Case Western Reserve University sign in front of Adelbert Hall

Diversity leader search begins again

President Barbara R. Snyder and Provost Ben Vinson announced today that Case Western Reserve has relaunched its search for the university’s next Vice President for Inclusion, Diversity and Equal Opportunity.

As the two wrote in a June email to faculty and staff, the 2018-19 search “drew many promising candidates, but ultimately failed to yield a finalist who met the role’s current needs and could come to Case Western Reserve in a timely way.”

After consultation with the search committee, President Snyder and Provost Vinson named Joy Bostic, an associate professor in religious studies, as interim vice president, effective July 1. A member of the Case Western Reserve faculty since 2007, Bostic is the founding director of the recently created minor in African American Studies, and program faculty of both the Women’s and Gender Studies and Ethnic Studies programs. In addition, she holds two master’s degrees—one in public policy management and the other in divinity—a JD, and a doctorate in systematic theology.

“We are deeply grateful to Professor Bostic for her willingness to serve in this role on an interim basis,” President Snyder said. “She combines a profound commitment to diversity and inclusion with a broad academic background—as well as direct knowledge of the university’s achievements and challenges over the past dozen years.”

Both of the search committee chairs for the 2018-19 process—Judge Ben C. Green Professor of Law Jessie Hill and Vice President for Student Affairs Lou Stark—have agreed to continue to lead their colleagues during this academic year’s effort. The following members also are returning:

  • Celeste Alfes, associate professor and director of the Center for Nursing Education, Simulation, and Innovation at the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing;
  • Michelle Arendt, senior counsel in the Office of the General Counsel;
  • Hiram Cortez, founding board chair of the CWRU Latino Alumni Network;
  • Emmitt Jolly, associate professor in the Department of Biology in the College of Arts and Sciences;
  • David Miller, associate professor and director of International Education Programs at the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, and chair of the Faculty Senate;
  • Vera Perkins-Hughes, president of the CWRU African American Alumni Association;
  • Melissa Perlman, vice president for diversity and inclusion for Graduate Student Council;
  • Clare Rimnac, Distinguished University Professor and the Wilbert J. Austin Professor of Engineering in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the Case School of Engineering;
  • Steven Rincanati, associate professor of medicine, associate dean for student affairs and dean of the Joseph Wearn Society at the School of Medicine;
  • Liz Roccoforte, director of the LGBT Center;
  • JC Scharf-Deering, director of conflict of interests committee in the Office of Research and Technology Management and past chair of the Staff Advisory Council;
  • Arik Stewart, president of University Diversity Collaborative; and
  • Kristin Williams, assistant professor in the Department of Community Dentistry and assistant dean for admission and student affairs at the School of Dental Medicine.

New members of this year’s committee are:

  • Robert Gao, chair of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering;
  • Melvin Smith, professor in the Department of Organizational Behavior and faculty director of executive education at the Weatherhead School of Management; and
  • Katie Toledo, vice president of programming for the University Diversity Collaborative.

The university conducted a national search this year for a successor to the office’s founding vice president, Marilyn S. Mobley, who stepped down from this position on June 30, 2019. She continues with the university as a tenured professor of English, but is on sabbatical for the 2019-20 academic year.