Flashes of DEI: Recent Episodes
Kent State Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Join Kent State's Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion as they explore different topics and ideas each month related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
Donna Sansonetti (Associate Vice President, People and Culture / Division of People, Culture and Belonging) join the podcast to talk about the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) - the history, purpose, and recent changes.
Resources mentioned:
- U.S. Department of Labor
Reach out to us at people@kent.edu or @PeopleCultureKSU across social media!
Intro/Outro Music: 'Fate' by Marquice Turner
Jennie O'Connell (Director, Center for Sexual and Relationship Violence Support Services) and Richantae Johnson (Director, Gender Equity & Title IX Coordinator) join us for a conversation on Sexual Assault Awareness Month - the history, the importance, and resources.
Kent State Resources mentioned:
- Center for Sexual and Relationship Violence Support Services (SRVSS) / @srvssKSU on social media
- Office of Gender Equity and Title IX / @KentStateTitleIX on social media
- Regional Campus Resources
- CARES Center
- LGBTQ+ Center
- Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS)
Non-KSU Resources
- National Sexual Violence Resource Center
- eleven24 (Tonjie Reese)
- Townhall II
- Safer Futures
Reach out to us at people@kent.edu or @PeopleCultureKSU across social media!
Intro/Outro Music: 'Fate' by Marquice Turner
We're talking about the creation, importance, and work of the Women of Color Collective (WoCC). Shana Lee (Assistant Dean of Students and Director of Parents and Families Engagement, Division of Student Life / Cofounder and Co-Chair, WoCC), Stephanie Evans (Assistant Director, Office of Student Conduct / Co-Chair, WoCC), and Yvette Roberts (Assistant Director, Center for Sexual and Relationship Violence Support Services / Secretary, WoCC) share about the employee resource group that provides a supportive space for faculty and staff women of color.
Resources Mentioned:
- Keke Palmer & Yvette Nicole Brown on 'Password'
- Women of Color Collective's Website
- Yvette Robert's Contact Information
Reach out to us at diversity@kent.edu or @PeopleCultureKSU across social media!
Intro/Outro Music: 'Fate' by Marquice Turner
Mwatabu Okantah (Professor and Department Chair, Africana Studies) joins to discuss the work, life, and legacy of Kent State's very own Dr. Oscar Ritchie
Resources Mentioned
- Department of Africana Studies
Reach out to us at diversity@kent.edu or @PeopleCultureKSU across social media!
Intro/Outro Music: 'Fate' by Marquice Turner
Deanna Stevens Ulrich (Associate Director of Digital Content, University Communications and Marketing) and Dr. Peter Bobkowski (Professor, School of Media and Journalism) share about media literacy - what it means, its connection to DEI, and how we can build our capacity for it.
Resources Mentioned
- Disclosure (2020 Film)
- Crash Course: Media Literacy (YouTube)
- Spotting Misinformation Online (LinkedIn Learning)
- Working and Collaborating Online (LinkedIn Learning)
Reach out to us at diversity@kent.edu or @PeopleCultureKSU across social media!
Intro/Outro Music: 'Fate' by Marquice Turner
Dr. Amanda Dolan (Director, Data Governance and Analytics) joins the podcast to talk data equity - what does it mean and what do we need to consider to achieve it.
Resources Mentioned
- KSU Institutional Research
- KSU Data Governance SharePoint
- RadioLab - Right to be Forgotten
- KSU Tech Trainings
Reach out to us at diversity@kent.edu or @DEIKentState across social media!
Intro/Outro Music: 'Fate' by Marquice Turner
Dr. Amoaba Gooden (Vice President / Division of People, Culture and Belonging) joins the conversation to discuss the new division make-up, name, and transition process.
Reach out to us at diversity@kent.edu or @DEIKentState across social media!
Intro/Outro Music: 'Fate' by Marquice Turner
Dr. Jayita Datta (Psychologist, Counseling and Psychological Services) and Candra (Ph.D Student / Graduate Assistant, Office of Global Education) join us to discuss how we can better support and include international students.
