About

Mission

Student Diversity & Social Justice advocates with a diverse student population to amplify and affirm student’s identities through an intersectional framework to promote student success. We are a student-centered office committed to educating, empowering, and developing UNLV students as leaders to recognize and address societal injustices.

Vision

Student Diversity & Social Justice (SDSJ) will provide transformative experiences to create a campus free of oppression and trauma through intentional engagement.

Staff

Zainub Cementwala

APIME & International Program Coordinator

Zainub Cementwala (she/her/hers) currently serves as the APIME & International Program Coordinator in the office of Student Diversity & Social Justice. She holds an M.A. in Higher Education and Student Affairs from New York University, and a B.A. in English with an Education minor from the University of California, Berkeley. A child of Indian Muslim immigrants, Zainub speaks Gujarati and...

Egypt Howard

Black/African American Program Coordinator

Egypt Howard (she/her/hers) currently serves as the Black/African American Program Coordinator office of Student Diversity & Social Justice. She holds an M.A. in Social Science as well B.A. in Multicultural and Gender studies with a minor in African American studies from California State University, Chico. Egypt’s previous experience as an Assistant Program Coordinator allowed her to be able...

Romeo Jackson

Assistant Director for Social Justice

Romeo Jackson (they/them/theirs) serves as the assistant director for Social Justice in Student Diversity and Social Justice supporting education, outreach, and mentorship efforts. Romeo is also a part-time instructor in Gender and Sexuality Studies. Hailing from the southside of Chicago, and the grandchild of Gracie Lee Fowler, Jackson is a first-generation, queer, non-binary femme, and a Black...

Mirella Jasso

Graduate Assistant for Social Justice Programs

Mirella Jasso (she/her/hers) currently serves as the Graduate Assistant for Social Justice Programs. She holds a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) and is currently in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Masters Program at UNLV. As a first-generation student of two LatinX parents she personally understands the struggle of being a college student and the...

Ericka Muñoz

Office Manager

Ericka Muñoz (she/her/hers) serves as the office manager for Student Diversity & Social Justice, Service Learning & Leadership, and Student Involvement & Activities. Ericka manages the business and administrative operations, the main point of contact for general issues and requests regarding offices and is the communications liaison for all office programs within the departments.

Ash Quinn

Graduate Assistant for Education & Outreach

Ash Quinn (they/them/theirs) currently serves as the Graduate Assistant for Education & Outreach. Through this role, they create the curriculum for the diversity-related training programs that Student Diversity & Social Justice offers and works with a team of Peer Educators to facilitate these sessions and dialogues to the campus community, ranging from classrooms to student organizations...

Alex Romero

Latinx Program Coordinator

Alex Romero is responsible for supporting UNLV's LatinX students and organizations through programs and resources. Specific programs that he is responsible for include, but not limited to, LatinX History Month Planning Committee, Dia De Lxs Muertxs, Men of Color Initiatives, Cultural Leadership Retreat, LatinX Activism Week, and the LatinX Student Alliance. Along with programs, Alex has a team of...

Kayla Tanaid

Native American Program Coordinator

Kayla Tanaid (she/her/hers) currently serves as the Native American Program Coordinator. As the Native American Program Coordinator, she serves UNLV’s Native American and Indigenous student communities and is responsible for creating programs, facilitating student workshops, and providing resources with the goal of affirming, educating, and empowering students. Kayla is also responsible for...

Samantha Varn

Graduate Assistant for Program Assessment

Samantha Varn (she/her/hers) serves as the Graduate Assistant for Program Assessment. She holds a BA in Communication Arts, from Marymount Manhattan College and is currently enrolled in the Master of Social Work Program at UNLV. A first-generation college student who took a 20-year break between her undergraduate and graduate studies and she is excited to be a part of the UNLV community.

Mary Whitehead, Ph.D.

Director

Mary Whitehead (she/her/hers) currently serves as the Director in the office of Student Diversity & Social Justice. She holds a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership & Policy Studies, M.Ed. in Higher Education and Administration from Loyola University Chicago, and a B.A. in Communication with a Human Resource Development minor from Northeastern Illinois University. Reigning from the Windy City...

Emily Willis-Almaguer

Graduate Assistant for Intercultural Programs

Emily Willis-Almaguer (she/her/hers) serves as the Graduate Assistant for Intercultural Programs. Emily graduated in 2016 with a B.A in Psychology and is currently in the last year of her Master's program through the UNLV School of Social Work. She currently serves as the co-advisor for Students Organizing Diversity Activities (SODA), which focuses on planning and implementing programs and...

Kevin Wright, Ed.D.

Assistant Director for Student Diversity

Kevin L. Wright (he/him/his) currently serves as the inaugural Assistant Director for Student Diversity in the Office of Student Diversity & Social Justice. Kevin is responsible for overseeing departmental initiatives that can create positive institutional and systemic change while centering and empowering those who hold historically marginalized identities. Kevin has previously worked in...

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