Transforming the Academy
We promote a liberative critical engagement of the scholarship, pedagogy, university and society that surrounds us. We celebrate the establishment of Interdisciplinary Research Institute for the Study of (in)Equality (IRISE) and the evolution of the Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion as milestones of a shifting narrative. We also applaud the accomplishments of Latinx faculty and staff, many of which represent firsts for the University of Denver and the field of higher education.
In 2005, Dr. Deb Ortega began her role as the founding director of The Latinx Center at DU and in 2014 became DU’s first Latina full professor. In 2015, Dr. Lili Rodriguez began her tenure as the inaugural Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs and Inclusive Excellence, charged with ensuring care and equity for students and serving as the first Latina in DU’s cabinet. Dr. Tom Romero directs the Interdisciplinary Research Institute for the Study of (in)Equality (IRISE) and Dr. Valentina Iturbe-LaGrave received national attention for the establishment of the Faculty Institute for Inclusive Teaching.
Our affiliated faculty are prominent leaders in both the university and the communities with which we belong and engage. With an eye towards justice and liberation, we bring a lens of equity and critical engagement to our respective academic units and central university operations.