an environment in which all are welcomed, valued, treated fairly, respected, and able to thrive. We are committed to examining and thoughtfully addressing how policies, practices, and structures impact the multiple identities of individuals, in the service of building a more inclusive Miami.

Justice, Equity, and Fairness

We are committed to eliminating systems of inequality, supporting and promoting inclusive opportunities, and ensuring that different perspectives are heard and valued in order to ensure a more just, equitable, and fair Miami community. In line with this commitment, we approach both interactions and policies with a focus on respect, dignity, and fairness.

Trust and Vulnerability

As members of the Miami community, we are committed to building a fair and respectful campus that values trust-based collaboration and partnerships. Through a culture of transparency, empathy, compassion, and active listening we strive to create trust and vulnerability where all perspectives are respected.

Collaborative Leadership

We are stronger, more innovative, and more creative in our approaches and data-informed solutions because we draw on the breadth and depth of our shared experiences and expertise. We intentionally nurture open spaces of trust and dialogue so we can bring our full authentic selves. We are committed to supporting and uplifting individuals and groups as we work together to bring about systemic, transformational change for the Miami community.

Innovation and Creativity

We approach innovation and creativity through data-informed strategies that focus on identifying and addressing opportunities for growth within the Miami community. Through awareness, education, and professional development, we work to expand the knowledge of the Miami community. We provide and encourage practical and sustainable solutions for continued innovation.

Accountability

We foster a culture of collective accountability through transparency and dialogue. We empower the Miami community through knowledge and resource sharing, interactive engagement, and practical skill development which encourages shared responsibility.

In the Office for Transformational and Inclusive Excellence we understand that to be excellent we need to be intentionally inclusive, and in 2023-2024 we continued our work to more fully support and lead the Miami community in our inclusive excellence journey. This means we center and move forward university-wide efforts that contribute to capacity-building, systemic change, and cultural transformation through research, innovation, and collaboration. We understand that we’re a stronger community, within and across units, when we recognize and work to communicate across differences and to meet common goals.

In OTIE, I am very fortunate to work with an amazingly skilled and talented collaborative team. The initiatives and projects we focus on and lead, and the university-wide collaboration we value and center to embed inclusive excellence across Miami, would not be possible without this team’s efforts. We are also grateful for the efforts of so many other colleagues across Miami who use their expertise and skills to continue to move our community forward.

Our comprehensive approach to building a more inclusive Miami is multipronged, and this Spring semester we shared the results of the “Your Voice. Your Miami” 2023 climate survey as another way to better understand our community’s experiences and needs and proactively identify ways to continue to make progress. We undertook the climate survey because we are committed to doing the work that is necessary to ensure an inclusive, welcoming, and accessible Miami, and we look forward to drawing on the findings as we develop additional initiatives.

We understand that our inclusive excellence journey is ongoing, and are excited to recognize our progress and accomplishments even as we recognize that there is still much work to be done. This year, Miami again received Insight into Diversity’s HEED award, making this Miami’s fourth consecutive year winning this national award in recognition of our inclusive excellence and diversity efforts. We also congratulate Libraries, Farmer School of Business, and Alumni Relations for the unit-specific awards from Insight into Diversity in those areas. Miami also appeared on Forbes America’s Best Employers for Diversity 2024 list, as No. 16 overall and as the only institution from the Education industry listed in the top 29.

Building on this year’s efforts and looking to 2024-25, one initiative we are especially excited about is the university-wide roll-out of Constructive Dialogue. This initiative is central to our ongoing efforts to equip Miami students, and more broadly the Miami community, with critical skills to effectively communicate across differences of perspectives, values, and belief systems. This Spring we partnered with ASPIRE, the Honors College, and the Menard Family Center for Democracy to launch the Constructive Dialogue Initiative. After a very successful pilot with about 100 student leaders, we are ready for the university-wide roll-out in 2024-25, which will include student, faculty, and staff components and support.

It has been another very busy year in OTIE and throughout Miami, and the OTIE team is proud of the accomplishments across Miami, and excited to continue to collaborate to move forward systemic, transformational change to ensure Miami is an inclusive space for all. We invite you to read about ongoing and new initiatives, accomplishments, and plans in this annual report.

In the context of our commitment to an inclusive Miami community, OTIE developed “Building an Inclusive Miami,” a two-hour facilitated discussion on inclusive leadership and organizational change for teams across Miami. This new offering became available during Fall 2022. The interactive facilitated discussion centers the interconnections between individual identities and experiences, and system-wide practices, policies, and change. Through the lenses of organizational change processes, the facilitated discussion provides opportunities to individually and collaboratively identify components of an inclusive organization and apply this knowledge to evaluation of policies and practices in your units and organization more broadly. It also provides an opportunity to identify plans for next steps individually and as a team within the framework of organizational change in the service of an ever more inclusive Miami.

This past year we had 10 workshops (representing 10 units across the university) with 266 participants. This resulted in 509 hours of facilitated conversations with faculty and staff to reflect and consider ways of making our community more inclusive.

