Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Professor of Law, and Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Liaison
One of the many things I love about Temple Law School is its unwavering pursuit of excellence – in our teaching, in our scholarship, and in the community we are building together. That is why I am excited and inspired to serve as Temple Law’s first Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Liaison, and grateful to Dean (now Provost) Mandel for creating this new role within the law school administration.
While the role is new to Temple Law, the work is not. Over the past two academic years, the Dean’s Advisory Council on Diversity and Inclusion has done tremendous work identifying opportunities for the law school to become a more equitable, diverse, and inclusive community. More recently, the Racial Justice Working Group has looked more specifically at how we can be better advocates for racial justice within our own walls as well as within our profession and communities of concern. As we engage with Temple University’s Office of Institutional Diversity, Equity, and Leadership (IDEAL) and with senior members of the University administration, we’ll be drawing in part on the work done by these groups to identify concrete next steps, not symbolic gestures.
Real progress and meaningful change are not inevitable; they require sustained effort. I will rely on the experts, those who do this work professionally, and combine my knowledge of the law school, academia, and the legal community to advance Temple Law’s mission. My goal is to serve as a liaison between the experts and those who, like me, believe in the mission, people, and purpose of Temple Law. We are already a law school and a community of purpose and promise, and I cannot wait to see who we can become as we embark on this journey together.