Student Profiles

Joseph received his BA in International Relations from Tufts University. His research interests include access, student outcomes, and the first-generation experience in higher education; race and identity in youth sports. He serves as the Program Coordinator at the Experimental College.

Interests include college access for underrepresented students; diversity recruitment and affirmative action in higher education; Native American issues in higher education; and the development of culturally responsive people, practices, and programs within schools and youth-serving organizations.

Margot's background is in Latino-Latin American Studies and Women's and Gender Studies. After supporting students in the international education industry for 5 years, Margot moved to the technology company Esri where she founded the company's first employee resource group to support women and their allies. Margot's interests include intersectional feminism, cultural sensitivity, effective allyship, inclusive leadership, and best practices for driving sustainable change within organizations.

I see diversity leadership a way to enhance matters in different scales – from a conflict between teammates to conflicts between countries, the problem is lack of education on how diversity empowers us both as a species and as an individual. I like to redefine things again and again, not because some may be wrong but because it helps us to see our surroundings from a non-binary perspective, also build more ways to develop the world we have. One of my current research interests is the effect of considering diversity and inclusion through the design process and policy of a place or product and its role in individual and organizational productivity.

Andre is a New York native from the Nonprofit Fundraising space. In his work in both diverse & homogeneous environments, he witnessed a recurring theme of little intentionality around fostering multiple identities & leadership misrepresentation causing him to create his podcast, Comp Day to support young professionals of color. This project inspired his deeper passion into the practice of DEI and to start studies with Tufts University-hopefully to bring expertise to the tech industry, social impact marketing and/or executive leadership.

After studying Education and African American Studies in undergrad at Colgate University, Aja served two years as an AmeriCorps member with City Year Boston and continues working as the Corps Support and Compliance Manager. At Tufts, Aja looks forward to exploring what diversity, belonging, equity, and inclusion work looks like in public education spaces including student identity development and inclusive curriculum/environments.

My name is Bernard Jackson, and I've taught philosophy for most of my professional career. I've been involved in a number of diversity initiatives, but I've always felt the need for formal instruction in diversity, inclusion and belonging. Pursuing a DLS degree appears to be a step in the right direction.

Ashlee received her BA in English Communications and Media Studies from Emmanuel College in 2017. Her research and topic interests include: Unconscious Bias, Employee Resource Groups, Deficit Model, Cultural Competency, Discrimination, Allyship, Black/African American DEI Counseling, Latinx DEI Counseling, Disability Rights, Cultural Sensitivity and White Privilege.

Interests: inclusion within post-secondary institutions; success of marginalized bodies under white supremacy; POC in higher education.

As a multicultural person and descendant of 3 distinctly different tribal nations, I have navigated the complexities of diversity, intersectionality and pan-indigenous identity my whole life. It has often felt like I've had to leave one piece of my heritage at the door so that I may embrace another, ultimately making me feel like I didn't truly belong to any of my cultures or people. As a result, I have journeyed along a path in search of insight that would help me to better understand myself and what it means to be a pan-indigenous person in contemporary times. I was drawn to this program "Diversity and Inclusion Leadership" because it is an essential component to overcoming the challenges tied to identity that Native American peoples are charged with facing on all fronts.

Jenny is an administrator in a public school district, where she is driving the important work of examining and fostering Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion through staff professional development, student training (in partnership with the Anti-Defamation League), and improvement of district procedures (leading a district team that works closely with the Superintendent and School Committee). Jenny is passionate about ensuring that each student feels heard, respected, celebrated, and included in the educational and extracurricular spaces of the district.

Interests: Cultural Interpreter, Cultural Competency, Empowering youth, Global Education, Popular Education, Global Empowerment Mindset, Inclusive Leadership, International Relations, Immigration Policy, Change management, Industrial/Organizational Psychology, Work-life Balance, Intersectionality, Unconscious Bias, Stereotypes, Generalization, Conflict management, Team-building.

My strong passion for Diversity and Inclusion grows from the numerous experiences I endured of microaggressions, stereotypes, unconscious bias, and watching minorities lose out on several opportunities because of White privilege.

I want to make sure that women, peers of the LGBQT community, historically marginalized Black and Brown bodies, and people with disabilities get an equitable chance at any job opportunities, school institutions, and any organizations. Not only do they get a chance but that their identities are supported and accepted.

Interests: supporting underrepresented students in higher education; college access for underrepresented students; diversity recruitment in higher education; practices within educational institutions.

Interests: Educational Equity, Racial Justice, & Inclusive Excellence in Higher Education.

Interests: Develop meaningful and innovative diversity, equity and inclusion practices for Fortune 500 companies in the entertainment sector. Leverage my education to help corporations in the private sector develop internal programs around inclusive casting, hiring and product development that underscores the importance of groundbreaking representation of diversity in Entertainment.

The passion for challenging work of Diversity and Inclusion stemmed from personal experiences and an innate desire to voice my opinions on behalf of the marginalized communities in the contemporary society. In the VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous) business world today, the need of a global diversity and inclusion professional has become more significant as they are the pioneers who propel organizations in their planned efforts to make the work environment transparent, equitable and all encompassing.