MSI Task Force
From its earliest days as a small branch college to its current position as a major research institution, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas has long regarded diversity as one of its hallmarks. Located in a region that is inherently rich in multicultural diversity, UNLV makes every effort to reflect that diversity within its student body, its faculty, and its staff.
A key part of UNLV’s educational mission is to deliver a superior academic experience to students from all walks of life. UNLV prides itself on being an institution of opportunity where those who are traditionally underrepresented in higher education can receive the support they need to achieve their educational and professional goals.
The MSI Task Force, led by the university’s Executive Vice President and Provost, was established in Fall 2019. This group is a coalition of UNLV stakeholders dedicated to advancing student success initiatives for campus students of color, including promoting educational equity and eliminating the achievement gap.
2023-24 MSI Initiatives Survey
Near the end of the 2023-24 academic year, UNLV’s Minority Serving Institution (MSI) Task Force will roll out the MSI Initiatives Survey. This instrument is intended to collect a uniform set of data regarding the many UNLV initiatives that are specifically designed and/or intended to assist students, faculty, staff, alumni, and/or community residents who are members of one or more special populations or identity groups (e.g., racial and ethnic minorities, low-income individuals, LGBTQ+ persons, etc.). Questions about the survey can be directed to msidata@unlv.edu.
About the Initiative
Mission
The MSI Task Force provides institutional leadership and support for establishing UNLV as a leading MSI. Its work includes designing and maintaining institutional support systems to promote educational success for students of color and other underrepresented students in higher education.
The task force includes representatives from various administrative and academic units across the campus and is responsible for organizing a variety of programs and initiatives to support students and faculty of color as well as others underrepresented in higher education.
Members
The members of the MSI Task Force comprise a broad coalition of UNLV community members dedicated to promoting student success for students of color:
- Chris Heavey (Chair): Executive Vice President and Provost
- Keith Rogers (Co-Chair): Vice President for Student Affairs
- Jose Melendrez (Co-Chair): Interim Vice President for Diversity Initiatives and Chief Diversity Officer
- Harriet Barlow: Executive Director, The Intersection
- Elizabeth Barrie: Vice Provost for Teaching and Learning Innovation
- Jacimaria Batista: Professor, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering & Construction
- Constance Brooks: Interim Vice President of Government and Community Engagement
- Lori Ciccone: Executive Director, Office of Sponsored Programs
- Deanna Merino Contino: Associate Vice President, Student Life
- Skip Crooker: Vice Provost for Decision Support
- Tondra De: Chief of Staff, Office of the Executive Vice President & Provost
- Sunny Gittens: Executive Director of Student Engagement
- Coleen Haines: Director of Student Affairs Communications & Marketing
- Emily Irwin: Senior Director of Corporate & Foundation Relations
- Joanna Jezierska: Director, Multicultural Programs
- Kyle Kaalberg: Executive Director, Strategy & Strategic Initiatives, Office of the President
- Kate Korgan: Senior Vice Provost for Academic Affairs
- Larry Letourneau: Director for Research & Compliance, CAEO
- Ann McDonough: Dean, Academic Success Center
- Eileen McGarry: Executive Director, Career Services
- Dionna McDonald: Special Assistant to AVP/Director for Special Projects, Division of Student Affairs
- Jeffrey Orgera: Associate Vice Provost for Student Success
- Laurel Pritchard: Assistant Vice Provost for Academic Initiatives & Data
- Barb Roberts: Assistant Vice President for Undergraduate Admissions & Financial Aid Services
- Anne White: Senior Director of Data, Assessment, & Retention, Academic Success Center
Subcommittees
A number of different subcommittees work in parallel to advance the goals and priorities of the MSI Task Force.
Purpose
The purpose of the Student Support subcommittee is to review student-facing programs, service frameworks, and policies with a focus on promoting equity and eliminating the achievement gap. The subcommittee is dedicated to sharing best practices throughout the campus and collaborating with various units to enhance current student services and develop new ones.
Members
- Harriet Barlow (Co-Chair): Executive Director, The Intersection
- Jeff Orgera (Co-Chair): Associate Vice Provost for Student Success
- Valarie Burke: Assistant Dean of Graduate Student Services
- Nicole Hudson: Executive Director of Workforce Education
- Joanna Jezierska: Director of Multicultural Program for STEM & Health Sciences
- Tricia McCrory: Executive Director of Undergraduate Advising Practice
- Dionna McDonald: Special Assistant to AVP/Director for Special Projects, Student Life
- Sal Mora: Director of Academic Advising
- Blanca Rincon: Associate Professor, Department of Educational Psychology, Leadership, and Higher Education
- Barb Roberts: Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management
- Rian Satterwhite: Director for Service Learning and Leadership
- Jacob Thompson: Associate Vice Provost for Undergraduate and High-Impact Education
- Darren Vetter: Career and Professional Development Specialist
- Anne White: Senior Director of Data, Assessment, Retention, and Diversity
Purpose
The MSI Student Council, also known as the MSISC, directly engages students in building a campus culture of equity and inclusion by empowering them to advocate for, create, and invest in initiatives, policies, practices, and programs aligned with being a Minority-Serving Institution. Using a student-centered and student-led model, the council ensures that diverse student voices are recognized and are involved in campus decision-making around MSI efforts.
