This Month in DEI

March 30, 2022 / Events

Every month the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion presents a listing of DEI-related events held online and in person across NOVA’s six campuses. This listing is available for viewing in the News and Updates section on the DEI web site, as well as in the DEI page on NOVAnet.

In the past, these events have ranged from musical performances to lectures from prominent speakers to discussions about pressing social issues. And even though this listing includes events that were not presented by the Office of DEI, we do our best to make sure that the NOVA community is informed of all the inclusive efforts sponsored by various departments and campuses.

Following is an early listing of DEI-related events for the month of April. Please check back with the DEI site throughout the month, as well as reading the Daily Flyer for additions or changes to the listing below.

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Monday, April 4 – Thursday, April 7
Multicultural Awareness Week
The Loudoun campus is celebrating Multicultural Awareness Week with a number of events and presentations, including a discussion of the cultural context of the Ukraine and Russia conflict, a Fast-A-Thon, a presentation from NOVA’s Diverse Business Alumni, and Native Dress for a Day. To learn more about the events, please see the attached poster. And if you need accommodations to attend, please contact Nicholas Zefran.

Location: Loudoun Campus

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Friday, April 8 from 12 p.m. until 1 p.m.
Office of DEI Spotlight Event featuring Andrew Rich: “Making Healthcare Inclusive: Expansive and Affirming Care for Queer and Trans Patients”
Andrew Rich (he/him and they/them) is a trans non-binary human, parent and post-bac, pre-med student at the University of Louisville, as well as a graduate student in healthcare ethics. He previously worked as a doula and lactation educator, and he hopes to one day become an OBGYN focusing on sexual, reproductive and gender health for queer, trans and gender-diverse people. Andrew also has experience as a patient care associate, a patient access coordinator and is passionate about improving healthcare outcomes and experiences for LGBTQIA+ people, families and communities at every level—from paperwork and registration, to clinic and hospital assessment and triage, to medical diagnosis and treatment.

For more information, or if you need accommodations to attend, please contact Sherrene DeLong.

Location: This event will be virtual, but students are invited to watch and ask questions in Room 354 of the MEC. Please click here to register.

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Wednesday, April 13 from 1 p.m. until 2 p.m.
Office of DEI Spotlight Event featuring Dr. Alexander Jun: “Model Minority or Perpetual Foreigner? A Conversation on Equity Beyond the Binary”

Alexander Jun, Ph.D., is an educational researcher and equity scholar who has published extensively on issues of postsecondary education. He is author of a number of publications, including From Here to University: Access, Mobility, & Resilience Among Latino Youth, as well as three books in a series examining white supremacy, and served as Managing Editor for the Journal of Behavioral and Social Sciences. Dr. Jun is also a former TEDx speaker and a former Global Fellow with the Center for Khmer Studies (CKS); he was an International Research Fellow with the National Centre of Student Equity in Higher Education (NCSEHE) at Curtin University, and Scholar in Residence at Belmont University in 2018. He holds a Ph.D. in education policy from the Rossier School of Education at the University of Southern California. He is currently Professor of Higher Education in the Department of Higher Education at Azusa Pacific University’s School of Behavior and Applied Sciences. He joined APU’s faculty after 15 years of service as a faculty member and administrator at the University of Southern California. Click here to view a recording of Dr. Jun’s story slam, “On Eating DIScomfort Food.”

Click here to register for this event and for more information or, if you need accommodations to attend, please contact Sherrene DeLong.

Location: MC-226, Manassas Campus

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Thursday, April 14 from 2 p.m. until 3 p.m.
A Discussion of Ramadan
The Annandale Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee invites you to a discussion on the Muslim practice of Ramadan, an annual fast in which believers abstain from food and drink between sunrise and sunset for a full month. Come learn about Ramadan, how it’s practiced and celebrated in Muslim communities, and hear some personal perspectives from believers about what this tradition means to them. A panel of speakers will each give a short talk, with a Q&A session to follow. 

As Ramadan is a time of giving in Muslim communities, we will also be collecting items for the Annandale campus Food Bank. If you are able, please bring a non-perishable food or personal care item to the event.

Location: CA-302, Annandale Campus

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Friday, April 15 from 1 p.m. until 2 p.m.
Clan in the Front: How Wu-Tang Transcended the Rap Game to Become Cultural Icons
Acclaimed author S.H. Fernando, Jr., discusses his biography of the Wu-Tang Clan, which chronicles their beginnings and rise to prominence in both music and hip-hop culture. Mr. Fernando, a graduate of Harvard and Columbia University’s School of Journalism, has had his work published in the New York Times, Rolling Stone, Vibe, and other publications. He also founded his own music label, WordSound Recordings; has written, produced, and directed several movies; and has authored other books, including Rice & Curry, a New York Times notable cookbook about the cuisine from his homeland of Sri Lanka.

Refreshments will be provided. Contact information, regarding event info and accommodations, to come.

Location: CE Forum, Annandale Campus

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Friday, April 22 from 8:45 a.m. until 4 p.m.
CCAMPIS Student Parent Conference
Research supports a parent’s level of education as the number one indicator of primary school children’s success. Student-parents are now one of the fastest growing college populations, yet balancing family and school can be a challenge for many. This conference will help you to gain skills on navigating your own educational journey, while connecting and supporting your peers.

Community colleges are seeing higher numbers of pregnant and parenting students attend their institutions, but do we know how to serve them? Studies show that when we support student-parents and acknowledge their presence, they are more likely to succeed. This conference will give you an insight into the lives of pregnant and parenting students, and how to better support this growing population.

If you need accommodations to attend, please contact Diana Yacob.

Location: Virtual. Please click here for more information or to register.

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Thursday, April 28 from 12 p.m. until 1 p.m.
Archiving and Preserving the Legacy of the Southeast Asian Diaspora in North America
Professor Tammy Tran leads a discussion celebrating and highlighting today’s Southeast Asian American artists, writers, and poets – who have been sharing their families’ experiences of war, immigration, and refugee asylums. Professor Tran shares how, from intergenerational traumas, the artists have created wonderful storytelling platforms. For information about this event, or if you need accommodations to attend, contact Saleha Bholat.

Location: LC-313, Loudoun Campus. This event is also for available for viewing via Zoom.

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Throughout the month:

  • April 2
    • World Autism Awareness Day
    • Ramadan (through May 1)
  • April 15
    • Mahavir Jayanti
  • April 15-22
    • Passover
  • April 17
    • Easter
  • April 21-23
    • Gathering of Nations
  • April 22
    • Earth Day

Submitted by:
Ed Aymar, DEI Communications Coord., EAymar@nvcc.edu