I am happy to announce the appointment of T. Shá Duncan Smith as our inaugural vice president for diversity, equity and inclusion. Dean Duncan Smith currently serves as  assistant vice president and dean of inclusive excellence and community development at Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania. She will begin her appointment at Santa Clara on July 1, 2021.  

Dean Duncan Smith comes to us with a proven track record of leadership in institutional strategic planning and developing collaborative infrastructures to meet the DEI needs of the communities that she has served. At Swarthmore, she oversees the Black Cultural Center, Diversity Fellows Program, First Generation and Low Income Office, International Student Center, Interfaith Center, Intercultural Center, and Women’s Resource Center. Previously, she worked for fourteen years at the University of Michigan in various offices and schools related to student services, academic support, and diversity and inclusion. She earned an undergraduate degree in sociology and graduate degree in social work at Michigan and is nearing completion of a doctorate in education at the University of Pennsylvania. 

An attentive listener who lives out her commitment to advancing DEI both personally and professionally, Dean Duncan Smith inspires and empowers others to own and mobilize DEI initiatives across campus and in the community. She is a nationally recognized leader and speaker on diversity, equity, and inclusion, having joined the teaching faculty of the University of Southern California’s renowned Race and Equity Center in 2018. She brings the ideal combination of tested experience and charismatic leadership to Santa Clara at this important moment in our history. Under her leadership, we will come closer to fulfilling our potential as a community of welcome and belonging for all. Read more about Dean Duncan Smith in the press release here. 

I extend my special thanks to the search committee who, in spite of the disruption of COVID-19, navigated the search process for this inaugural position with great care and attentiveness to the needs of the University community: Eva Blanco Masias (search committee chair), Marco Bravo, Andrew Chai, Elsa Chen, Laura Ellingson, Anna Han, Anthony Hazard, Byron Howlett, Ifeanyi Ifediba ‘22, Melina Johnson, Camila Khorrami ‘21, Jennifer Konecny, and Kyle Shinseki, S.J. Anne McMahon from the President’s Office provided invaluable support throughout the process.

Please join me in welcoming Dean Duncan Smith, her husband Tony, and their four children to the Santa Clara community.

Sincerely,

Kevin F. O’Brien,  S.J.
President