Diversity & Inclusion Faculty Fellows
Faculty fellows infuse diversity and inclusion into the curriculum, support social justice in the classroom, and create scholarly work to advance equity, access, inclusion, and institutional practices.
Program Overview
Towson University’s Diversity & Inclusion Faculty Fellows (DIFF) Program will support the actualization of the University’s vision for diversity and inclusion by providing support for TU faculty who are interested in: developing or redesigning courses for major or core curriculum, curricular practices to support inclusive classroom environments, research and teaching projects, pedagogy and research toolkits, scholar-practitioner collaborations, and/or building collaborations to enhance diversity and inclusion.
Program outcomes will serve as evidence of the Division of Academic Affairs’ commitment to Towson University’s 2020-2030 Strategic Plan: Leadership for the Public Good and the Diversity Strategic Plan: A More Inclusive TU: Advancing Equity and Diversity (2020–25).
Diversity and Inclusion Faculty Fellow Expectations
- Attend monthly workshops during the academic year 2024-2025. (Typically held 3rd Fridays at 1:30pm)
- Implement the newly developed diversity initiative in the spring of 2025.
- Showcase project at TU’s annual January Educators Summit or other approved conference in 2026.
- Assess and evaluate the project.
- Participate in DIFF networking gatherings and provide informal mentorship to future DIFFs for an academic year following fellowship, as available.
- Act as a resource for the Office of the Provost as available.
Selected Faculty Fellows will be awarded a $2000 stipend for their participation in the program. If multiple faculty members are involved in the project, the stipend will be split among the faculty members. In addition, Fellows or each team of Fellows can apply for an additional $750 to support their project.
Areas of Focus
All TU faculty, including lecturers, adjuncts, and clinical faculty in any discipline are eligible to apply for this program. Proposals must be for pedagogy, service, research, and/or innovative collaborations between scholarship and practice as noted below:
1. Develop Curricular Practices to Support Inclusive and Diverse Classroom Environments
Examples include developing assignments, methods of universal design, and other techniques in the classroom that guide students towards adopting an analytical framework for understanding and valuing difference and inclusion.
2. Develop and/or Redesign Courses for Major or Core Curriculum
Examples include developing departmental courses that add to students’ understanding of the experiences of others. These courses might be added as part of a major or the core curriculum.
3. Support Scholarly Engagement
Examples include innovative research from any discipline.
4. Develop scholar-practitioner collaborations
Examples include partnering with other faculty (of any rank) or staff on diversity and inclusion research; faculty and on-campus practitioners partnering to develop and evaluate programs serving diverse populations. Community engagement is strongly encouraged and should include a sustainability plan.
5. Develop Resource Toolkit
Examples include creating usable materials for faculty or students so that best practices are replicated and circulated. Workshops may also be included.
6. Create Opportunities for On-Going Mentorship
Examples include projects that sustain long-term relationships related to diversity and inclusion. Mentoring might be related to student and faculty retention, curriculum development supporting inclusive and diverse classroom, the tenure process, and other topics.
7. Identify Areas of Potential Collaboration to Enhance Diversity and Inclusion
Examples include assisting with collaborations and initiatives across departments and across campus, such as grant writing, or proposing and organizing conferences or speakers.
Call for Proposal Will Open in Spring
Diversity and Inclusion Faculty Fellow (DIFF) 2025-26
Questions?
For more information on the program and how to apply, contact Iona Ringgold, Assistant Provost for Diversity and Inclusion.