Members
- Dionna McDonald (Chair): Special Assistant to AVP/Director for Special Projects, Student Life
- Mia Bruce: Student
- Kristine Jan Cruz Espinoza: Student
- Scheherazade Pollins: Student
- Anel Rojas: Student
Purpose
The Identity Groups Programming subcommittee seeks to work with UNLV’s identity groups to develop programs that foster inclusivity and a welcoming campus climate. The subcommittee devises tailored approaches to support a variety of minority and underrepresented populations on campus.
Members
- Deanna Merino Contino (Chair): Associate Vice President, Student Life
- Benny Balderrama: Program Coordinator for Involvement and Student Organizations
- Janna Bernstein: Assistant Director for Leadership & Scholar Development, Student Engagement and Diversity-Service Learning and Leadership
- Kyle Ethelbah: Director for College Programs, CAEO
- Niki Fullmer: Educational Outreach Librarian, University Libraries
- Sunny Gittens: Executive Director of Student Engagement
- Lindsey Gruber: Executive Director of International Student and Scholar Services
- Dionna McDonald: Special Assistant to AVP/Director for Special Projects, Student Life
- Reyes Luna: Interim Assistant Director, Office of Student Diversity Programs
- Reggie Ungos: Business and Administration Coordinator, Student Life
Purpose
The Resource Development subcommittee identifies grant opportunities from federal agencies and private foundations and assembles robust teams focused on applying for and securing extramural funding that will enhance the university's MSI initiatives.
Members
- Lori Ciccone (Co-Chair): Assistant Vice President, Office of Sponsored Programs
- Emily Irwin (Co-Chair): Assistant Vice President, Corporate and Foundation Relations
- Alex Barzilov: Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering
- Gwen Marchand: Associate Vice President for Research
- Kate Martin: Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education
- Monika Neda: Interim Associate Dean for Research, College of Sciences
- Kurt Regner: Professor-In-Residence, College of Sciences
- Tina Vo: Assistant Professor Education, Teacher Education & Human Development
- Javier Rodriguez: Professor of Biological Sciences, School of Life Sciences
Purpose
The Faculty and Staff Programming subcommittee collaborates with other campus units on programs and initiatives designed to cultivate inclusive learning environments for diverse students, including efforts to encourage equity-minded teaching, academic advising, and mentoring.
Members
- Elizabeth Barrie (Chair): Vice Provost for Teaching and Learning Innovation
- Jaci Batista: Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Construction
- Melissa Bowles-Terry: Science Librarian, Professor
- Sunny Gittens: Executive Director of Student Engagement
- Nicole Hudson: Executive Director of Workforce Education
- Nakia Jackson-Hale: Assistant Dean for Administration, School of Nursing
- Joanna Jezierska: Director of Multicultural Program for STEM & Health Sciences
- Jessica Soria: Instructional Technologist and Content Developer, Graduate College
- Misty Valentin: Student Academic Integration Coordinator
Purpose
The goal of the Community Partnerships subcommittee is to plan and execute strategies for engaging community partners and other collaborators to support UNLV’s MSI initiatives. The subcommittee explores and facilitates the creation of alliances with external stakeholders to advance student success and equity efforts on campus.
Members
- Constance Brooks (Co-Chair): Interim Vice President of Government and Community Engagement
- Jose Melendrez (Co-Chair): Interim Vice President for Diversity Initiatives and Chief Diversity Officer
- Danelis Acosta: Engagement Events Coordinator
- Devan Harris: Associate Director for Early Outreach
- Nicole Hudson: Executive Director of Workforce Education
- Tamara Marino: Education and Information Officer
- Ana Marrero-Lopez: Assistant Director for Student Success and Field Placement, The Intersection
- Eileen McGarry: Executive Director of Career Services
- Marta Meana: Strategic Adviser, STEM Growth and Diversity
- Rian Satterwhite: Director for Service Learning and Leadership
- Jeff Shih: Associate Dean of Student and Community Engagement, College of Education
- Taylor Thompson: Development Assistant, School of Public Health
- Javier Rodriguez: Professor of Biological Sciences, School of Life Sciences
Purpose
The purpose of the Data and Assessment subcommittee is to support the work of the task force by reviewing and providing data on student enrollment and achievement, faculty representation, campus climate, and other measures relevant to MSI initiatives. The subcommittee also helps to inform stakeholders about progress with MSI metrics and develops strategies to assess new and existing programs related to UNLV’s MSI work.
