Office of the Provost

Update on Chief Diversity Officer and Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Search

Updated August 1, 2021

July 20, 2021

Dear Members of the Brandeis Community,

I am pleased to provide an update on the search for our next Chief Diversity Officer and Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (CDO-VPDEI), but first, I want to welcome David Fryson, who we are fortunate to have filling the role of CDO-VPDEI in the interim, while we conduct this search.  David is now on campus and can be reached at davidfryson@brandeis.edu.

We have selected WittKieffer, a global executive search firm, to assist with the search, and will be working with the consulting team of Charlene Aguilar, Ed.M. and Shelley Arakawa, J.D.  To suggest potential candidates or forward nominations, or to send inquiries or comments to the consulting team, please email: BrandeisCDO-VPDEI@wittkieffer.com. Nominations, including self-nominations, are encouraged.

The search committee will be co-chaired by me and Harleen Singh, Associate Professor of Literature and Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies, with Anita Hill, University Professor of Social Policy, Law, and Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies serving as a consultant.  The committee includes the following members from across the Brandeis community:
  • Sonali Anderson ’22, undergraduate student
  • DeBorah Ault ’22, undergraduate student
  • Deborah Bial ’87, H ’12, Brandeis Trustee; President and Founder, The Posse Foundation
  • Alec Gelman ’22, undergraduate student
  • Charles Golden, Associate Professor of Anthropology
  • Tim Hickey, Professor of Computer Science
  • Danielle Igra, Assistant Professor of Education and Director of Teacher Education
  • Jonathan Joasil ’22, undergraduate student
  • Tom King, Associate Professor of English
  • Napoleon Lherisson ’11, Alumni Representative
  • Maria Madison, Lecturer, Associate Dean of Equity, Inclusion and Diversity, and Director Institute for Economic and Racial Equity, The Heller School
  • Yehudah Mirsky, Professor of Near Eastern and Judaic Studies and of the Schusterman Center for Israel Studies
  • Twama Nambili ’22, graduate student
  • Rise Singer, Associate Director for Administration, Schusterman Center for Israel Studies and Chair, Brandeis University Staff Advisory Council
  • Aida Wong, Nathan Cummings and Robert B. and Beatrice C. Mayer Chair in Fine Arts, and Professor of Fine Arts, and East Asian Studies
  • Elaine Wong, Senior Associate Dean of Arts and Sciences for Undergraduate Education
The committee will begin working with the consulting team this summer to review the position profile and to solicit nominations. Applicant review and semifinalist interviews will follow into the fall with the hope of bringing finalists to campus in November.  Professor Singh and I held initial listening sessions in recent weeks with groups of faculty, staff and students, to gather initial input and insight as we start to frame the position profile.  There will be additional opportunities for members of the community to engage in this important search process as we move forward.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.

Best regards,

Carol A. Fierke
Provost