Have a Suggestion for a DEI Speaker?

After a year of Spotlight Events featuring noteworthy speakers and topics about a variety of pertinent issues, the Office of DEI is busily planning its 2022-23 event calendar. Do you have a speaker you’d like to see, or a topic you wish was addressed? Let us know! Reach out to Sherrene DeLong (sdelong@nvcc.edu), Event Coordinator for the Office of DEI, with your suggestions.

NOVA’s principle of inclusive excellence, which is aligned with the College’s Mission and Strategic Plan, guides the Office of DEI, and one of our goals is to elevate the acceptance of different ideas, values, beliefs, abilities, and perspectives. To that end, we’ve always made sure to include a wide range of representation, both in our Spotlight Events and other efforts, including grants, promotions, and college initiatives. As we plan for the new academic year, we want to continue to provide a vital resource for the college, one that both readies and prepares students with the understanding and empathy to enter the global economy.

And, as a reminder, you can access recordings of any of our Spotlight Events by visiting the Office of DEI’s video-on-demand library. Once you access the site, click Academic Resources, then SSO Login, log in, and scroll down to DEI-Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Our 2021-22 inaugural Spotlight Event series featured the following discussions:

September

• Writer, poet, and educator Javier Avila discussing and performing his one-man show, The Trouble with My Name

October

• Gene Demby of NPR’s Code Switch discussing his background and the relevance of his work

November

• Indigenous Youth Leader and Climate Activist Nina Berglund on her life and activism

December

• Shaleigh Howells, Museum Director of the Pamunkey Indian Museum and Cultural Center on the Pamunkey tribe and her work with the museum

January

• M Abeo and the mental health challenges faced by the LGBTQIA+ community (and beyond)

February

• Ambassador Joseph Huggins on the importance of DEI in diplomatic relations
• A performance and discussion by rapper Raw Poetic and blues singer Carly Harvey on hip hop and the blues
• Poets Tara Campbell, Teri Ellen Cross Davis, Dr. Tony Medina, and Kim B. Miller
• Angela Harrelson and Paris Stevens, the aunt and cousin of George Floyd, on justice in the African-American community

March

• Amelia Rose Earhart on the controversy and challenges of her attempt to recreate the around-the-world flight taken by her famous namesake

April

• Andrew Rich on the importance of inclusive healthcare, particularly with trans and queer patients
• Dr. Alexander Jun on the model minority myth

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