From Dr. Doris Fields, Interim Chief Diversity Officer: Announcements and Personnel Updates
New Title IX Coordinator/Director of the Sexual Misconduct and Prevention Office
I am pleased to announce the appointment of a new Title IX Coordinator/Director of the renamed Sexual Misconduct Prevention and Response Office. Matthew Gregory joined Eastern on Feb. 6 after serving as vice president of enrollment management and student engagement, and vice president of student affairs and chief Title IX coordinator at Laboure College of Healthcare in Massachusetts since 2017. He was responsible for Title IX, academic advising, career services, access and accommodations, student conduct and orientation.
Matthew is a certified Title IX coordinator and ADA 504 [PDF] coordinator through ATIXA (Association of Title IX Administrators) and served as co-president for the New England ACPA (College Student Educators International) chapter.
Originally from Grass Lake, Mich., Matthew is an Eastern Michigan University alumnus. He graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration in 2007 and served as a resident assistant in housing, acted in several theatrical productions, worked at the Rec/IM, participated in various organizations including the LGBT Resource Center, and was a member of the student Society of Human Resources Management team.
After leaving EMU, Matthew completed a Master’s of Liberal Studies focusing on Higher Education Administration at Stony Brook University and a Master’s of Educational Leadership at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. He is currently working on his dissertation for his doctorate in Educational Leadership and is expecting to complete it in May 2023.
Most of his professional career has been spent in residential life and enrollment management. Prior to Laboure College, he served in related positions at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth and Quinnipiac University in Connecticut.
Matthew is excited to return to EMU and looks forward to collaborating with students, faculty, and staff.
Matthew joins other office staff:
Kim Lanham, Title IX and Civil Rights Investigator. Kim graduated from Ohio University with a bachelor's degree in English Literature and Writing, and a certification in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. She earned her master's degree from Rutgers University in College Student Affairs.
Kathryn Farkas, Title IX Administrative and Educational Programming Associate. Kathryn received a bachelor's degree in Public Adminstration and Women and Gender Studies from the University of Michigan-Flint in 2015, and a Master's of Education in Higher Education Administration from Vanderbilt University in 2018.
Incidents of gender discrimination and sexual misconduct, including sexual or relationship violence, can be reported through the Sexual Misconduct Prevention and Response Office website.
Additional Personnel Announcements
Kevin Williams joined Eastern Michigan University this fall as the director of diversity, equity, and inclusion programming. Before Eastern, Kevin spent 23 years at Central Michigan University where he served in several leadership positions, including director of undergraduate recruitment; senior associate director of admissions; associate director of multicultural recruitment; and, as assistant director of minority student services overseeing the King Chavez Parks Extended College Day Program.
Kevin is a lifelong resident of Michigan and a native of Detroit. He attended Detroit Henry Ford High School and received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Public Relations from Northern Michigan University. His career in education began with the Greater Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce, where he was hired as a Detroit Compact Coordinator and placed on staff at Detroit's Mackenzie High School.
Kevin was then hired as the director of the ASPIRES Program at Adrian College. The ASPIRES Program awarded graduates from Mackenzie High School with full cost-of-attendance scholarships to Adrian. Kevin's role was to ensure these students would persist to graduation. While at Adrian, Kevin also served as an admissions representative for the International Student Exchange Program and eventually became the director of multicultural student services.
LeShay Webb is the program coordinator for the Center of Race and Ethnicity (CORE) in the Department of Diversity and Community Involvement (DCI). She attended EMU for her undergraduate and graduate studies and holds a Bachelor of Science degree and a Master of Arts degree. While working as a student worker in the College of Education and the Department of Leadership and Counseling, she quickly realized that her greatest passion was working directly with students and assisting in bringing healing and equity to minoritized individuals. She strongly believes that helping people find healthy perceptions of themselves through diversity is key to optimal growth, identity, and success.
Deanna Kowaleski is the program coordinator for the Women's Resource Center. Her journey at EMU started in 2005 as a transfer student. She earned a Bachelor's in Communication with a minor in English Language. After graduation, Deanna pursued a Master's in Educational Leadership - Higher Education/Student Affairs and earned that degree in 2012.
She worked as a part-time academic advisor at Madonna University until she was hired as a full-time academic advisor in 2013 at EMU. Since then, Deanna has been a full-time staff member serving in roles such as admissions, School of Nursing and in her current position. She is an instructor in Eastern’s UNIV program, teaching new students how to transition and be successful. She also volunteers as a staff advisor for Alpha Xi Delta and is pursuing her doctorate in the Educational Leadership program.
Janis Strickland is the program coordinator for the Brotherhood and Sisterhood Scholars Program (BHSH), a student support program designed to assist first-year students of color during their transition and adjustment to EMU. BHSH is focused on increasing the completion, retention, and graduation rates of participants in the program. Janis is passionate about helping students navigate through life transitions while balancing their academic, personal, social, and financial goals. She has more than 13 years of work experience in higher education including community college, career/vocational training, along with private and public institutions. Her concentration is on student support services and life coaching focused on the persistence of under-represented and often marginalized communities. Janis also serves the EMU campus community as the Social Justice Chair of the EMU Federation of Teachers (EMUFT) union and the Chapter Advisor for the National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS), the nation's largest leadership honors society, serving approximately 1,600 current EMU students and 699 proud alumni.
Janis is a native of Detroit and was a first-generation graduate when she earned her Bachelor of Science in Psychology, Communications, and Theater Arts from Eastern. She later obtained a Master of Science in Technology Studies with a concentration in Information Assurance/Digital Investigations, and also holds a Specialist of Arts in Educational Leadership from EMU.
She also serves as a Precinct Delegate for the city of Farmington working in collaboration with community members and elected officials to increase social and political awareness about issues that impact our democracy and livelihood.
Janis is also an active participant with many committees and boards within the Oakland County Democratic Party (OCDP), serving as an Executive Board Member on behalf of the Farmington/Farmington Hills Democratic Party, Michigan Democratic Party (MDP) Resolutions and Platforms Committee member, OCDP's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee and recently was elected as a Board Member of the Democratic Precinct Delegates of Oakland County. Janis is also an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.
Aracely (Sally) Rosales is the administrative associate to the Chief Diversity Officer, Dr. Doris Fields. She is a native Detroiter who attended EMU for her undergraduate and graduate studies. She holds a Bachelor of Science in History and a Master of Arts in Higher Education Student Affairs.