August 25, 2021
Dear members of the ³ÉÈËVRÊÓƵ community,
It is my pleasure to welcome Prof. Terri E. Givens as a full Professor in the Department of Political Science, with an additional appointment as the Provost’s Academic Lead and Advisor on ³ÉÈËVRÊÓƵ’s Action Plan to Address Anti-Black Racism. Prof. Givens will lead a newly established team that is mandated to advance the University’s Action Plan to Address Anti-Black Racism as part of ³ÉÈËVRÊÓƵ’s overarching EDI commitments. In this capacity, Prof. Givens will lead strategic initiatives for the recruitment, retention, and support of Black academic staff and serve as a mentor to Black faculty across the University. She will likewise oversee the implementation of the Provostial Visiting Fellowship-in-Residence on Black Life, and History and advise academic leaders about the distinct needs and experiences of Black faculty and measures that can facilitate an equitable and inclusive environment for BIPOC faculty.
A graduate of Stanford University and the University of California, Los Angeles, Prof. Givens began her academic career on the faculty at the University of Washington. As a professor at the University of Texas at Austin, she was the founding director of the Center for European Studies and, as Vice-Provost for Undergraduate Curriculum and International Affairs, led the university’s internationalization efforts in Mexico and Latin America. As Provost of Menlo College, Prof. Givens led efforts to develop programs for first-generation students, update curriculum and create infrastructure for evidence-based assessment and institutional effectiveness. Prof. Givens is also co-founder, and served as CEO, of the Center for Higher Education Leadership, an organization dedicated to empowering academic leaders in an environment of changing demographics, financial challenges, and advances in educational technology.
An accomplished senior scholar, Prof. Givens has written extensively on immigration policy, European politics, and the politics of race. Her most recent book is Radical Empathy: Finding a Path to Bridging Racial Divides.
Please join me in congratulating Prof. Givens on her appointment, and in welcoming her to the ³ÉÈËVRÊÓƵ community.
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Sincerely,
Professor Christopher Manfredi
Provost and Vice-Principal (Academic)