College of LAS appoints first faculty director for diversity and inclusion

A professor of Latina/Latino studies and media and cinema studies has been appointed as the first faculty director for diversity and inclusion in the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences.

Isabel Molina-Guzmán will begin the new position on Aug. 16. She is currently associate dean of assessment and diversity, equity, and inclusion in the Graduate College. She has been at Illinois since 2002, when she arrived as a Chancellor’s Post-Doctoral Fellow in Latina/Latino Studies. She earned a faculty appointment in 2003 in the Institute of Communications Research and the Latina/Latino Studies Program, and in 2007 she was re-appointed in Latina/Latino studies and the Department of Media and Cinema Studies.

As faculty director for diversity and inclusion, Molina-Guzmán will work to ensure that policies and practices across the college enhance opportunities for excellence through achieving equal access, diversity, and inclusivity. Her appointment was approved by Feng Sheng Hu, the Harry E. Preble Dean of the College of LAS.

“It is a professional privilege to be part of Dean Hu’s respected leadership team as we work collaboratively with college stakeholders towards institutional transformation in service of our local, national, and global communities,” Molina-Guzmán said. “My commitments to social justice work on behalf of students, faculty, and staff of all colors, ethnicities, genders, and abilities has always motivated my teaching, research, and administrative work.”

Hu said that Molina-Guzmán will coordinate critical efforts to recruit and retain diverse faculty, staff, and students, which he said is key to future success for LAS.

“LAS is home to many of the campus’ units focused on race, ethnicity, and gender,” he said.  “One of the college’s strategic goals is to continue to enhance diversity and inclusion.  I consider diversity and inclusion a major strength of our university that empowers us to solve and contextualize society’s most complex problems.”

In addition to her faculty appointments, Molina-Guzmán has served as a fellow in the Academic Leadership Program in the Big Ten Academic Alliance and director of the Latina/Latino studies program, which she helped guide through budget rescissions and other cutbacks resulting from difficult economic times across the state. Molina-Guzmán oversaw the program’s conversion into a full-fledged department, and, in 2010, became the first chair of Latina/Latino studies.

In 2016, Molina-Guzmán joined the Graduate College as an associate dean, where she oversaw the Assessment of Illinois Doctoral Education and the Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion. She serves on the Chancellor’s Diversity Strategic Planning Committee, Chancellor’s Humanities Strategic Planning Committee, and Chancellor’s Committee on Core and Ethnicity. Molina-Guzmán also oversees the Graduate College Diversity Council and the Illinois Sloan University Center for Excellence in Mentoring, a mentoring program for underrepresented graduate students in STEM fields.

She said she looks forward to working for the College of LAS.

“This is such an exciting opportunity to help LAS lead the way forward for the campus by creating a more inclusive, diverse, and equitable academic environment for all,” Molina-Guzmán said.