NIRVANA SCOTT NAMED

SCOTT NAMED DIRECTOR OF EQUITY & INCLUSION

Following a competitive nationwide search, Pace announced in April that NIRVANA SCOTT will serve as Director of Equity and Inclusion, effective July 2021.

Scott is a familiar face within the Pace community. A magna cum laude graduate of Georgia State University with a degree in philosophy, she joined the faculty as a Lower School strings instructor in 2015, became an active member of the Faculty Diversity Committee in 2016 and took on the added role of Lower School Diversity, Equity and Inclusion “My hope is that we (DEI) coordinator in 2019. As continue to build on a DEI coordinator, Scott has developed student affinity the incredible work groups, facilitated professional that we've done development for faculty and staff, and collaborated with to support equity administrators to design cur- and inclusivity at riculum targets and culturally responsive teaching guidelines Pace so far. My to integrate DEI programming goal is to cultivate into the curriculum.

In her new role, Scott will a culture where work alongside Chief Equity every member of and Inclusion Officer JOANNE BROWN to plan and execute our community feels schoolwide DEI programs; facili- that they belong by tate professional development for faculty and staff; support affirming the dignity students, parents, colleagues of each person and and alumni; build systems of belonging in all areas of campus celebrating our life; and implement our Action diversity.” Plan for Racial Equity. “We continue to strive for ex- —Nirvana Scott cellence in diversity, equity and inclusion at Pace, and the addition of Nirvana as a full-time member of our DEI team bolsters those efforts,” says Head of School FRED ASSAF. “She brings tremendous experience, intellect, empathy, honesty, curiosity and passion to this complex work and, in everything she does, strives to equip students with the creativity and critical thinking skills necessary to understand the world, each other and themselves.”

Outside of Pace, Scott, an accomplished violinist and violist, advocates for equity, justice and inclusive teaching practices. In 2016, she founded Georgia Artists for Progress, a nonprofit dedicated to connecting the Atlanta arts community with social justice activism; she served as the organization’s executive director until 2019. Scott is the current chair of diversity and inclusion for the Junior League of Atlanta, and she works with under-resourced students at local elementary schools through Georgia State University School of Music’s Sound Learning program. l