DEI Committee Seeks More Inclusive and Welcoming Alumni Community

THE NATIONAL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION has established a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee to bridge the gap between the university’s significant commitments to DEI initiatives on campus and those among the alumni community.

“We’re striving to increase alumni of color engagement at all levels, from the chapter level up to alumni leadership,” said Jason Epps, C’05, chair of the committee. “We’ll accomplish this by working to build diverse leadership pipelines for alumni of color, from the National Alumni Association to the Board of Trustees.”

The committee is off and running with a number of projects, including a program that provides opportunities for alumni of color to mentor recent graduates, as well as current students. The committee is also looking to instill “diversity liaisons” at the chapter level, who would focus on increasing the overall exposure of the chapter to nearby alumni of color, as well as developing DEI initiatives on the ground. “Our committee members also have a strong desire to serve their communities, so we’ve discussed volunteering and community service in underserved areas,” Epps said. “Lastly we’re working on establishing some form of lecture series highlighting and celebrating our many successful alumni of color.”

In addition to Epps, members of the committee are Rev. Bryce Jones, C'07; Jeanette Smith, C'07; Patrick Perez, C'14; Perfect Torkornoo, C'15; Andrew McCarthy, C'16; Stephen Witkowski, C'16; Rebecca Schisler, C'17; Angel Jackson, C'18; Alex Johnson, C'18; and Lyndsey Saunders, C'20.

Jason Epps, C’05 Chair of DEI Committee

Learn more

For more information on the university's DEI initiatives, visit msmary.edu/dei.