Welcome New Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Staff

February 2, 2022 / Faculty/Staff Highlights

NOVA’s Office of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion is pleased to share that we have added some great talent to our team!

Sherrene DeLong joins NOVA on February 11 as NOVA’s new coordinator for diversity, equity & inclusion events. Sherrene will oversee the planning of NOVA’s popular DEI Spotlight Events and other educational DEI programs organized by the Office of DEI. Sherrene comes to NOVA with several years of in-person and virtual event planning experience. Prior to NOVA she served as the Well-Being Program Coordinator at the Center for the Advancement of Well-Being at George Mason University. She has direct experience organizing several well-being activities for students who identify as Black Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) or LGBTQIA and she also comes to NOVA with direct experience working on the Kellogg Foundation’s Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation Healing Circles. As Coordinator for DEI Events, Sherrene will support NOVA’s efforts to extend our work as a formally recognized Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation Center (TRHT) by the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U). This year, Sherrene is finishing up her doctorate in Higher Education Administration from Azusa Pacific University, and she currently holds a Master’s degree in Theological Studies from Westminster Seminary California. In addition to working on DEI projects, she enjoys handwriting notes to friends and practicing axe-throwing for fun!

Yalda Royan joins the Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in a restricted, one-year professional faculty appointment as NOVA’s new coordinator for diversity, equity & inclusion community engagement. This position also begins formally on February 11. Yalda will provide significant support to NOVA’s CDEIO organizing important “Listen and Learn” sessions with key DEI nonprofit organizations and stakeholders in the local  area. In addition, Yalda’s impressive background advocating for women’s rights, Muslim rights, international and global studies and gender rights position her as a key asset to NOVA’s Office of DEI. Yalda will work on various projects associated with extending education to faculty, staff and students about DEI in community spaces. Finally, Yalda’s expertise as a prominent leader with 17 years of experience advocating for diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in Kabul, Afghanistan will help broaden NOVA’s outreach to the growing number of Afghan men and women who have relocated to the Northern Virginia area. Yalda arrived in the United States in the summer of 2021 as part of an unprecedented effort to evacuate at-risk Afghan men and women from Kabul Afghanistan. She earned a Master’s degree in Gender and Women’s Studies from Kabul University and comes to NOVA after working at the United States Institute of Peace (USIP), the Afghan Government’s Ministry of Women’s Affairs, and other programs. Her work has been featured on the BBC and within United Nations conferences focused on community activism. In addition to working on DEI initiatives, Yalda enjoys reading and meeting new friends. 

The Office of DEI continues to grow and thrive! In addition to these two new positions, a reminder of the additional staff here in the the Office of DEI supporting the CDEIO and NOVA’s pursuit of Inclusive Excellence!

Ed Aymar, NOVA’s DEI communication coordinator. Ed joined NOVA in the fall of 2021 after many years working as a marketing and communication director at C-SPAN. He was born in Panama and spent his life as a military brat, living throughout the United States and Europe. Ed received a degree in English from George Mason University and a masters in literature from Marymount University. When not helping to amplify DEI events and activities via the DEI website and through other means, Ed is also a published novelist and columnist. Learn more about his work at https://eaymarwrites.com/.

Mariella Abanto, NOVA’s executive assistant to the Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer, Dr. Nathan Carter. In addition to her work helping the Office of DEI and the CDEIO stay organized, Mariella has an established career here at NOVA supporting various leadership positions including: the Office of the President, NOVA’s former senior vice president, the College Board, the AL Campus and NOVA’s Office of Government Affairs and Community Relations. When she is not working to advance DEI efforts and keeping Dr. Carter’s schedule ready to serve NOVA Nighthawks, Mariella enjoys all things Disney and Mickey Mouse!

We look forward to sharing additional news next month about the team that will be in place to implement NOVA’s exciting AANAPISI Grant!  

If you have any questions, please contact the Office of DEI and review information on our website and on our NOVAnet intranet site for employees.

Submitted by:
Dr. Nathan Carter, CDEIO, NACarter@nvcc.edu