The IUPUI Office of Academic Affairs has appointed two diversity and inclusion Faculty Fellows: psychology professor Leslie Ashburn-Nardo and urban teacher education associate professor Teresa Sosa.

Through the Faculty Fellows program, participants collaborate with campus leaders on initiatives tailored to their background and interests. It also prepares them for future campus leadership roles.

Ashburn-Nardo is the founding director of the Applied Social and Organizational Psychology doctoral program and director of the Industrial/Organizational Psychology master’s program. As faculty fellow, she will develop educational opportunities for faculty related to identifying and reducing bias, and promoting diversity and inclusion. Ashburn-Nardo has maintained an active research agenda in the School of Science, focused on identifying and combating social inequalities based on race, gender and other minority social identities. Through the fellowship, she will also engage in applied research that supports ongoing efforts to improve the recruitment, hiring, retention and advancement of historically underrepresented faculty.

“I am honored by this opportunity to learn from campus leadership as a Faculty Fellow, while also contributing my research expertise to initiatives that will help make IUPUI a more diverse and inclusive institution,” Ashburn-Nardo said.   

Sosa’s longstanding teaching and research commitments in the IUPUI School of Education involve working with Black and Brown youth in urban communities and broadening understandings of how literacy education can be leveraged to disrupt educational injustices. As a fellow, Sosa will work collaboratively with campus entities on projects associated with improving current practices related to faculty hiring and to increase campus literacy of diversity and inclusion in higher education. She will also engage in research in support of ongoing efforts to recruit and retain a diverse professoriate.

“I am delighted at the opportunity to serve as one of the two D&I Faculty Fellows. It is wonderful to be part of IU’s efforts and initiatives aimed at improving recruitment and retention of a more diverse faculty,” Sosa said.

Faculty Fellows are appointed on a part-time basis for a one-year term. Each of these appointments began in October 2021.

Gina Sánchez Gibau is the associate vice chancellor for faculty diversity and inclusion.