Four finalists for Iowa State's vice president for diversity and inclusion position will visit campus this month.
The finalists are:
- Diane Ariza, associate vice president for academic affairs and chief diversity officer, Quinnipiac University, Hamden, Connecticut
- William Lewis, alumni fellow and former vice president for diversity and inclusion, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg
- Reginald Stewart, chief diversity officer, University of Nevada, Reno
- Jesús Treviño, associate vice president for diversity and senior diversity officer, University of South Dakota, Vermillion
Public forums
Each finalist will interview on campus over two days and, on the second day, participate in a one-hour public forum at the Memorial Union. At each forum, the candidate will make a presentation on his or her qualifications for the post, then answer questions from the audience. The public forum schedule is:
- Stewart: Tuesday, Sept. 8, 9:45-10:45 a.m., Gallery
- Lewis: Friday, Sept. 11, 1:15-2:15 p.m., Pioneer Room
- Ariza: Tuesday, Sept. 22, 10:15-11:15 a.m., Campanile Room
- Treviño: Friday, Sept. 25, 9:45-10:45 a.m., South Ballroom
"There were more than 115 applications for the VP position and the search committee was impressed with the quality of the applicant pool," said dean of students and search committee chair Pamela Anthony. "We look forward to welcoming the finalists to campus."
About the finalists
Diane Ariza has served as associate vice president for academic affairs and chief diversity officer and adjunct faculty member in the sociology department at Quinnipiac University since 2010. Prior positions include assistant professor in ethnic studies and assistant dean of intercultural affairs at Albion College, Michigan; director of multicultural affairs and adjunct faculty member in the anthropology and sociology department, University of Nebraska, Omaha; director of admissions and enrollment management and adjunct faculty member in the anthropology and sociology department, Oakland University, Rochester, Michigan; several admissions and orientation positions at Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo; and Hispanic outreach-service coordinator for the Hispanic America Council.
Ariza earned a bachelor's degree in history and Spanish (1981) from Stetson University, Florida; and a master of arts in anthropology (1985) and doctorate in sociology (2000), both from Western Michigan.
William Lewis has served over the past year as alumni fellow at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, where he assists the vice president of alumni relations on special projects involving alumni mentoring and outreach. Prior to that, he served four years as vice president for diversity and inclusion at Virginia Tech. His previous posts include director of the office of institutional diversity at Bridgewater State College, Massachusetts; and director of diversity initiatives at the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University, Bloomington. He also served in a number of positions in Indianapolis, including race relations coordinator for the YWCA, area school coordinator for public schools and United Way, and a home-based counselor for the Children's Bureau.
Lewis earned a bachelor's degree in criminal justice (1996) and a master of social work (2001), both from Purdue University, Indianapolis; and a doctorate in higher education administration (2008) from Indiana.
Reginald Stewart has served as chief diversity officer and adjunct professor of educational leadership at the University of Nevada, Reno, since 2011. Prior positions at Nevada include director of the Center for Student Cultural Diversity and counselor for the TRiO Scholars Program. Stewart served as diversity consultant to the city of Reno and the Reno police department. He also was a coordinator-counselor for the Upward Bound program at Huston-Tillotson College, Austin, Texas, and testing coordinator in the Disability Resource Center at San Francisco State University, California.
Stewart earned a bachelor's degree in sociology (1993) from San Francisco State University, and master of education in educational leadership (2003) and doctorate in higher education administration (2010) from Nevada.
Jesús Treviño has served as associate vice president for diversity and senior diversity officer at the University of South Dakota since 2012. He previously held several positions at the University of Denver, Colorado, including director of the Center for Multicultural Excellence, associate provost for multicultural excellence and senior diversity officer, and clinical associate professor in the Morgridge College of Education. At Arizona State University, Tempe, he served as assistant dean of student life for cultural diversity, director of the Intergroup Relations Center and clinical associate professor. He was coordinator of Hispanic Student Services at Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas, and counselor of the Sienna Heights Upward Bound Program in Adrian, Michigan. He also has served as a radio writer and broadcaster and business analyst.
Treviño earned a bachelor's degree in social work (1979) and master's degree in language and international trade (1981), both from Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti; and a master's (1989) and doctorate (1992), both in education from the University of California, Los Angeles.
More information on search site
Candidates' curriculum vitae are available on the vice president for diversity and inclusion search website. An online form is available to provide feedback about the finalists.
Chief diversity officer
The vice president for diversity and inclusion will serve as the university’s chief diversity officer and advise senior leadership about strategic diversity planning efforts that advance Iowa State's mission. The vice president will report to President Steven Leath.
The new position stems from a 2013 study of ISU diversity programs and initiatives. Leath commissioned the study from The Jackson Consulting Firm, Madison, Wisconsin, and accepted a key recommendation to create a chief diversity officer at Iowa State.