During the 2023-2024 academic year, the Office of Transformational and Inclusive Excellence (OTIE) engaged in a multitude of programmatic initiatives with academic and divisional units, as well as with student groups and leaders. In fact, we had over 56 points of partnership throughout the year with 37 of those partnerships being unique partners: 19 were academic units, 7 student groups, 8 divisional units or faculty and staff associations, and 3 off-campus partners.

OTIE’s offerings have encompassed Heritage and History Month Programming, Constructive Dialogue, Reimagining the Academy Conference, and much more. Throughout the year we have offered 66 events with a total of 7,565 attendees of faculty, staff, and students. This is 19 more programs than last year and an increase of 4,589 attendees (154% increased event engagement).

During 2023-2024, OTIE’s social media reach saw a massive increase of both reach and impressions. We are excited to be one of the highest-yielding social media platforms at Miami University. Our Instagram account has had steady engagement with target audiences throughout the academic year. Social media utilization and optimization have allowed for more streamlined communications with Miami students, faculty, staff, and the community at large. By increasing OTIE’s social media reach, we have been able to increase awareness of resources and programming offered by OTIE, along with educational opportunities through silent programming and promotion of partnered events.

This year, we piloted our first social media-based event: Scholar Spotlights. This newly created series will allow us to engage with our audience in new ways and feature members of our community who are contributing to building a more inclusive Miami through their research, initiatives, programming, and more. The pilot program for this initiative had over 130 viewers and featured graduate student Amanda Kaufman and her master’s thesis research which focuses on LGBTQ+ identities in intercollegiate athletics.

In addition to the expanded Religious Observances and Inclusive Scheduling calendar from last year, we have grown this resource to offer posters that highlight key observances for our community. These posters were created and selected based on the largest religious, spiritual, and secular groups identified through the 2023 “Your Voice. Your Miami” Campus Climate Survey. These posters will provide Miami University community members more in-depth education and understanding of key dates for our campus community.

This year we also partnered with Intercollegiate Athletics and University Communications and Marketing to begin to prepare a new educational campaign for 2024-2025 centering educational videos about high holidays and observances recognized by our campus community. These videos (30-45 seconds long) will feature Miami University undergraduate and graduate students who identify as members of the community.The videos will showcase brief educational information about the observance (ex. Hindu student-athlete Nishi Saravanan is featured in the video about Diwali, which explains the holiday and customs). Each of these videos will be featured at sporting events prior to the observance, to foster more cultural awareness and understanding.

A fully inclusive Miami community includes a welcoming climate for faculty, staff, students and the broader community of different religious, secular, and spiritual identities. Through interfaith programming we invite people from various worldviews and religious backgrounds to come together for workshops, dialogues, and events to promote interfaith dialogue, education, and collaboration. Our intersectional approach provides our campus community an opportunity to learn about the various identities and practices in our community, as we each learn how variables shape and impact experiences. These initiatives are open to people of all faith traditions, including those who identify as secular or non-religious in an effort to foster an environment where all perspectives are valued and respected.

This year Miami participated in the Interfaith, Spiritual, Religious, and Secular Campus Climate (INSPIRES) Index, which measures efforts to establish a welcoming climate for students of different worldviews and religious backgrounds. We received a score of three out of five stars, and continue to identify ways to develop our interfaith programming and resources. In OTIE wee hosted over 10 events, educational programs, and experiences for faculty, staff, and students. These events included experiences such as panel discussions: (1) Thriving as LGBTQ+ individuals in Religious and Spiritual Spaces, (2) Making the Invisible Visible: Celebrating Black Faith Traditions, (3) Heritage and History Month Celebrations, (4) Understanding & Combating Islamophobia: How to create a safe space and support our Campus Communities (workshop), (5) Unpacking Antisemitism on College Campuses Today (multiple workshops), (6) Interfaith site visits to The Nancy and David Wolf Humanities and Holocaust Center and (7) the Islamic Center of Greater Cincinnati. For more information about OTIE’s interfaith programming, visit our Interfaith Engagement webpage to learn how you can be a part of the experiences.

In the context of our commitment to an inclusive Miami community, OTIE developed “Building an Inclusive Miami,” a two-hour facilitated discussion on inclusive leadership and organizational change for teams across Miami. This new offering became available during Fall 2022. The interactive facilitated discussion centers the interconnections between individual identities and experiences, and system-wide practices, policies, and change. Through the lenses of organizational change processes, the facilitated discussion provides opportunities to individually and collaboratively identify components of an inclusive organization and apply this knowledge to evaluation of policies and practices in your units and organization more broadly. It also provides an opportunity to identify plans for next steps individually and as a team within the framework of organizational change in the service of an ever more inclusive Miami.

This past year we had 10 workshops (representing 10 units across the university) with 266 participants. This resulted in 509 hours of facilitated conversations with faculty and staff to reflect and consider ways of making our community more inclusive.

To advance a more inclusive Miami for all, Leadership Councils continued to meet with the Office of Transformational and Inclusive Excellence (OTIE) regularly during 2023-2024.These councils include the Academic Leadership Council, Divisional Leadership Council, and the Student Advisory Council. Academic and Divisional Councils meet monthly, and the Student Advisory Council meets twice a semester.