2024 – 2025 Diversity & Inclusion Fellows
| Faculty Fellow | project |
|---|---|
| Ebru Cayir Burke, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Health Sciences, College of Health Professions | Developing Roots in New Soil: Fostering Belonging and Connection Among International and Immigrant Students |
| Jianfen Chen, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of English, College of Liberal Arts | Preparing Students to Create More Inclusive and Equitable Workspaces Through Team Writing and Design in ENGL 317 |
| Sayma Khajehei, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Geography & Environmental Planning, College of Liberal Arts | Developing the course titled "Planning for Resilient Communities" for the Department of Geography and Environmental Planning |
| Emily Minner, MLIS, Student Success Librarian, Cook Library | Indigenous Student Mentorship Program |
| Zach Runge, M.A., Adjunct Professor, Department of Communication Studies, College of Fine Arts & Communication | Empowering Voices through Allyship: A Faculty and Student Resource Hub on Substance Use and Recovery |
| Briana Snyder, Ph.D., Associate Professor & Graduate Program Director, Department of Nursing, College of Health Professions | Creating a Graduate-Level Diversity and Health Equity Course: Promoting Cultural Humility and Fostering a Commitment to Health Advocacy Among Future Healthcare Providers |
| Chengcheng Zhang, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Health Sciences, College of Health Professions |
Enhancing Health Equity: A Machine Learning Model for Comorbidity Prediction in Diverse Populations |
Past Diversity and Inclusion Faculty Fellows
2023 – 2024 Cohort
Jake Bartholomew, Ph.D., Lecturer, Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, Project: Developing a course in Latin American for the Department of Philosophy & Religious Studies
Erin Girio-Herrera, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Project: Supporting Neurodiversity at TU: Developing Treatments for College Students with ADHD
Mijoo Kim, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Kinesiology, Project: Exploring the Impact of an On-Campus Practicum Experience on the Development of Physical Education Pre-Service Teachers' Cultural Competence
Elyssa Klann, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Health Sciences, Project: Sexual Well-Being and Liberation: Designing a Course Integrating Both Systemic Sociocultural and Psychological Perspectives
Ming Li, Ph.D., Assistant Professor Department of Health Sciences, Project: Promoting neurodiversity by conducting research to explore perspectives toward genetic disorders
Alisha Reaves, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Languages, Literature and Cultures, Project: The Vocabulary of (Anti) Racism in France & the United States
Kim Sels, Ph.D., Lecturer, Department of Art + Deign, Art History and Art Education, Project: Developing ARTH 221 and 222 as Surveys of Global Art Parts I & II
Mary Slade, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Early Childhood Education, Project: The Use of Diverse Children;s Literature and Integrated Arts as Culturally Responsive Pedagogy
2022 – 2023 Cohort
Thomas Carpino, M.P.H, Adjunct Faculty, Department of Biological Sciences, Project: Pathways to Explore Sexual and Gender Diversity within Towson University’s Department of Biological Sciences
Kanika Jackson, M.A., Lecturer, Department of Communication Studies, Project: Redesigning Communication and Pop Culture (COMM 368) Course with a Focus on Social Media and Multiculturalism
Emily Kaufman, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Geography & Environmental Planning, Project: Embodied Inclusivity in the Classroom and Beyond
Staci Rensch, Ph.D., Lecturer, Department of Languages, Literatures & Cultures, Project: Building Cultural Competence into the Deaf Studies Program
Bethany Rice, Ed.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Elementary Education, Project: Metacognition and Multiple Literacies: Enhancing Inclusive Reading Assessment & Instruction
Luciana Zuest, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Kinesiology, Project: Evaluation of a Health at Every Size® Intervention for Fitness Professionals
2021 – 2022 Cohort
Comfort Tosin Adebayo, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Communication Studies, Project: Developing a Health Communication Course with a Focus on the Experiences of Racial and Ethnic Minorities in the U.S. and Internationally
Samuel Clevenger, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Kinesiology, Project: Redesigning KNES 441: The American Women in Sport Through the Critical Lens of Intersectionality
Kate Collins, Ph.D., Assistant Professor and Graduate Director, Interdisciplinary Arts Infusion MA, Project: Adapting YAAAS (Youth Artists and Allies taking Action in Society) into a Summer Arts Institute for Educators Dedicated to Newcomer Inclusion
Aaron Dallman, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Occupational Therapy/Occupational Science, Project: Creating Classrooms Inclusive for Neurodiverse Students: Developing a Workshop to Promote Equitable Inclusion
Tanja R. Darden, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Management, Project: Implementing Diversity Pedagogy and its Effects on Implicit Bias, Authenticity, and Well-Being
Steven Dashiell, Ph.D., Adjunct Professor II, Department of Sociology, Anthropology & Criminal Justice, Project: Digitally Seen/Unseen: The Digital Experience for African American and Latino Male Students
