Dr. Atiera科尔曼的10 paves the way for diversity and inclusion in Illinois

Dr. Atiera科尔曼的10
Credit:小沃森·乔丹.Dr. Coleman is a distinguished social equity leader and scholar committed to creating 更多的 equitable environments within organizations. 科尔曼主修 社会学 at 贝洛伊特 and earned her master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

前伯洛伊特学院副院长 学生成功、公平和社区(SSEC) 和联合主任 Weissberg人权项目 & 社会正义，科尔曼领导了 麦克奈尔学者项目, oversaw federally-funded TRIO Programs, and was a partner on the Anti-Racism Liaison team. 她概述了学院的情况 变得更好计划的六个目标, tracked their progress, and identified areas for improvement.

Q: How has the first month at the Office of 股本 gone for you?

第一个月一直很忙. My main goals were building rapport with my team and clarifying the scope of our work; building rapport with all Illinois state agencies, 佣金, and stakeholders to better understand their infrastructure, 挑战, and areas where my office can provide support; and building rapport with all of the deputy governors who oversee state agencies to ensure our goals align. I’m learning a lot about state government and the uniqueness of Illinois.

你的职位需要做什么样的工作?

我工作的三大支柱是数据, 报告, and compliance; training, 教育, and innovation; and support and building connections.

我工作的每一天都不一样. 有些日子我整天都在开会, some days I’m steeped in data and statistics trying to understand the trends of the equity work across the state, some days I’m conducting focus groups to understand feedback about pilot trainings we’re launching, and some days I host events to connect different Diversity, 股本, 包容, and Accessibility (DEIA) leads from across the state. There are always various projects going on at the same time. I’m grateful to my team within the 股本 Office who are a tremendous help in carrying out our ambitious goals.

Q: Why is it important to have an office dedicated to equity and inclusion?

股本 work is everyone’s work, and every position should have a lens to identify inequity.

然而, the development of that lens and the building of a culture of equity takes time, 教育, 以及问责制的基础设施. My office helps ensure that all state agencies have been trained within DEIA, provides reports detailing how they embed equity and inclusion into their work, and supports each agency to empower them to carry out this work successfully.

Q: How did your time at 贝洛伊特 influence your career path?

正是在伯洛伊特，我发现了社会学, which helped me develop a lens to understand the systemic mechanisms of oppression. It was through various mentors and the 麦克奈尔学者项目 that I developed skills to conduct academic research, present research in an inclusive and effective way, and helped build my confidence to go on and get additional degrees that would help me achieve my goals.

Q: Who are the mentors who had an impact on you?

有这么多的人, 的地方, and spaces at 十大菠菜台子 that deeply impacted me and helped shape who I am today. 举几个例子:(已故的)李博士. 黛布拉·马吉德博士. Lisa Anderson-Levy博士(已故. 卡拉·戴维斯博士. 凯特·林嫩伯格博士. 查尔斯·韦斯特伯格和克里斯汀·弗雷.

All of these individuals had an important role in building my confidence, 让我负起责任, pushing me toward opportunities that were life-changing, and mentoring and supporting me throughout my time at 贝洛伊特 as a student and employee.

Q: What are you proud of in your previous work at 十大菠菜台子? 你觉得对你影响最大的是什么?

I’m proud that I had the opportunity to create spaces and programming that allowed so many students to thrive. I know so many students who participated in TRIO programs or worked with me in other capacities who have gone on to do amazing things. 他们总是聪明能干, and I feel grateful to have been a part of the process to ensure their time at 贝洛伊特 was meaningful and help eliminate barriers that sometimes impede students’ abilities to achieve their goals.

I’m also proud of the original vision of Becoming Better, 贝洛伊特’s aspirational goal of being an anti-racist institution. 我参与了这一切的开始, and I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to help create true liberation for all at 贝洛伊特 and help create an environment where everyone’s humanity is respected regardless of their identity or beliefs.

Q: What do you hope to accomplish as Chief Diversity Officer?

Illinois is one of the few states that has a dedicated executive-level role for DEIA within the governor’s cabinet. I hope to empower agencies throughout the state to create infrastructures to support DEIA and develop an equity lens that allows for growth and inclusion.