To end the 2023-2024 academic year, the Councils came together to participate in two workshops connected to antisemitism and Islamophobia: Understanding & Combating Islamophobia: How to create a safe space and support our Campus Communities workshop facilitated by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), and Unpacking Antisemitism on College Campuses Today facilitated by the American Jewish Committee. Furthermore. The Councils were also included in two site visits this year - one to The Nancy and David Wolf Humanities and Holocaust Center and the other to the Islamic Center of Greater Cincinnati. These opportunities were a space for our Academic and Divisional Leadership teams to come together in community to dialogue and explore how we can all better serve our Jewish and Muslim students in our respective areas.

We are incredibly grateful for the work Miami faculty and staff leaders take on regularly to make Miami more inclusive, and recognize the significant efforts involved in this work.

OTIE, in collaboration with the Office of the Provost, launched a new Inclusive Excellence Faculty Fellows program. In recognition of the efforts and role of faculty in fostering a more inclusive Miami, this program is a professional development opportunity for faculty to deepen their knowledge and expertise as leaders in actively advancing change. Fellows collaborate with OTIE in the Fellow’s chosen area, as well as collaborate more broadly on programming and initiatives, to advance Miami’s inclusive excellence approach.

Our inaugural Faculty Fellows were Dr. Anita Mannur (English), Dr. Haifei Shi (Biology), and Dr. Fauzia Ahmed (Sociology and Gerontology). Both Dr. Mannur and Dr. Shi worked on building the infrastructure and resources needed to launch a faculty mentoring program. They collected data through surveys sent to chairs and tenure-track faculty, to see what was being offered and the needs our tenure-track faculty have as it relates to mentoring. With this data to inform next steps, they hosted two workshops: (1) tenure-track in-person experience to build community and dig deeper to explore the needs of tenure-track faculty and (2) another workshop for interested mentors to gain some skills and strategies to be effective mentors. The Faculty Fellows also researched best practices and resources, to build a Tenure Line Faculty Mentoring Program webpage with useful information. OITE and the Office of the Provost look forward to drawing on this strong foundation to explore ways to move these efforts forward.

Dr. Ahmed’s project was centered on a research project that explored the needs of international faculty at Miami. This project yielded insights that will be helpful for both OTIE and the Office of the Provost moving forward, as we consider the best way forward in supporting our international faculty.

We are also excited to announce our 2024-2025 Faculty Fellow, Dr. Naaborle Sackeyfio, whose project will be focused on faculty wellness and empowerment, engaging in restorative practices to re-imagine work life synergies at Miami.

Following-up on the success of our award-winning DEI in Leadership Certificate, we have expanded and re-structured the offering. This year we had 154 external enrollments. The series is designed for mid- and senior-level leaders in corporate, nonprofit, and education sectors. The concise, 45-minute modules focus on knowledge and strategies and are facilitated by Miami faculty and staff content experts. We have added four modules, so that our 14 modules now include:

• Bias, Stereotypes, and Microaggressions
• Race and Anti-Racism
• LGBTQ+ Identities
• Ableism and Inclusion
• Allyship and Advocacy
• Cultural Intelligence
• Strategies for Workplace Inclusiveness
• Intercultural Communication in a Globalized World
• Healthcare Inequities and Inclusion
• Age and Ageism
• Indigenous Perspectives: Miami Nation
• Emotional Well-Being
• Masculinities in the Workplace
• Intergroup Dialogue

These topics reflect our inclusive and broad approach to diversity and inclusion. Modules have been organized into three tracks to better serve specific sectors. The tracks are Inclusive Workplaces, Coalition-Building, and Health Equity.

The DEI in Leadership Certificate has appeared in Insight into Diversity, the Cincinnati Magazine, and through LinkedIn ads and is a great way to engage in professional development for leaders across sectors.

We are honored to uplift and recognize the award recipients of the 2023-2024 University Inclusive Excellence Awards with a total of 8 recipients in five award categories.

The first award, Ray of Light, recognizes members of the Miami University community who have demonstrated, advanced, or promoted activities, programs, or actions that have supported campus efforts to help enrich the experiences for faculty, staff, and students. The recipients of this award were Keisha Norris (CEC) and Seth Seward (Alumni Relations).

The second award is the Inclusive Excellence Distinguished Service Award which recognizes the creative/academic contributions of a unit steeped in a consistent record of service that has highlighted or supported diversity and inclusion or directly shaped and positively affected the meaning and understanding of diversity and inclusion on campus. The recipients of this award was the LSAMP Advisory Board.

The third award category was Diversity Event of the Year Award which recognizes an individual or group who hosted an event or series that engaged the campus community in a meaningful diversity and inclusion experience. The recipient of this award was the Electric Root Festival.

The fourth award category was Diversity and Inclusion Student Advocate Award which recognizes a current undergraduate or graduate student who has worked tirelessly on campus and/or the local community to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion. The recipients of these awards were Payton Smith (Undergraduate) and Wilnelly Ventura Valentin (Graduate).