KSU Resources Mentioned
- Counseling and Psychological Services
- Office of Global Education
- CARES Center
- International Student Affairs
- Writing Commons
- Career Exploration & Development
Articles:
- Four Misconceptions About International Students in the U.S. by Haelim Chun and Jung Hyun Choi
- International College Students: Challenges and Solutions by Mireya Nadal-Vicens and Gene Beresin
Reach out to us at diversity@kent.edu or @DEIKentState across social media!
Intro/Outro Music: 'Fate' by Marquice Turner
Dr. Andrew Barnes (Associate Professor, School of Multidisciplinary Social Studies and Humanities / DEI Faculty Affiliate) and Dr. Mike Daniels (Director, E. Timothy Moore Student Multicultural Center) join us to discuss race and what can happen when we ignore it.
Books Mentioned:
- 'The Rage of a Privileged Class' by Ellis Cose
- 'College Belonging' by Lisa Nunn
- 'Between the World and Me' by Ta-Nehisi Coates
KSU Resources Mentioned
- School of Multidisciplinary Social Studies and Humanities
- Department of Africana Studies
- E. Timothy Moore Student Multicultural Center
- Student Group Search
- Student Ombuds
- Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
- Human Resources
- Employee Resource Groups
Reach out to us at diversity@kent.edu or @DEIKentState across social media!
Intro/Outro Music: 'Fate' by Marquice Turner
What show, book, or podcast has helped you learn something about diversity, equity, and inclusion? What article, song, or video gave you hope or grounded you in your work? The DEI team gets together and answers these questions with picks from the past year!
Helped us learn:
- 5hahem (TikTok Creator)
- 'From Equity Talk to Equity Walk' by Tia Brown McNair, Estela Mara Bensimon, and Lindsey Malcom-Piqueux (Book)
- 'We Want to Do More Than Survive' by Bettina Love (Book)
- Maintenance Phase (Podcast)
- 'The Theory of Being' by Sherry K. Watt (Book)
- 'The Phenomenology of Whiteness' by Sara Ahmed (Article)
Gave us hope:
- Bob Marley (Musician)
- Emahoy Tsege Mariam Gebru (Musician)
- Alok Vaid-Menon: The Urgent Need for Compassion (Man Enough Podcast)
- The Owl House (Cartoon)
- 'Evicted' by Matthew Desmond (Book)
- Suzy Izzard and Sandy Toksvig
Reach out to us at diversity@kent.edu or @DEIKentState across social media!
Intro/Outro Music: 'Fate' by Marquice Turner
AJ Conway (Assistant Dean, Special Initiatives in College of Communication & Information / Spectrum President) and Erica Pelz (Facilities Mechanical Systems Specialist for Laboratories in University Facilities Management / Vice President, Spectrum) talk about the creation, importance, and work of Spectrum - an employee relations group for LGBTQ+ and ally faculty and staff.
Resources Mentioned:
- Spectrum's Email: Spectrum@kent.edu
- Spectrum's Website
- Spectrum's Facebook
Reach out to us at diversity@kent.edu or @DEIKentState across social media!
Intro/Outro Music: 'Fate' by Marquice Turner
Dr. Elaine (Lan Yin) Hsiao (Associate Professor, School of Peace and Conflict Studies) and Olivia Eader (Environmental Studies and Geography Student) provide an explainer about environmental justice and climate justice - what they are, why they're important, and ways they show up in the world.
Resources Mentioned:
- KSU Environmental Design and Research Institute
- KSU Environment, Peace and Justice Minor
- Rural Action
- LANDBACK Movement
- Rematriation
- 'Black Poachers, White Hunters' A Social History of Hunting in Colonial Kenya' by Edward Steinhart
- 'Pollution is Colonialism' by Max Liboiron
- 'Toxic Communities: Environmental Racism, Industrial Pollution, and Residential Mobility' by Dorceta Taylor
- 'Braiding Sweetgrass' by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Reach out to us at diversity@kent.edu or @DEIKentState across social media!
Intro/Outro Music: 'Fate' by Marquice Turner
Learn about some of the current conversations and initiatives happening in libraries from Cindy Kristof (Copyright & Scholarly Communication Librarian / Communication Studies, Media & Journalism Subject Librarian - KSU Libraries), Sean Kennedy (Collection Strategies Librarian - KSU Libraries), and Olivia Johnson (Middle School Librarian, 2019 & 2021 Kent State Alum).