Heather Haverback, Ph.D., Professor and Chair, Department of Secondary and Middle School Education, Project: SMED Diversity Recruitment Plan
Jennifer Scott, Ph.D., Professor and Chairperson, Parviz Ghavamian, Ph.D., Professor, and Rajeswari Kolagani, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Physics, Astronomy, and Geosciences, Project: Enhancing Diversity in Physics & Astronomy at TU
Teresa Spencer, M.F.A, Assistant Professor, Department of Theatre Arts, Project: There Is No Neutral Accent: Toward Speech Training for Actors That Honors Identity
Michael Tristano Jr., Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Communication Studies, Project: “My First Words Were Knock-Knock-Knock Housekeeping”: Performing Humor, Brownness, and Femme on RuPaul’s Drag Race
2020 – 2021 Cohort
David Cosper, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Music, Project: Know Your M.I.N.D.: Music, Identity, and Difference
Elizabeth De Coster, M.L.S., Research and Instruction Librarian, Cook Library, Project: Guide for Building Inclusive Library Collections
Melissa Groves, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Economics, Project: Separate and Not Equal: The Differential Impact of a Pandemic on Student Outcomes
Sel J. Hwahng, Ph.D., Assistant Professor | Department of Women’s and Gender Studies, Project: Intersecting Religious Diversity and Health among Global Trans/Gender-variant Communities: Redesigning on LGBT 47x Capstone Course
Francisco Martinez Ibarra, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Languages, Literatures & Cultures, Project: Sociolinguistic Diversity in the City
Min Ji, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Mathematics, Project: Actuarial Diversity Mentorship for Underrepresented Students
Halcyon Lawrence, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of English, Project: Documenting Syntactic and Lexical Adjustments of African American English (AAE) Speakers Using Speech Technologies
Ada Pinkston, M.F.A, Lecturer, Department of Art + Design, Art History, Art Education, Project: Engaging Public Sites: Creative Interpretations of Historical Moments for Contemporary Sites and Times at the Hampton Mansion
Aminata Sillah, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, Project: Increasing Diversity and Access to Study Abroad
2019 – 2020 Cohort
JB Begue, M.A.Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Languages, Literatures & Cultures, Project: Martha’s Vineyard Allyship
Michaela Frischherz, Ph.D., Associate Chair and Associate Professor, Department of Communication Studies, Project: Queer/LGBT Communication Studies: Identity, Advocacy, and Leadership
Kelsey Hanrahan, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Geography & Environmental Planning, Project: Including Africa in our Geographic Imaginaries: Revising GEOG 431: Geography of Africa
Huili Hong, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Xiaoming Liu, Ph.D., Professor, Maria Perpetua Socorro U. Liwanag, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Elementary Education, Project: Windows and Mirrors: Using Multicultural and Multilingual/International Children’s Literature to Connect with Diverse Learners
Faizan Imtiaz, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Project: TU Acculturation Exhibit
Min Jin, D.M.A., Associate Professor, Department of Music, Project: Development of Korean Art Songs
Eric Karikari, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Communication Studies, Project: Leadership Communication in a Global Society
Lindsey-Kay Lauderdale, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Mathematics, Project: Preparing Students to Engage in Mathematical Research
Marc May, M.F.A, Associate Professor, Department of Electronic Media & Film, Project: New Proposed Core Curriculum 13 Course: Social Advocacy in Electronic Media and Film
Mona Mohamed, D.Sc., Assistant Professor, Department of Business Analytics & Technology Management, Project: Challenges of Being a Faculty of Color
Chetna Sethi, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Occupational Therapy & Occupational Science, Project: Inclusive Practices for LGBTQ+ Student Success: A Faculty Development Initiative
2018 – 2019 Cohort
Candice Aston, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Project: Creating Safe Spaces: Faculty Resource Guide to Promoting Inclusive Classrooms
Kelly DaCunha, DSocSci, Lecturer, Department of Family Science, Project: Social Action: The Next Step in Social Justice
Nicole Fabricant, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Sociology, Anthropology & Criminal Justice, Project: Environmental Injustice in Curtis Bay
Cynthia Ghent, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, Project: New Faculty Programs Focus on Diversity and Inclusion
Seth Gitter, Ph.D., Professor | Department of Economics, Project: Increasing Diversity of Students Doing Economic Research through Mentorship
Alan P. Marcus, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Geography & Environmental Planning, Project: The Geography of the Blues and Rock and Roll: Races, Blues, and the Mississippi Delta
Jing Tian, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Mathematics, Project: Engaging Women in Mathematics through Attending Conference and Mentorship
Kate Wilkinson, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Women’s & Gender Studies, Project: Gender and Religion in African Diaspora
Kalima Young, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Electronic Media & Film, Project: Trigger Warnings: Approaches for Addressing Visual Trauma in the Classroom