Lastly, the final category was Institutional Inclusive Excellence Award which recognizes trailblazers on campus who have led or impacted a policy shift, innovative programming, or demonstrated scholarly opportunities for the Miami community to engage in diversity and inclusion activities directly on campus. The recipients of this award were Patti Liberatore (CCA) and Ande Durojaiye (CLAAS).

Each of these individuals and units have been instrumental in moving forward inclusive excellence initiatives at Miami University, and we look forward to recognizing all the great work taking place here by recognizing individuals, groups, and/or units every year.

The 2023-2024 year saw a large increase in engagement on the Office of Transformational and Inclusive Excellence’s (OTIE) main social media account compared to last year’s engagement. The OTIE Instagram account saw a 16% increase in followers from October 2023 to April 2024, or an increase of 307 followers. The OTIE Instagram saw a total of 231,134 accounts engaging with our content, at 220% increase of accounts engaged. The account reach, or number of individuals seeing OTIE’s content, reached a high of 126,146, an increase of 950% in reach. Account impressions, or the number of times OTIE content was displayed to our audience, reached 267,542, or an increase of 29%.

The OTIE Instagram account also saw an increase of 7,739 new content interactions, an increase of 125%. Total content interactions can be broken down into 7,447 post interactions, 250 reels or video interactions, and 42 story interactions.

Content reach included four (4) top cities, with audience engagement from Oxford, OH at 53.6%, Columbus, OH at 3.6%, Cincinnati, OH at 3%, and Hamilton, OH at 2.4%. OTIE’s account audience is primarily women with 72.1% of accounts engaged identifying as women, and 27.8% of accounts engaged identifying as men. Top age ranges for this group can be broken down as follows:

• 18-24 years old: 56%
• 25-34 years old: 14.8%
• 35-44 years old: 8.4%
• 45-54 years old: 7.8%

This engagement included 4,048 profile visits, and 253 LinkTree visits directly from the Instagram account bio information. The LinkTree provided users with related resources across campus, supporting materials for heritage month programming, workshops, and the Reimagining the Academy Conference in one convenient location.

During the 2023-2024 academic year, four editions of the newsletter, The Miami Pulse, were published, featuring content spotlight interviews of faculty, staff, student, and campus initiatives or individuals who are conducting inclusive excellence work for the community. Newsletter editions also highlighted research publications of community members who have recent publications connected to inclusive excellence topics, and information regarding OTIE’s initiatives, announcements, and leadership opportunities. We are also excited to spotlight initiatives, faculty, staff, and students across Miami in every issue, and welcome submissions for announcements through a submission form on the OTIE website.

OTIE continued our internal Marketing and Communications Plan to outline the policies and procedures surrounding inclusive excellence communications across campus and with the community. This plan featured the integration of utilizing university-wide digital screen advertisem*nts, both at Oxford and at the Regionals campuses, along with more streamlined communications with Regionals campuses as a whole. This plan also included the creation and distribution of monthly event calendars shared with both Oxford and Regionals campuses on A-frame posters featuring each month’s programming and event information, and the addition of 11x17 posters to place in academic buildings and residence halls to increase student reach. OTIE’s Marketing and Communications Plan also included the continued building and solidification of partnerships across campus with key stakeholders. These partnerships have allowed for a wider-reach of educational content and a larger share of programmatic materials for a higher quality of continued engagement with our office programs and initiatives.

During the 2023-2024 academic cycle, OTIE placed a variety of external advertisem*nts with both print and digital media outlets to share messaging surrounding varied initiatives. These outlets included The Dayton Jewish Observer (April 2024, September 2024, December 2024), National Civil Rights Conference (June 2023), Faculty Women of Color in the Academy Conference (April 2024), Insight Into Diversity (January 2024, March 2024), and Oxford NAACP Chapter (April 2024). In an effort to increase its visibility, OTIE continues to seek new avenues of communications with the community to have a wider reach and continued intentionality behind advertisem*nts.

In Spring 2023, the Office of Transformational and Inclusive Excellence (OTIE) launched “Your Voice, Your Miami.” Campus Climate Survey 2023. The purpose of this survey was to more fully understand the perceptions and experiences of students, faculty and staff, evaluate progress on climate issues, and identify next steps for Miami. We partnered with INSIGHT Into Diversity Viewfinder® as our vendor for the survey. The survey was open over a 5-week timespan (January 25 - March 1) and prizes were connected to these five weeks to incentivize faculty, staff, and student participation. The result was a total of 4423 respondents, 1785 faculty and 2638 students.

Over the past academic year, we have worked closely with INSIGHT Into Diversity Viewfinder® to develop a report of the data collected. Based on the analysis OTIE hosted three campus-wide presentations to share the findings with faculty, staff, and students. The presentations were held on Tuesday, April 30th and Wednesday, May 1st, on Oxford Campus and Thursday, May 2nd at Hamilton Campus. After each presentation done by the Vice President, Office of Transformational and Inclusive Excellence, attendees were able to participate in a data walk where they engaged with the data and provided constructive feedback and suggestions for next steps. OTIE also added the presentation to the website, so faculty, staff, and students who were unable to attend could still review the data and provide feedback and recommendations.

