Members
Current Members
Lt. Gen. Ron Burgess (ret), Executive Chair
Executive Vice President
Dr. Joffery Gaymon, Co-Chair
Vice President, Enrollment Services
Dr. Joellen Sefton, Co-Chair
Professor, College of Education; Director, Warrior Research Center
Ms. Akilah Alwan
Graduate Student, College of Sciences and Mathematics
Graduate School
Dr. Katrina A.R. Akande
Assistant Professor, Department of Human Development and Family Science
University Senate Representative
Ms. Molly Boudreaux
Executive Vice President, Student Government Association
Dr. Michael Brown
Professor, School of Kinesiology
Ms. Mikayla Brown
Graduate Student, Emerge
Ms. Chacolby Burns-Johnson, MPA
Chair, Black Alumni Council
Ms. Angela Cannon
Department of Human Resources
Administrative & Professional Staff Representative
Dr. Taffye Benson Clayton
Vice President, Inclusion and Diversity
Dr. Royrickers Cook
Vice President, University Outreach
Mr. C. Kevin Coonrod
University Ombudsperson
Dr. Norman Godwin
Associate Provost for Academic Effectiveness
Ms. Lady Frances Hamilton,
President, Panhellenic Council
Mrs. Jaime Hammer
General Counsel
Dr. Robin Jaffe
Professor, Department of Theatre
Dr. Kimberly Mulligan-Guy
Assistant Dean for Inclusion, Equity and Diversity, College of Sciences and Mathematics
Ms. Lastella Paradise
Department of Human Resources
Staff Council Representative
Coach Bruce Pearl
Men’s Basketball
Dr. Jared Russell
Director of Diversity, Professor and Assistant Director, School of Kinesiology
Dr. Melody Russell
Professor of Science Education, Asst. Dept. Head, Dept. of Curriculum & Teaching, College of Education
Mr. Jailin Sanders
President, Black Student Union
Dr. Bruce Smith
Professor, College of Veterinary Medicine;
Director, Auburn University Research Initiative in Cancer
Dr. Giovanna Summerfield
Professor and Associate Dean for Educational Affairs/Foreign Language and Literature, College of Liberal Arts
Ms. Gretel Thornton
Graduate Student, College of Education
Graduate School
Mr. Jeffery Turnipseed
Undergrad Student, Samuel Ginn College of Engineering;
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity
Mrs. Gretchen VanValkenburg
Vice President, Alumni Affairs
Mr. Rett Waggoner
President, Student Government Association
Subcommittees
Institute for African American and Black Studies Subcommittee
- Dr. Katrina Akande
- Ms. Molly Boudreaux
- Dr. Michael Brown
- Dr. Taffye Benson Clayton
- Mr. Kevin Coonrod
- Dr. Norman Godwin
- Ms. Lady Frances Hamilton
- Dr. Robin Jaffe
- Dr. Kimberly Mulligan-Guy
- Dr. Jared Russell
- Dr. Melody Russell
- Mr. Jailin Sanders
- Dr. Joellen Sefton
- Dr. Bruce Smith
- Dr. Giovanna Summerfield
- Ms. Gretel Thornton
- Mrs. Gretchen VanValkenburg
Focus on Graduate Students
- Dean George Flowers, co-leader
- Dr. Jared Russell, co-leader
- Ms. Olasubomi Akintola
- Ms. Vinicia Biancardi
- Mr. Astin Cole
- Mr. Brian Cornish
- Dr. Dustin Johnson
- Dr. Bridgett King
- Ms. Ebony Robinson
- Dr. Cheryl Seals
- Ms. Aariyan Tooley
- Dr. Alan Wilson
Focus on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Education
- Dr. Taffye Benson Clayton, leader
- Ms. Angela Cannon
- Ms. Elizabeth Devore
- Ms. Donielle Fagan
- Dr. Oladiran Fasina
- Mrs. Jaime Hammer
- Ms. Ada Ruth Huntley
- Mr. Seymour Irby
- Mr. Ronny Isaac
- Coach Bruce Pearl
- Mrs. Gretchen VanValkenburg
Focus on Student Recruitment and Retention
- Dr. Joffery Gaymon, leader
- Dr. Katrina Akande
- Ms. Madison Birckhead
- Dr. Royrickers Cook
- Mr. Kevin Coonrod
- Dr. Vini Nathan
- Ms. Lastella Paradise
- Ms. Mya Strickland
- Ms. Ja’Lia Taylor
- Dr. Bill Hardgrave
Recruitment and Retention of African-American Faculty
- Dr. Vini Nathan - leader
- Dr. Katrina Akande
- Dr. Taffye Benson Clayton
- Dr. Royrickers Cook
- Ms. Donielle Fagan
- Mrs. Jaime Hammer
- Mr. Seymour Irby
- Ms. Lastella Paradise
- Coach Bruce Pearl
- Dr. Melody Russell
Recruitment and Retention of African-American Employees
- Mrs. Gretchen VanValkenburg, leader
- Ms. Madison Birckhead
- Ms. Angela Cannon
- Mr. Kevin Coonrod
- Ms. Elizabeth Devore
- Dr. Oladiran Fasina
- Dr. Joffery Gaymon
- Ms. Ada Ruth Huntley
- Mr. Ronny Isaac
- Ms. Mya Strickland
- Ms. Ja'Lia Taylor
Last updated: November 18, 2021