2017 – 2018 Cohort
Maria Joao Antunes, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Sociology, Anthropology & Criminal Justice, Project: Immigrants and the Criminal Justice System: A New Course for Criminal Justice Concentration Students in the Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminal Justice
Barbara Benitez-Curry, M.F.A., Lecturer, Department of Mass Communication, Project: Shifting the Narrative: An Approach to Reporting Race and Gender
Erin Berry, Ph.D., Lecturer, Department of Mass Communications, Project: #BlackGirlMagic: The Digital Sociolinguistic Narratives of Black Female Millennial Undergraduate Students
Sarah Gilchrist, M.L.S., Research and Instruction Librarian for Visual Arts and Education, Cook Library, Project: Reflective Practice in Our Workplace: Cultivating Competency During Departmental Meetings
Iona Ringgold, Ph.D., Assistant Provost for Diversity and Inclusion, Office of the Provost, Project: Recruitment and Mentoring of Minority Students in Speech Language Pathology, Audiology, and Deaf Studies
Mubina Kirmani, Ed.D., Professor Emeritus, Department of Early Childhood Education and Cole Reilly, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Elementary Education, Project: Face-to-Face with Race, Religion, and More: Faculty Members with Diverse/Contrasting Identities Team-Teaching to Provide Braver Spaces for Meaningful Engagement with Multiculturalism
David Robinson, Ed.D., Associate Professor and Graduate Program Director, Department of Learning Technologies, Design & School Library Media, Project: Towson University School Library Media Online Diversity Resources Center
Lisa T. Simmons, M.S., Department of Business Excellence (BUSX), Project: Diversity Module for BUSX 460 – Professional Experience
Tatyana Sorokina, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Mathematics, Project: From Babysitting to REU and Graduate School
2016 – 2017 Cohort
Lisa Barker, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Secondary and Middle School Education, Project: Redesign a course that aims to “promote social justice and critical engagement with complex issues related to maintaining a diverse, inclusive, equitable society.”
Jameta Barlow, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Women’s & Gender Studies, Project: Develop a “digital teaching praxis and pedagogy toolkit that will introduce concepts of intersectionality, matrices and systems of oppression, unearned privilege to faculty.”
Danice Brown, Ph.D., Professor | Department of Psychology, Project: Coordinate an “annual brown bag series that showcases multicultural/culturally diverse research and scholarly activities being conducted by faculty on campus.”
Jacob Bustad, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Kinesiology, Project: Develop a TSEM course that will “explain and explore concepts of social identity and social determinants of health.”
Michael Duffy, Ph.D., Lecturer and LaShay Harvey Jones, Ph.D., Adjunct Professor, Department of Electronic Media & Film, Project: Create a course “that allows EMF students to examine and develop knowledge of African American women’s experiences within the larger context of American culture, as expressed in film.”
Diane Kuthy, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Art + Design, Art History, Art Education, Project: Develop and disseminate “an arts-infused toolkit for introducing the history of structural racism in Baltimore.”
Mariana Lebrón, Ph.D., Associate Professor | Department of Management, Project: Conduct research exploring “how social identity, Towson University’s organizational justice climate and power of the promotion, tenure, review and merit (PTRM) committee chair to influence FOC attrition, retention, and performance.”
Shannon McClain, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Project: Conduct research to “qualitatively explore Black college students’ perceptions of student-faculty relationships, with a specific focus on students’ trust of their instructors.”
Darnell Morris-Compton, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Family Science, Project: Develop a Core 10/major course on urban families with a focus on disability, class, age, ethnicity, race, religion, gender, and sexuality
Jessica Shiller, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Instructional Leadership & Professional Development, Project: Take Towson Education faculty to visit Baltimore City schools. Participants will “debrief and discuss what [they] have learned, and what the visits provide that might inform [the department’s] courses which prepare future teachers to work in urban schools.”
2015 – 2016 Cohort
Colleen Ebacher, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Languages, Literatures & Cultures
Erin Fehskens, Ph.D., Professor and Department Chair, Department of English
Emily Parker, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Philosophy & Religious Studies
Christa Schmidt, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Psychology
Bethany Willis Hepp, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Family Science
Diversity Faculty Fellows Review/Advisory Committee
| Name | Department |
|---|---|
| Michaela Frischherz | Associate Professor, Communication Studies, College of Fine Arts & Communication |
| Iona Ringgold | Assistant Provost for Diversity and Inclusion |
| Brenda Conley | Assistant Professor, Instructional Leadership & Professional Development, College of Education |