Resources Mentioned:
- KSU Libraries
- OhioLink
- OhioLink Luminaries
- Open Educational Resources
- SearchOhio
- SPARC Open Educational Resources
Reach out to us at diversity@kent.edu or @DEIKentState across social media!
Intro/Outro Music: 'Fate' by Marquice Turner
Dr. Molly Merryman (Associate Professor, School of Peace & Conflict Studies / Cofounder of KSU LGBTQ Studies & LGBTQ+ Center) joins the podcast to discuss the life and legacy of Kent State's very own Dr. Dolores Noll.
Resources Mentioned:
- Dr. Noll's 'A Gay Feminist in Academia' (1974)
Reach out to us at diversity@kent.edu or @DEIKentState across social media!
Intro/Outro Music: 'Fate' by Marquice Turner
To learn more about the 50+ year history of Kent State's Pan-African Faculty and Staff Association (PAFSA), we're joined by Renee Romine (Retiree, Training & Organizational Development in Human Resources / Past President of PAFSA) and Dr. Babacar M'Baye (Chair, Department of English & Faculty in Africana Studies/ Current President of PAFSA).
Resources Mentioned:
- PAFSA's Website
Reach out to us at diversity@kent.edu or @DEIKentState across social media!
Intro/Outro Music: 'Fate' by Marquice Turner
What are basic needs and why is talking about them important? Sydney Jordan (Assistant Director, CARES Center) and Amanda Woodyard (Director, Community Engaged Learning) answer those questions and more.
Support Resources Mentioned:
- CARES Center / @KentStateCARES
- Community Engaged Learning / @KentStateCEL
- Flashes Fighting Hunger / @FlashesFightingHunger
- Kent State Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS)
- Employee Assistance Program / Impact Solutions
- Student Assistance / Impact Solutions
- Student Legal Services
- Academic Diversity Officers
Informational Resources Mentioned:
- 2030 Boyer Commission Report
- 'Bandwidth Recovery' by Cia Verschelden
- The Hope Center
Reach out to us at diversity@kent.edu or @DEIKentState across social media!
Intro/Outro Music: 'Fate' by Marquice Turner
Amanda Feaster (Director, Student Accessibility Services) gives us a quick overview of language and concepts around disability. Listen in to learn some basics and hear about the resources we have here at Kent State.
Resources mentioned:
- Equal Access Academy
- Student Accessibility Services (SAS)
- Follow SAS - @SAS_KSU on Twitter and Instagram
Reach out to us at diversity@kent.edu or @DEIKentState across social media!
Intro/Outro Music: 'Fate' by Marquice Turner
Two members of the Kent State Votes Coalition, Jessie Starkey (Director of Governmental Affairs in Undergraduate Student Government) and Craig Berger (Associate Director in Community Engaged Learning), help us navigate various elements of voting and share resources to help us be better informed.
Resources mentioned:
- Ohio Voting Website
- Vote411.org
- KSU Libraries Voting Website
- Kent League of Women Voters
Reach out to us at diversity@kent.edu or @DEIKentState across social media!
Intro/Outro Music: 'Fate' by Marquice Turner
Aimée Flores (Junior Psychology Major & soon-to-be Spanish Double Major, President of S.A.L.S.A.) and Julie Vandegrift (Associate Director of Data Intelligence and Technology within Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement, President of LNC) join us for a conversation on Hispanic Heritage Month and how we can create more space for Hispanic and Latine communities.
Resources mentioned:
- Find Spanish and Latine Student Association at @KSUSALSA across social media
- Latinx in Theatre (KSU student organization)
- Modista (KSU student organization)
- International Student Council (KSU student organization)
- Email the Latino Networking Caucus at LNC@kent.edu
- International Faculty and Staff Network (KSU employee resource group)
- KSU Employee Resource Groups
Reach out to us at diversity@kent.edu or @DEIKentState across social media!
Intro/Outro Music: 'Fate' by Marquice Turner
Join us as we explore the concept of bodily autonomy and how it relates to equity. To help us, we brought in Dr. Suzanne Holt (Professor and Director of Women's Studies) and Dr. Laurie Wagner (Associate Professor of Health Education and Promotion in the School of Health Sciences)!
