Photo courtesy of: Ohio UniversityDr. Gigi Secuban has been named Ohio University’s first Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion. She will officially begin leading OHIO’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion team on June 18, 2018.

Ohio University President M. Duane Nellis shared the following message with the campus community regarding the selection of OHIO's first Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion on Tuesday, May 15, 2018.

Dear University Community,

It is with great excitement that I write to you to announce Ohio University’s first Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion: Dr. Gigi Secuban!

Dr. Secuban comes to us from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, where she served as the Associate Vice Chancellor and Director of the Office of Inclusion and Intercultural Relations. Her background includes a history of collaboration with academic affairs in developing recruitment and retention programs. Dr. Secuban will be a wonderful addition to the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, my senior leadership team, and our community. Her first day at Ohio University is June 18, 2018.

Gigi has a passion for working with students at the foundation of her work. She enjoys supporting the academic and personal development of students as well as promoting diversity and inclusion efforts on campus and the community. She clearly shares the values of our institution and I am looking forward to having her join our Bobcat Family.

I want to thank Dr. Jason Pina, who has served as the Interim Chief Diversity Officer in addition to his primary role as Vice President of Student Affairs since August 1, 2017, and is a valuable member of our team. Jason also served as co-chair of the search committee, alongside Ohio University-Zanesville Dean Jeremy Webster; those two and the search committee members have invested countless hours of hard work into this search. I thank all of them for their leadership and helping to guide me towards this very important decision.

The position of Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion is a vital part of my leadership team and essential to the success of our strategic pathways as we continue to bolster our efforts to make Ohio University a national leader for diversity and inclusion. The constructive conversations that occurred at the open forums proved how passionate the University Community feels about this issue. Your feedback was not only heard, but appreciated. Thank you.

I look forward to working with Dr. Secuban, the rest of the Diversity and Inclusion staff, and each of you, in the years ahead as we develop a new strategy that will advance Ohio University to new levels of inclusive excellence.

Kind regards,
 
M. Duane Nellis
President