The feedback and recommendations submitted through this process will be used to help identify next steps moving forward.

As part of OTIE’s comprehensive and multi-method climate approach we launched two task forces: (1) LGBTQ+ Task Force launched Spring 2023 and (2) Accessibility Task Force launched in Fall 2023. The LGBTQ+ Task Force over the past year and a half did an institutional audit of offerings, services, policies, and historical moments at Miami and researched national best practices to inform a final report with recommendations for Miami University. The report was submitted June 2024 to OTIE. The task force was composed of 15 task force members: 5 staff, 5 faculty, 4 students, and 1 alumni.

Similarly, the Accessibility Task Force convened and determined that an Accessibility-Informed Programming Toolkit for all faculty, staff, and students to support accessibility on a large-scale at the institution. The group assessed current inclusive programming resources on campus, evaluated gaps in resources, and compiled resources and supportive networks to create an Accessibility-Informed Programming Toolkit for use by the Miami community. The task force was composed of 21 task force members: 14 staff, 2 faculty, and 5 students. The tool kit will be available on OTIE’s website and partners in the fall. The report with recommendations was submitted July 2024.

1. The Graduate School revised the Diversity Enhancement Pathway program to the Graduate Inclusive Excellence Scholars program. This reenvisioned program will focus on recognizing our GIES scholars in public ways and including these students in efforts to build community and graduate student support.
2. The Graduate Research Forum 2023 had 95 graduate students present their research and creative work on November 3rd.
3. Thanks to the generous donations from alumni and friends of the Graduate School, the Graduate School was able to raise the largest amount to date ($2,400) in funds for the Graduate School Emergency Support Fund during #MoveInMiami.
4. Information Technology (IT) held the Annual IT Services Diversity Film Festival, this year's film festival focused on LGBTQIA+ issues and media. Three short films were watched: Embrace, The Real Thing, and Ode to Pablo.
5. Miami’s AccessMU Center, in partnership with the Miller Center for Student Disability Services and partners across the university, hosted the 8th Annual Access for All - Accessibility Symposium on Friday, October 24th, 2023. This event brings together faculty, staff, and students to discuss current issues and trends in accessible technology, disability studies, and universal design.
6. During Fall 2023, the Miami University Libraries began implementing the recommendations within the Libraries' Commitment to Inclusive Excellence, the Libraries Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Strategic Plan. Developed in 2022-2023, the plan will be implemented over the next three years.
7. Building on the momentum from the project's launch, the Miami University Libraries have continued to be involved in the Lived Experiences project. This has included partnering with Lane Library and the City of Oxford to develop the exhibition Lived Experiences: Black History in Oxford From the Distant to the Recent Past - which included an opening keynote by Dr. Caronlyn Jefferson-Jenkins - and holding StoryCenter workshops for Miami faculty. Project members have also been busy sharing their project and work at various conferences across the country.
8. The Miami University Libraries have embarked on a project that centers around supporting Black and Latino males. In addition to the amazing support the Miami Libraries already offer students, Student Success Librarians provide targeted communication to this identified population through a Personal Librarian "Plus" program (PL+), specialized workshops, and coordinated care for students through EAB Navigate.
9. This fall, Jim Ryan and his wife Michelle added a new $1 million gift from their foundation to double the size of the existing Ryan Family Scholars Program. This will add additional internship support for all program participants while also creating a new research institute, the Ryan Institute for Opportunity in Education. The institute will focus on determining the predictive indicators of success for underrepresented and first-generation students and exploring key factors to upward social mobility. It is the largest gift in the Farmer School of Business's history dedicated to the research of social mobility, poverty alleviation, and predicting success factors.
10. Michelle Thomas and the FSB Passport Program in the Farmer School of Business were featured in the October Inside Higher Ed article, Involving First-Gen Families.
11. Grainger Foundation contributed $1 million to create Grainger Scholars which is designed to support key initiatives in the Farmer School of Business and the John W. Altman Institute for Entrepreneurship. Scholarship supports first generation students and students from underserved populations. Funds will also support internship opportunities for Grainger Scholars as well as a new assistant director role for Passport and Ryan Scholars.
12. In Fall 2023, the LEADS Institute in the College of Arts and Science received a $50,000 donation from Mark and Kristina McCombe to establish the McCombe Study Abroad Scholars Fund to be utilized to support student abroad experiences for undergraduate students actively participating in one of the LEADS Institute signature scholars programs.
13. University Communications and Marketing, in partnership with the LGBTQ+ Task Force and OTIE, created the RedHawks Pride logo/graphic that will be debuting in June for pride month. First LGBTQIA+ affirming graphic made for the University as a whole that is not for a training or individual organization.
14. University Communications and Marketing supported the 2023 Campus Climate Project through their creation of the Campus Climate Survey website and graphics for campus-wide, in-person presentations.
15. University Communications and Marketing designed and installed artwork in and around the new Miami Tribe Room in MacMillan Hall.
16. The Performing Arts Series Radical Hospitality Fellowship Community of Practice led by Dr. Stephanie Danker and Zack Tucker is a vibrant space where individuals from diverse backgrounds converge to cultivate a culture of radical hospitality to enact in their classrooms and the Electric Root Festival. Fellows will engage in a continuous exchange of ideas, experiences, and innovative practices that encourage an intentional approach to diversity, equity, inclusion, access, and representation in the classroom. Through sustained dialogue, shared learning, and collaborative projects, the fellowship will foster a supportive environment for its fellows to explore, experiment, and co-create paradigms of radical hospitality that extend beyond disciplinary boundaries and facilitate connections between students within their communities.
17. Performing Arts Series worked with Miami University Libraries and Alumni Relations to bring Pulitzer Prize winning and author Rita Dove virtually to campus. They participated on a panel of faculty and students as well as an engaged audience. Dove spoke of her time at Miami and answered young poet's questions about her work and career path.
