Burton named new Executive Director of Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging

Indiana State University welcomed Dr. Xavia Harrington Burton, a well-versed equity strategist that focuses on the recruitment and retention of underrepresented populations within PK-12 and higher education, as the new Executive Director of Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging.

Burton’s primary responsibilities are to recruit and retain diverse faculty and staff throughout campus and to address issues of implicit bias in and out of the classroom. She will also provide leadership on issues of diversity and faculty excellence, and help ISU achieve several strategic goals and benchmarks.

“I am excited to join the Indiana State community and to lead meaningful work that will positively impact the campus, faculty development, and vulnerable student success outcomes for years to come. As a champion for all faculty, staff, and students, I am thrilled to call Indiana State home. Let’s get to work!” she said.

Her career includes being a civil rights investigator and human relations commissioner of equity. She worked at the University of Southern Indiana as an instructor of Africana studies, gender studies, and English, and Assistant Professor of Equity in Education.

Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Dr. Christopher Olsen said, “I am very grateful and excited that Dr. Burton is joining us at Indiana State. She has a wealth of experience in the areas of diversity, inclusion, and belonging and will bring a new perspective to campus. I know Dr. Burton is ready to build on the good work we’ve done in the past but also take us in new directions.”

She earned a bachelor of arts in English and secondary education from Claflin University, a master of arts in composition and cultural rhetorics from Auburn University, and a doctorate in education from Bellarmine University.