Resource mentioned:
- Some Thoughts on Autonomy and Equality in Relation to Roe v. Wade (Ginsburg, 1985)
Reach out to us at diversity@kent.edu or @DEIKentState across social media!
Intro/Outro Music: 'Fate' by Marquice Turner
It's been a rough couple of years. We want to explore the impact of them and what we can do to take care of our mental health. You'll hear from Dr. Carrie Berta (Psychologist and Assistant Director, Counseling and Psychological Services) and Dr. Adrienne Erby (Assistant Professor of Counselor Education and Supervision / DEI Faculty Affiliate / Practicing Licensed Professional Counselor).
KSU Resources:
- Counseling and Psychological Services
- The Counseling Center
- Impact Employee Assistance and Work Life Program
- Kent State of Wellbeing
- Kent State Employee Wellness
- Student Multicultural Center
- LGBTQ+ Center
- CARES Center
- Center for Adult and Veteran Services
- Sexual and Relationship Violence Support Services
- Women's Center
- Student Accessibility Services
Non-KSU Resources:
- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's Challenge to the Nation's Social Scientists
- Therapy for Black Girls
- 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline
- Crisis Textline (Text 741741)
- The Steve Fund (Text STEVE to 741741)
- The Safe Place App
- Live Another Day: Mental Health Support for Native and Indigenous People
- Asian Mental Health Project
- Racial Equity Support Line (503-575-3764 - weekdays, 10AM to 7PM PST)
- Latinx Therapy
- Therapy for Black Men
- Clinicians of Color Directory
- Asian Mental Health Collective Directory
- Sista Afya Resources
- Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective
- National Asian American Pacific Islander Mental Health Association Directory
- South Asian Mental Health Initiative & Network
- National Queer and Trans Therapists of Color Network
- Trans Lifeline (877-565-8860)
- LGBT National Hotline (888-843-4564)
Reach out to us at diversity@kent.edu or @DEIKentState across social media!
Intro/Outro Music: 'Fate' by Marquice Turner
June is Pride Month! We brought in current Pride! Kent president Dakota Bekelesky (2021-2023) and brought back former president Brandon Stephens (2013-2016) to test their knowledge.
Email Pride! Kent at KentLGBTQ@gmail.com to learn more or get information about their Discord. You can also follow them at @PrideKent across social media.
Reach out to us at diversity@kent.edu or @DEIKentState across social media!
Intro/Outro Music: 'Fate' by Marquice Turner
This month we talk with Donna Lee (Piano Professor, School of Music) and Sue Mark-Sracic (Counseling and Learning Specialist) about the need for and creation of the Asian, Asian American and Pacific Islander Faculty & Staff Alliance (AAAPIFASA).
Resources Mentioned:
- AAAPIFASA Website
- KSU Listserv site (sign in and search for "KSUAAPIFASA"
Reach out to us at diversity@kent.edu or @DEIKentState across social media!
Intro/Outro Music: 'Fate' by Marquice Turner
Join us as we talk with Zachary Strickler (Neurodiversity Coordinator, Student Accessibility Services) about autism - what it is, what some common misconceptions are, and more!
Resources Mentioned:
- Autism Society of Greater Akron
- Student Accessibility Services (KSU)
- Academic Success Center (KSU)
- Counseling and Psychological Services (KSU)
- Student Support Services (KSU)
- Writing Commons (KSU)
- Counseling Center (KSU)
- Psychological Clinic (KSU)
You can follow Student Accessibility Services, also known as SAS, on Twitter and Instagram at @SASKSU1910
Reach out to us at diversity@kent.edu or @DEIKentState across social media!
Intro/Outro Music: 'Fate' by Marquice Turner
This month we're honoring and talking about International Women's Day with Dr. Gumiko Monobe (Associate Professor, Teaching, Learning and Curriculum Studies), Cassie Pegg-Kirby (Director, Women's Center), and Dr. Charmaine Crawford (Associate Professor, Africana Studies. Director, Institute for African American Affair).