18. The Electric Root Festival returned to Oxford and Miami for a third year this May with a new focus on local artists and the inaugural Electric Root Festival Community Choir. The Choir came together from campus and community members, under the leadership of renowned vocalist and choir director C. Anthony Bryant, to sing rousing versions of well known songs from Ain't No Mountain High Enough to the Electric Slide.
19. RedHawk Talks, hosted by the Graduate School, was held on Wednesday, April 10 in the Shriver Center John Dolibois Room C. These talks were TedTalk style presentations and students received extensive coaching in preparation for the event. There were 12 graduate students who participated.
20. The International Graduate Student Association hosted an array of vibrant events to create a welcoming environment for international students. Kicking off with "Hot Chocolate and Board Games Night" on January 11th, students bonded over games and cozy drinks. "Movie Night" on February 21st brought cinematic joy, while "Hoppy Easter" on March 19th added festive fun. The Graduate Student Appreciation Week Dinner, which the Graduate School co-hosted with the Graduate Student Association on April 9th, celebrated our scholars' hard work. A delicious "Cultural Day Potluck" on May 3rd showcased diverse cuisines, culminating in a spirited Annual General Meeting on May 8th.
21. Cathy Almquist, Chemical Engineering faculty, hosted Mary Kinsella, PhD. Mary is a Career Strategy Coach and CEO at Her Engineering Career where she helps women in engineering and science enjoy impactful careers with ease and confidence. The seminar helped individuals in STEM careers, including faculty and graduate students, advance and succeed by providing ideas and insights to develop their leadership skills and practices. The seminar included insights and interactive exercises on concepts that promote career ownership, confidence, and leadership excellence. Participants learned a powerful approach to leading with vision and alignment, an effective tool for leveraging networks for advancement, and ideas for getting the right support through connections and peer mentorship.
22. Keisha Norris organized a Sisters in STEM event for all women in STEM at Miami University. All students were welcome to attend. The event was an opportunity for the women to meet other women in STEM to grow their support system and a much needed chance to relax outside of class work. Participants created Vision Boards with inspiration from popular music artists that helped them visualize their future, focus on their goals, and continue to stay motivated during the semester and beyond.
23. Twelve companies participated in the College of Engineering and Computing (CEC) Employer Showcase to connect with diverse students from across CEC. All students were welcome to attend. The Showcase was held in Benton 102 Lobby and was split into an afternoon and morning session based on majors. Hosting the Showcase in Benton allowed the students to meet with employers in a casual setting at their convenience. Students feel less pressure in a comfortable environment. Before the Showcase, students were provided information on the Showcase that included details on each company, their Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, and links to current job opportunities.
24. This year FSB, hosted its inaugural, "She Means Business" event - a half-day session with high school sophom*ores and juniors from high schools in the Cincinnati metro region and some attendees as far away as Columbus and Indianapolis. The students participated in a design thinking sprint called "Business Solutions to Social Problems," heard from panels of alumni and current students about careers in business and life in FSB, had lunch, and did a building tour.
25. Through a collaborative effort between the Graduate School, the College of Engineering and Computing, and the College of Arts and Science, Miami University is now a member of the GEM Consortium. The mission of the consortium is to increase the participation of underrepresented groups at the master's and doctoral levels in engineering and science. Elise Radina, Jessica Sparks, and Jennifer Blue helped to spearhead this effort.
26. The Committee on Organizational Inclusion, Excellence, and Change is to implement the College of Education, Health, and Society’s (EHS) strategic plan for diversity, equity, and inclusion and to collaborate with campus partners to foster and nurture a welcoming and inclusive community for all students, faculty, and staff. Membership includes faculty representatives from each department and staff and student representatives.
27. The LEADS Institute in the College of Arts and Science received a $50,000 donation from Mark and Kristis McCombe to establish the McCombe Global Scholars Fund to support study-abroad experiences for underrepresented student scholars with financial need. The LEADS Institute, an Academic Excellence and Leadership Accelerator, provides support to high-achieving underrepresented student scholars and for peer mentoring, study away and opportunities, and experiential activities outside the classroom. The LEADS Institute’s primary mission is to provide innovative, high-touch, and comprehensive student-success programming to accelerate talented students' successful transition to and in college and strengthen their potential to become competitive candidates for graduate and professional school or competitive employment opportunities.
28. The Council of Chairs and Dean’s Leadership Team in the College of Arts and Science participated in "Building an Inclusive Miami: A Facilitated Conversation Workshop", a 1.5-hour discussion on inclusive leadership and organizational change facilitated by the Vice President, Office of Transformational and Inclusive Excellence. This interactive facilitated discussion centered the interconnections between individual identities and experiences and system-wide practices, policies, and change. Through the lenses of organizational change processes, the facilitated discussion provided opportunities to individually and collaboratively identify components of an inclusive organization and apply this knowledge to the evaluation of policies and practices in their units and organization more broadly. It also provides an opportunity to identify plans for next steps individually and as a team within the framework of organizational change in the service of an ever more inclusive Miami.
29. The Office of Academic Advising in the College of Arts and Science (CAS) participated in a “Cultural Values Workshop" facilitated by Carolyn Craig, Director of Inclusive Excellence Strategies and Initiatives in CAS, during the Spring 2024 retreat. The Cultural Values Profile from the Cultural Intelligence Center measures personal preferences that influence your approach to life, school, and work. By understanding and comparing your preferences with the preferences of others, you will develop insights that can help you improve your own interpersonal effectiveness.

