Diversity Council – Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Our Mission

Comprising students, faculty, staff, and administrators from across the Northeastern global campus system, the Presidential Council acts as an advisory body to the university’s leadership. It is one of the ways in which the university creates exchanges about the multi-faceted efforts to build a diverse, equitable, and inclusive university and about the efforts to interact responsibly with communities local and global. Members of the council regularly serve on working groups for specific projects, such as strategic planning groups, or the groups that interpret the campus climate surveys, or planning groups for educational and research efforts. The council as a whole hears reports on major efforts in the university system and provides feedback; it also offers advice on new initiatives.

Membership and Leadership

Some members serve on the council by virtue of their role in the university and others are appointed by the provost and chancellor as at-large members. Northeastern’s president appoints the co-chairs of the council.

James Hackney (co-chair)

Dean and Professor of Law, School of Law

Kelley tsai — Kellee Tsai (co-chair)
*Dean of College of Social Science and Humanities; Distinguished Professor of Political Science*

Benita Bamgbade

Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacy and Health Systems Science, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Bouvé College of Health Sciences

Jennifer Barrymore

Vice President of Advancement Resources

Marla Baskerville
*Chief Diversity Officer and Associate Professor, Management and Organizational Development, D’Amore-McKim School of Business (ex-officio member)*

Kylie Bemis
*Assistant Teaching Professor, Khoury College of Computer Sciences*

Niamh Ball — Niamh Bhalla
*Assistant Dean of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion; Course Leader & Assistant Professor in Art History, Northeastern University London; Ex-Officio*

Richard Harris

Assistant Dean, Academic Scholarship, Mentoring and Outreach; Director, Northeastern University Programs in Multicultural Engineering, Diversity Programs, College of Engineering

Ben Hescott

Teaching Professor and Associate Dean of Students, Khoury College of Computer Sciences

Randall Hughes

Associate Dean for Equity; College of Science; Professor, Marine and Environmental Sciences (ex-officio member)

Jacqueline Isaacs

Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs and Professor, Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering, College of Engineering; Associate Director, Center for High-rate Nanomanufacturing; Affiliated Faculty, School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs, College of Social Sciences and Humanities (ex-officio member)