ON CAMPUS CAREER & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT /
Students helping students F
as less intimidating than coming into the OCPD office. The students discussed majors, internships, interviews, information to include on résumés, what employers wanted to see, and how to write a cover letter. “We guide students to our website if they don’t necessarily want to come in because it has a lot of valuable information,” Mier says. In general, Pitale adds, “we just wanted them to have some peace of mind and know that we’re here to help them, and they’re not alone in this process of career searching.” OT
Associate Director for Career Strategy & Integration Lauren Wooster (third right), Ray Pitale ’23 (second right), and Sofia Mier ’22 (right) offer advice to career seekers during a Fireside Chat.
CARLOS PUMA
ireside Chats, an event series geared toward answering student questions about all things professional, were hosted weekly this spring by the Office of Career and Professional Development (OCPD). Peer Career Educators Ray Pitale ’23 and Sofia Mier ’22 met Monday afternoons with students at the East Hall fire pit to discuss topics ranging from finding internships and job openings to quelling concerns about résumé formats and upcoming interviews. Each week focused on a different topic, and Mier says students may have seen the environment
DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION /
University of Redlands welcomes inaugural Diversity in Action resident n 2020, University of Redlands leadership established the weeklong Diversity in Action residency to introduce ideas, perspectives, and experiences that challenge and inspire the University community. Scholar and activist Abdur-Rahman Muhammad was chosen as the inaugural resident to visit the Redlands campus the week of March 7. “We wanted to bring someone who demonstrates action and the way in which you can make change,” says Senior Diversity and Inclusion Officer Christopher Jones, who, along with University Dean of Student Affairs Donna Eddleman and Vice President for Advancement Tamara Josserand, spearheaded the selection committee. Before Muhammad’s visit, Jones said his hope was that Muhammad would inspire the campus community to create change in their own ways. Based in Washington, D.C., Muhammad is a scholar, historian, journalist, writer, and activist. He is widely regarded as one of the most respected
CARRIE ROSEMA
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Abdur-Rahman Muhammad (right) accepts a plaque from Associate Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations Anuradha Diekmann ’19, ’24.
authorities on the life and legacy of civil rights leader Malcolm X. During his residency, he met with students, faculty, and staff members to present lectures and engage the campus community in conversation. Josserand says the visit was an opportunity to broaden the activities U of R offers students and facilitate more diverse programming for alumni and community members. An alumnus of Howard University, Muhammad’s
scholarly contributions have directly impacted biographies, documentaries, and research about Malcolm X. Muhammad is featured in the Netflix Who Killed Malcolm X? documentary miniseries, which historians and commentators say is largely responsible for the reinvestigation of the activist’s assassination and exoneration of two men convicted of the murder. Muhammad also played an integral role in facilitating interviews that contributed to the publication of Manning Marable’s Pulitzer Prize-winning biography, Malcolm X, A Life of Reinvention. While at Redlands, Muhammad hosted educational sessions examining the assassination of Malcolm X and a book club-style discussion of Malcolm X Speaks: Selected Speeches and Statements. Eddleman says Muhammad’s residency set a high bar for future Diversity in Action residents. “His personal story, his journey down the road of activism, his passion, and his commitment to educating others will have a lasting impact on the U of R.” OT
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