1. Amity Noltemeyer won the Clyde V. Bartlett Distinguished Service Award (Ohio School Psychologists Association)
2. Elise Radina won the Outstanding Professional Paper Award, National Council on Family Relations, Families and Health Section
3. John Virden, Assistant Vice President for Security, Compliance, and Risk Management was named one of the Top 100 CISOs (C100) winners for 2023 by CISO’s Connect.
4. Information Technology was voted one of Computerworld's Top Places to Work in IT (2023) for the third consecutive year.
5. Dr. Jennifer Blue, Associate Dean and Professor of Physics was named a Fellow of the American Physical Society (APS) in 2023, for conducting pioneering investigations into gender dynamics in physics and providing highly effective advocacy for marginalized communities in physics and astronomy. Dr. Blue has also been named as a recipient of the 2024 Dodge Citation for Distinguished Service to American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) for her long-standing leadership in pioneering efforts to establish and encourage others to establish, a sound research basis that will lead to solving the issue of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the study of physics.
6. Sofia Rebull, a senior, undergraduate student majoring in Biology with a Pre-Medical Studies co-major received a recognition award at the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minorized Scientists (ABRCMS) conference in Phoenix, Arizona for her research poster presentation on, "Single-cell Atlas of the Developing Chicken Eye Lends Insights to Cell Fate Commitment" from the Del Rio-Tsonis Eye Regeneration Laboratory. Sofia is an LSAMP STEM Scholar and President of the Miami SACNAS Chapter.
7. Performing Arts Series Director Patti Liberatore received the Miami University 2024 Institutional Inclusive Excellence Award.
8. The Performing Arts Series won the NASPA Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education Silver Excellence Award for the Electric Root Festival.
9. The Performing Arts Series won the Miami University 2023 Diversity Event of the Year for the Electric Root Festival.
10. The Performing Arts Series won the SEAL Awards Event of the Year for the Electric Root Festival.
11. The 2024 3MT (3-Minute Thesis) Competition was held on February 26th by the Graduate School. There were 10 finalists, with first place going to Kathryn Aldstadt (Department of Psychology), second place to Jessica Flower (Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering), and third place to Autumn Otto (Department of Biology).
12. CEC received Bronze Level Reaffirmation for the 2024 ASEE Diversity Recognition Program, Bronze status is valid for three years.
13. The Farmer School of Business (FSB) won the 2024 Inspiring Programs in Business Award from Insight into Diversity magazine, the largest and oldest diversity and inclusion publication in higher education for the Passport Program. The Inspiring Programs in Business Award honors colleges and universities that encourage and assist students from underrepresented groups to enter the field of business.
14. Madeleine Hood (Academic Advisor) and Carolyn Craig (Director of Inclusive Excellence Strategies and Initiatives) in the College of Arts and Science received the “Black Excellence Award” for their leadership and work with diverse students during the annual Black History Month Banquet sponsored by the Center for Student Diversity and Inclusion.
15. Jules Jefferson (Biology/Premedical Studies/LSAMP Scholar) in the College of Arts and Science was the recipient of both the 2024 President’s Distinguished Service Award and the 2024 Provost Student Academic Achievement Award.
16. Helane Adams Androne (Professor of Global and Intercultural Studies), Rodney Coates (Professor of Global and Intercultural Studies), Carolyn Craig (Director of Inclusive Excellence Strategies and Initiatives), and Amber Franklin (Associate Professor of Speech Pathology and Audiology) from the College of Arts and Science were chosen among the Cincinnati Business Courier's "People on the Move" in honor of Black History Month.
17. Amy Kerr, MS & Sam Wick, MS, (Clinical Psychology Doctoral Students) in the College of Arts and Science presented “Difficult Dialogues: Navigating Challenging Conversations” during the Psychology Department's annual Awareness, Advocacy, and Action Week held this spring in which guest speakers focus on several diversity-related issues and topics.
18. Jules Jefferson (Biology/Premedical Studies), received top honors as the 2024 Louis Stokes Trailblazer Award recipient, and Stella Lukusa (Biology/Premedical Studies) won the 2024 Outstanding LSAMP Scholar Award for the Miami LSAMP Program. Both students are in the College of Arts and Science.
19. Meher Khan (Psychology/HASS Scholar) in the College of Arts and Science was awarded a DUOS Grant with a graduate student in the CARE Lab to conduct research on South Asian immigrant women.
20. Janiyah Brown (Psychology/HASS Scholar) in the College of Arts and Science received the 2024 SEAL Rising Leader of the Year award.

