Equity & Inclusion

Protests against police brutality following the murder of George Floyd last summer have accelerated public dialogue around police reform in America and caused some police departments across the country to rethink the way they serve their communities.

Dear Campus Community,

We are thrilled to announce that following a national search, Dania Matos has agreed to serve as vice chancellor for equity and inclusion. This appointment is effective August 16, 2021.

Dania joins us from UC Merced where she has served as the inaugural associate chancellor and chief diversity officer since 2019. Before joining Merced she served as the inaugural deputy chief diversity officer at William & Mary. 

Dear E&I colleagues,

Today is my final day in the role of VCEI.  I am truly grateful and honored to have worked with you for the past four years to serve the campus community.  There is no greater honor or reward than serving others.  And there has been no greater privilege for me than leading the Division of Equity & Inclusion.  I am in awe of your commitment to serving the campus community on a constant basis, often under the most challenging of circumstances.

Dear Colleagues,

On September 22, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln issued the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, which declared that as of January 1, 1863, all enslaved people in the states currently engaged in rebellion against the United States “shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free.” However, it took more than 2 years, until June 19, 1865 - "Juneteenth" - for the enslaved Africans in Texas to be informed and granted their freedom.