Welcome to the Office of Diversity and Inclusion's first monthly newsletter, ODI Matters. What you'll get is more information about issues our office is undertaking, a preview of this month's activities, and some insight to matters of diversity, inclusion, and equity from our wonderful staff.
Visit our website or CentreNet site for more information!
Dr. Andrea Abrams, she/her/hers
Andrea Abrams came to Centre in 2007 as Centre’s first Consortium for Faculty Diversity at Liberal Arts Colleges Postdoctoral Fellow and became assistant professor of anthropology in 2009. She was promoted to associate professor in 2014. In 2018, she was named Associate Vice President for Diversity Affairs and Special Assistant to the President. She is the author of God and Blackness: Race, Gender and Identity in a Middle Class Afrocentric Church (NYU Press, 2014). Her areas of specialty include gender studies, African American studies and social justice studies.
Ashley Oliver, Esq., she/her/hers
Ashley joined Centre College in September of 2018 as Director of Diversity and Inclusion Programming. She received her bachelor's from Vanderbilt University in 2010, received her law degree from the University of St. Thomas School of Law, and was then sworn in as an attorney in the State of Minnesota in October 2013.
She formerly served in the University of Kentucky athletic compliance office, served as a student conduct officer and as a Title IX investigator at Minneapolis College, and served as Assistant Director of Student Accessibility at Eastern Kentucky University.
She has hosted seminars to universities, businesses, and religious groups on topics such as allyship in minority-led social justice movements, engaging millennials in activism, and constitutional rights during traffic stops. Currently, she is a member of the Lexington Urban League Young Professionals, a member of Kentucky Association for Professional African-American Women, a New Leaders Council Kentucky Board Member, and a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.
Jo Teut, MA, ze/zem/zir
Jo Teut serves as the Assistant Director of Diversity and Inclusion Programming. Teut earned a M.A. in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at the University of Cincinnati in Cincinnati, Ohio. Ze also has a B.A. in English and Spanish from Morningside College in Sioux City, Iowa, zir hometown.
Prior to coming to Centre, Teut worked as the Diversity Specialist at the University of Wisconsin Colleges and Extension. In this role, ze developed and facilitated programming on creating a welcoming environment for diverse students, staff, and faculty across the state of Wisconsin.
With zir colleagues from UW, Teut co-edited an issue of New Directions in Community Colleges on LGBTQ+ Issues (2019). Ze has also published and presented on asexuality and transgender inclusion. Teut’s academic, activist, and advocacy interests are rural, LGBTQ+ studies; asexuality, queer, and transgender studies; and queer representations in American literature.
Amanda DeWitt, she/her/hers
Amanda DeWitt is the AmeriCorps VISTA for Sustained Community Dialogues. AmeriCorps is a network of national service programs, made up of members committing their time to address critical community needs like increasing academic achievement, mentoring youth, fighting poverty, and more. Amanda is working to promote sustainable dialogue and long-lasting partnerships on campus and between Centre and the broader Danville community. The hope is to provide opportunities for people who do not normally cross paths to come together in commitment to a mutual goal or mission.
Amanda can be found on the second floor of Horky House, though she is often working all over campus and in the Danville community to build bridges and strengthen community partnerships. She can be easily reached through email: amanda.dewitt@centre.edu.
Upcoming events:
January 11th through February 15th, "What Keeps You Up at Night," a new photography exhibit, will be up in JVAC's Aegon Gallery. It is a traveling exhibit of fifty-six prints that addresses a surprisingly vast range of topics. Curated by Tomiko Jones, the artists are faculty and student members of the non-profit Multicultural Caucus of the Photographic Society for Education. This is a great chance to see the work of Centre Professor Isabella La Rocca.
January 17th, join End Rape On Campus (EROC) for an evening conversation on the future of Title IX and how to build a trauma-informed and survivor-centered movement. The focus will not only feature recent changes to federal guidelines and how they may impact campus communities across the country, but also how all of us together—students, faculty, and staff—can identify our shared responsibility in making our campuses safer. Following the conversation, EROC will open the space to comments and questions from the audience (and Twitter!). This is a Convocation at 7:00pm in Newlin Hall.
January 18th, as we prepare for Martin Luther King Day Convocation, please consider joining Dr. Johann van Niekerk at 6pm in Grant Hall 114 to learn and sing through the African-American national anthem “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” Many in our community have expressed a desire to become more familiar with this song, as it represents an important part of American identity - and wish to sing it with more reverence and confidence during the annual MLK convocation. Music will be taught by rote (no music reading skills required). The session will last approximately 15-20 minutes. All are welcome!
January 19th is our First Annual Martin Luther King, Jr., Day of Service. Check your email for more information on how to be involved and the registration link or contact Ashley Oliver.
January 21st is Martin Luther King, Jr., Day and Father Norman Fischer, class of 1995, will be this year’s featured speaker for our annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration. During this program, both the Centre and Danville community will come together to celebrate and remember the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. This is a Convocation at 7:30pm in Newlin Hall.
January 23rd from 1:00-5:00pm, there will also be a Nonviolent Communication Training for Centre staff and Danville community members. Contact Joel Klepac or Jami Powell to register.
Updates from the Office:
The Shield of Trust African-American student/mentor program will begin its inaugural class this month; our office is working with Student Activities Coordinator Joao Monteiro to implement a successful program.
The Beloved Community Lunches will happen every Tuesday of the school year from 11:30-1:30 in Campus Center 201. The Spring 2019 kick-off will be on February 5th. You can bring your lunch up from Cowan and have conversations with people you may not normally interact with to help build the Beloved Community.
That's all folx!