1. The Class of 2024 showed ‘remarkable determination and adaptability’ during pandemic (5/16/24)
2. Miami Tribe of Oklahoma chief and Miami University president come together to celebrate new learning space (5/8/24)
3. Miami University dedicates Leonardo Drew’s ‘Number 381’ (5/03/24)
4. Miami’s chief procurement officer earns top 10 award (5/02/24)
5. Reimagining the Academy conference at Miami this fall puts out call for proposals (4/30/24)
6. Miami presents ‘Your Voice. Your Miami’ climate survey results during week of April 29 (4/24/24)
7. Ambitious new sculpture coming to Miami University (4/24/24)
8. Forbes ranks Miami No. 16 overall on America’s Best Employers for Diversity list (4/24/24)
9. Three Miami University students selected as 2024 Goldwater Scholars (4/24/24)
10. Committee formed for MiamiTHRIVE (4/19/24)
11. Author, alumnae association to receive 2024 Freedom Summer of ’64 Award (4/17/24)
12. Miami alumni association receives honor from Insight into Diversity (4/15/24)
13. Young entrepreneur opens skin care business in Oxford’s innovation hub (4/10/24)
14. Miami recognizes faculty, staff, and students who promote inclusive excellence (4/09/24)
15. More than 100 student leaders participate in Constructive Dialogue Perspectives (4/03/24)
16. Miami’s newest Rangel Fellowship recipient is already a global citizen (3/06/24)
17. Shawnieka Pope named Ohio Social Worker of the Year (3/05/24)
18. Runcie C.W. Chidebe: ‘Black voices in cancer research and oncology’ (2/26/24)
19. Sharon M. Draper’s middle-grade novel ‘Out of My Mind’ is now a film (2/14/24)
20. Miami’s Civil Rights Film Festival to honor 60th anniversary of Freedom Summer (2/08/24)
21. Minohsayaki ‘Painted Robes’ Exhibition at Miami University gives voice to Peewaalia and Myaamia peoples (1/23/24)
22. Miami University Libraries receives 2024 Library Excellence in Access and Diversity (LEAD) Award (1/15/24)
23. Week of service and reflection honoring legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. is Jan. 28-Feb. 3 (1/09/24)
24. Musicologist Tammy Kernodle on NPR: Understanding why Beyoncé and Taylor Swift get compared (12/23/23)
25. Staying Razor Sharp after 5 years (12/07/23)
26. After 10 years, Miami’s annual winter term still making an impact (12/06/23)
27. Miami University to receive Wil Haygood Collection (11/16/23)
28. Miami alumnus Juan Gilbert ’91 awarded National Medal of Technology and Innovation by President Joe Biden (11/01/23)
29. Miami, Kent State and Ohio University host first collaborative DEI conference (10/26/23)
30. Miami recognized for diversity efforts for fourth straight year (10/11/23)
31. Wil Haygood ’76 to be honored for telling the story of the struggle for freedom (10/11/23)
32. Office name reflects comprehensive, systematic approach to inclusion (10/04/23)
33. FASEB names Miami’s Fernandes to inaugural fellowship for science policy and communication (9/20/23)
34. Urban Cohort students find a passion for community through summer camp internships (9/07/23)
35. UniDiversity Festival Sept. 22 to celebrate 20th anniversary during Hispanic Latino-American Heritage Month (9/13/23)
36. Finding a way forward (9/27/23)
37. ‘A long legacy’ (12/7/23)
38. Wheelchair user? Miami University’s crowd-sourced and AI-based accessibility project wants to map your path (11/27/23)
39. Mellon Foundation grant ‘game changing’ for Miami program (4/10/24)
40. 40-plus businesses have been started by Miami students while still in college (5/16/24)

1. 2024 Insight Into Diversity Library Excellence in Access and Diversity (LEAD) Award
2. 2024 Insight Into Diversity Alumni Association Inclusive Excellence Award
3. 2024 Insight Into Diversity Inspiring Programs in Business Award
4. 2024 Insight Into Diversity Inspiring Programs in STEM Award
5. 2024 American Society for Engineering Education Diversity Recognition Program- Bronze Level Award
6. 2023 Insight Into Diversity Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award
7. 2023 Insight Into Diversity Inspiring Programs in STEM Award