Lorraine Dowler, professor of geography and women’s, gender, and sexuality studies was named the associate head for diversity, equity, and inclusion for the geography department this spring. Associate heads were named for each department in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences as part of an ongoing initiative to build a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive department and college environment. The program was launched in January 2021, and Dowler was among the first appointed.
“This innovative new role is meant to deepen the infrastructure around diversity, equity, and inclusion work by focusing within each specific department,” said Victoria Sanchez, associate dean for educational equity for the college.
The idea came to the college executive council from the department heads, departmental DEI committees, and graduate students. Sanchez said she was happy to work with those stakeholders to develop a shared vision for the position.
“Taking me out of the equation, the creation of this position is extraordinary,” Dowler said. “To put this position on par with the department’s associate heads of the undergraduate and graduate programs not only speaks truth to power but puts truth on par with power.”
Dowler also noted that the creation of this position takes the DEI work done by so many people in the department and the college and makes it more visible.
The associate head of DEI is a new role, so the responsibilities are evolving, however, Dowler said her aim is, “for no one in the department to feel out of place and not survive but thrive.”
Dowler’s scholarship is rooted in a feminist approach to geopolitics that enables more fluid conceptualizations of compassion, identity, and individuality as related to understanding everyday life, private spaces, and the lives of women and other vulnerable groups, she said.
In many ways, Dowler said she feels likes he has been preparing for this position for her entire career.
“And yet I have so much to learn,” she said. “I draw from my past service experiences as the head of the Department of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, as chair of the American Association of Geographers Harassment-FreeTask Force; my research on gender and race; and teaching social justice issues.”
Dowler observed that when the dean first created these associate head positions, there was a worry that the result would be one person charged to do all the DEI work.
“Instead, this position opened the flood gates to advocate, enhance, and implement the thoughtful responses I have received from department members,” Dowler said. “The real challenge will be to figure out pathways that represent the entire department. Meeting this challenge will require a vision, but it will also need outside funding sources to make meaningful change.”
Dowler has the department’s DEI committee to help set goals. The members of the committee during the 2020–21 academic year were Emily Rosenman, Louisa Holmes, Alexander Klippel, Erica Smithwick, and Bradley Hinger.
Some of the DEI committee’s goals are:
- To build a structure of engagement, including planning an initial department retreat focused on DEI.
- To ensure the department uses its resources wisely including patronizing Black- and minority-owned local businesses for catering, real estate, departmental supplies, etc.
- To recruit and retain more underrepresented minority students and faculty into the department.
- To assess graduate and undergraduate curricula to make sure they are addressing both belonging and justice.
“As educators, it is vital that knowledge is co-created, is place-specific, acknowledges prior experiences, and should be a shared practice between all people in the classroom,” Dowler said.
“This type of pedagogy means we need to constantly reframe the geography curriculum to make sure it is inclusive and anti-racist.”
To hold the department accountable, Dowler said she intends to conduct annual assessments of the DEI initiatives.
“This will promote change rather than simply saying we want to change,” Dowler said. “I am deeply committed to the University as a site of education to inform social change. I believe that education is a process where students can be empowered to act for social justice.”
Sanchez said all the newly appointed associate deans for DEI meet regularly as a group with her office.
“Geography offers disciplinary expertise in DEI issues and the department has for some time been actively working in this arena,” Sanchez said. “Lorraine has been able to contribute a depth of experience to our discussions. She is wonderful to work with. Already our group has had rich exchanges of ideas and discussions on initiatives underway in each department. I’m excited about the possibilities that these positions offer and I’m glad that Lorraine is among the inaugural group.”