Equity Summit Featured Speakers

Equity Summit Featured Speakers

Dr. Vijay Pendakur

Dr. Vijay Pendakur serves as the Robert W. and Elizabeth C. Staley Dean of Students at Cornell University.  Prior to this appointment, he worked on campus-wide student success initiatives for underserved populations as an Associate Vice President for Student Affairs at California State University – Fullerton.  Before joining the team at Fullerton, Dr. Pendakur served as the Director for the Office of Multicultural Student Success at DePaul University in Chicago.  He is the editor of the recent book, “Closing the Opportunity Gap: Identity-Conscious Strategies for Retention and Student Success,” as well as numerous chapters on racial identity development, critical leadership pedagogy, and student affairs administration. Dr. Pendakur serves on the institute teaching faculty of the Center for Race and Equity at the University of Southern California and as a faculty member for the “High Impact Practices Institute” through the American Association of Colleges and Universities.  He currently serves on the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Working Group on Diversity, which advises the Director of the NIH on inclusion and equity strategy in the field of biomedical research. He holds a bachelor's degree in history and East Asian studies from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, a master's degree in U.S. history from the University of California, San Diego, and a doctorate in education from DePaul University.

Lea Webb

Lea Webb is the Founder and Managing Principal of Webb Consulting. She works with non-profits, education institutions, and businesses in creating culturally responsive organizations. She is the UDiversity Educational Institute Coordinator at Binghamton University. She provides diversity, equity and inclusion trainings and programs for faculty, staff, and students through the Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at the university.

She is an award-winning activist who has successfully bridged the gap between the community and government agencies to bring about positive and lasting change in her community. She has 20 years of experience as a Community Organizer leading efforts on various social justice issues. She has also served on community boards and created task forces whose goals are to address cultural competency and anti-racism. She was recognized as one of tomorrow's leaders by Oprah magazine and the White House Project, and was honored with the President’s Award by the Broome-Tioga Branch of the NAACP for her significant contributions.

 

For More Information

Should you have any questions or need accommodations to engage in this summit, please do not hesitate to contact Jarvis Marlow-McCowin via email at mccowija@delhi.edu or via phone at 607-746-4748.