Members
- Skip Crooker (Chair): Interim Vice Provost for Decision Support
- Kristine Jan Cruz Espinoza: Student
- Starr Hoffman: Director for Planning & Assessment, University Libraries
- Joanna Jezierska: Director of Multicultural Program for STEM & Health Sciences
- Larry Letourneau: Senior Director for College Programs, Research, and Compliance, CAEO
- Nikolina Pender: Director of Data Analysis & Assessment, Graduate College
- Laurel Pritchard: Assistant Vice Provost for Academic Initiatives & Data
- Alyssa Renteria: Data Visualization & GIS Specialist
- Qingmin Shi: Institutional Research Data Analyst
- Nicole Stella: Assistant Director, Academic Advising and RPC
- Anne White: Senior Director of Data, Assessment, Retention, and Diversity
- Kanikka Wofford: Administrative Assistant, Decision Support
Purpose
The aim of the Communications subcommittee is to keep campus units informed about MSI initiatives and to promote the work of the task force among the broader community. The subcommittee also undertakes efforts to share UNLV’s identity as an MSI, maintain a robust web presence for the task force, and keep stakeholders informed about data and metrics related to MSI work.
Members
- Coleen Haines (Chair): Director of Student Affairs Communications and Marketing
- Tondra De: Chief of Staff, Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost
- Karyn Hollingsworth: Director of Communications, College of Liberal Arts
- Jennifer Hurtado: Communications Manager, Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost
- Kyle Kaalberg: Executive Director for Strategy and Strategic Initiatives
- Heather Ortiz: Director of Communication, Business Affairs
- Kaci Schroeder: Director of Marketing & Communications, Academic Affairs
- Cate Weeks: Senior Director of Brand Content, Integrated Marketing and Branding
Purpose
To facilitate and support the activities of the MSI Task Force and its various subcommittees.
Members
- Chris Heavey (Chair): Executive Vice President and Provost
- Keith Rogers (Co-Chair): Interim Vice President for Student Affairs
- Jose Melendrez (Co-Chair): Interim Vice President for Diversity Initiatives and Chief Diversity Officer
- Harriet Barlow: Executive Director, The Intersection
- Elizabeth Barrie: Vice Provost for Teaching and Learning Innovation
- Constance Brooks: Interim Vice President of Government and Community Engagement
- Lori Ciccone: Assistant Vice President, Office of Sponsored Projects
- Deanna Merino Contino: Associate Vice President, Student Life
- Skip Crooker: Interim Vice Provost for Decision Support
- Tondra De: Chief of Staff, Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost
- Coleen Haines: Director of Student Affairs Marketing and Communication
- Emily Irwin: Assistant Vice President, Corporate and Foundation Relations
- Kate Korgan: Senior Vice Provost for Academic Affairs
- Dionna McDonald: Special Assistant to the AVP for Student Services/ Director of Special Projects
- Jeff Orgera: Associate Vice Provost for Student Success
Learn More
To learn more about diversity and student success initiatives on the UNLV campus, please visit the following sites:
- Minority-Serving Institution
- Office of Diversity Initiatives
- Office of Student Diversity Programs
- Office of Undergraduate Education
- The Intersection: Academic Multicultural Resource Center
- STEM Multicultural Program
- The Center for Academic Enrichment and Outreach (CAEO)
Data on student and faculty diversity at UNLV are available through the Office of Decision Support.
Contact
The MSI Task Force is an effort jointly led by the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost, the Division of Student Affairs, and the Division of Diversity Initiatives. If you have any questions or would like to get involved with the work of the Task Force, please contact:
Chris Heavey, Executive Vice President and Provost (Chair)
Phone: 702-895-3301
Email: chris.heavey@unlv.edu
Jose Melendrez, Interim Vice President for Diversity Initiatives/
Chief Diversity Officer (Co-Chair)
Phone: 702-895-5604
Email: jose.melendrez@unlv.edu
Keith Rogers, Vice President Student Affairs (Co-Chair)
Phone: 702-895-3656
Email: keith.rogers@unlv.edu
Tondra De, Chief of Staff
Phone: 702-895-0730
Email: tondra.de@unlv.edu