Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, has recently established the Center for the Study of Race, Ethnicity, & Equity. The research hub is an outgrowth of the university’s recent action plan for enhancing diversity.
The new university-wide, interdisciplinary center will bring synergy to research already underway in these areas throughout the university and be a driving force for further scholarship and collaboration. Additionally, it will also support student research, attract visiting scholars, and create opportunities for collaboration among faculty, students, and members of the St. Louis community.
“The Center for the Study of Race, Ethnicity & Equity will promote path-breaking research that deepens knowledge and shapes national dialogue; facilitate student learning; and provide an infrastructure for our faculty members to engage in public discourse and policy design both locally and regionally,” said chancellor-elect Andrew D. Martin.
Adrienne Davis, vice provost and the William M. Van Cleve Professor of Law, will serve as the center’s founding director. She led Washington’s 27-member Commission on Diversity and Inclusion and was also a member of the task force that planned the center’s creation. Professor Davis holds a bachelor’s degree and juris doctorate from Yale University.
“Adrienne is an excellent choice to serve as the Center for the Study of Race, Ethnicity & Equity’s founding director,” said Martin. “She will bring her relevant scholarship and strong leadership skills to help achieve the center’s primary goal: encourage, support and facilitate collaborative research and student learning in race and ethnic studies at the highest levels of rigor and impact.”
The new center will formally begin operation during the fall 2019 semester.