Resources Mentioned:
- The Women's Atlas by Joni Seager
- Super Majority
- The Gender Pay Gap - AAUW
- Planned Parenthood
- Guttmacher Institute
- UN Women
- National Organization for Women (NOW)
- Women's Ways of Knowing by M. Belenky, B. McVicker Clinchy, N. Rule Goldberger, and J. Mattuck Tarule
- Midwest Academy
Reach out to us at diversity@kent.edu or @DEIKentState across social media!
Intro/Outro Music: 'Fate' by Marquice Turner
Hear about the past, present, and future of Black United Students (BUS) from a conversation with Deanna Baccus (Computer Science Major, Black United Student's Director of Academic Affairs) and Mwatabu Okantah (Associate Professor, Interim Chair of Department of Africana Studies, Vice President of BUS in 1972-1973).
You can find BUS on Instagram @blackunitedstudents
Reach out to us at diversity@kent.edu or @DEIKentState across social media!
Intro/Outro Music: 'Fate' by Marquice Turner
Listen in to a conversation with Dr. Liz Smith-Pryor (Associate Professor in African-American History) about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. - his context, his community, and how his work is still relevant today.
Some of the resources mentioned in the episode:
- Why We Can't Wait - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
- Going Down Jericho Road - Dr. Michael K. Honey
- Until I Am Free: Fannie Lou Hamer's Enduring Message to America - Dr. Keisha N. Blain
- Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Transcript available here: https://www.kent.edu/diversity/episode-5-deeper-look-martin-luther-king-jr
Reach out to us at diversity@kent.edu or @DEIKentState across social media!
Intro/Outro Music: 'Fate' by Marquice Turner
Join Marquis and Katie as they talk with Dr. Christa Porter (Assistant Professor in Higher Ed Administration) about what Critical Race theory is, what it isn't, and how it can help us understand some of the things going on around us.
Some of the people and resources mentioned in the episode:
- CRT Founding Scholars: Derek Bell, Richard Delgado, Kimberlé Crenshaw, Allen Freeman, Cheryl Harris, Mari Matsuda, Charles Lawrence, Patricia Williams
- CRT in Education Scholars: Gloria Ladson-Billings, William Tate, Lori Patton Davis, Shaun Harper, Jessica Harris
- Branches of CRT: DisCrit, BlackCrit, LatCrit, Critical Race Feminism, TribalCrit
Transcript available at: https://www.kent.edu/diversity/episode-4-intro-critical-race-theory
Reach out to us at diversity@kent.edu or @DEIKentState across social media!
Intro/Outro Music: 'Fate' by Marquice Turner
Listen in as Dr. Akbar and Katie talk with Joshua Rider (Executive Director, Center for Adult and Veteran Services) and Scott Crawford (Assistant Director, Center for Adult and Veteran Services) about some of the myths, challenges, ways to support our adult and military connected students.
Transcript available here
Connect with CAVS at @KSUCAVS
Reach out to us at diversity@kent.edu or @DEIKentState across social media!
Intro/Outro Music: 'Fate' by Marquice Turner
Join Bri and Katie as they talk with Lo Denmon (Assistant Director of the KSU LGBTQ+ Center) and Graham Callahan (KSU student majoring in Theater Tech with a minor in LGBT Studies and president of Threads) about chosen names, pronouns, and why it all matters.
Transcript available here
Some of the resources mentioned in the episode:
- Rania El Mugammar's Anatomy of an Apology
- Pronoun Dressing Room
- Kent State Chosen Name Process
- Kent State Safe Space Series
- Kent State Student Legal Services
Reach out to us at diversity@kent.edu or @DEIKentState across social media!
Intro/Outro Music: 'Fate' by Marquice Turner
Marquis, Amoaba, and Katie talk about and explore equity - what it is, why it's important, and how you can start to incorporate it into your life.
Transcript is available here
Reach out to us at diversity@kent.edu or @DEIKentState across social media!
Intro/Outro Music: 'Fate' by Marquice Turner
Welcome to the Flashes of DEI podcast! Meet the staff of Kent State University's Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) and hear more about how they'll explore different topics and what you can expect while listening in.
Transcript available here
Intro/Outro Music: 'Fate' by Marquice Turner