AV is pleased to announce that Dr.SharnniaArtishas been named Vice President forDiversity, Equity and Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer, effectiveSeptember1.
Artis currently serves as Assistant Dean of Access and Inclusion in the Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences andSamueliSchool of Engineering at the University of California, Irvine, one of the most diverse engineering programs in the nation.
Artis has been creating programs to improve diversity and inclusion in the engineering and computing fields for most of her career.
“Dr. Artis will be a leader in our mission to grow and strengthen a culture of inclusion, integrity and fairness so that every member of our diverse academic community has the opportunity to thrive,” AV President Gregory Washington said. “Her ability to find solutions that lead to successful outcomes will ensure that our university practices and policies align with our ideals.”
At UC Irvine, sheestablishedand has served as Founding Director of the Stacey Nicholas Office of Access and Inclusion,a centralizedunitcreatedto lead and facilitate diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism initiatives for students, faculty, staff, and community.Artis has created student success programming for the schools’ more than 6,000 students and prospective students from underrepresented groups, and outreach programmingfor students at California’s community colleges.
“It is quite anhonor tobe selectedfor this position tobuild on Mason’s success as thetop-ranked public university in Virginia for ethnic diversity,” said Artis. “I believe inMason’s visiontobecome anational exemplar of anti-racism and inclusive excellence in action,andIamcommitted tobeing atireless championworking with ourstudents, faculty, staff, alumni,partners,andcommunity.Together, wewill transform livesby leading through inclusive excellence.”
Prior to joining UC Irvinein 2014, Artis served as Education and Outreach Directorfor theCenter for Energy Efficient Electronics Science, a Science and Technology Center funded by the National Science Foundationat theUniversity of California, Berkeley. In this role, she designed and implemented recruitment, retention, and educational programs and events to broaden participation and access to underrepresented groups at the pre-college,undergraduate,graduate,postdoctoral, and faculty levels.
As a researcher, Artis has worked to establish research- and evidence-based practices in diversity, equity, and inclusion. For the past four years, she has served as the principal investigator of TheNielaProject, funded by the National Science Foundation and aimed to increase the understanding of Black female doctoral experiences and how these experiences have an impact on their academic persistence and overall well-being in the computing and engineering fields.
Artis received her bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in industrial and systems engineering from Virginia Tech. While attending Virginia Tech, she also worked at the university’s Center for Enhancement of Engineering Diversity, where she advised engineering students and designed a living and learning program for second-year undergraduate women in engineering.
She succeeds Julian Williams, who left Mason to becomeVice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusionat the University of South Carolina. Dietra Y. Trent, former Mason chief of staff and Virginia secretary of education, has served with distinction in an interim position since Williams’ departure.