The Advance Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ADEI) Network Team develops strategies for addressing issues of concern, as well as initiating and sustaining collaborations to support an environment of transparency and open communication.
View the Advancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Team charge.
View the Member Profiles on this page to learn more.
In 2023, Recommended Actions to Address Staff of Color Experience (RAASCE), a subcommittee on the Advance Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ADEI) team supported DEI 2.0 events. This included presenting a panel discussion webinar during the October DEI Summit. The webinar was titled "This is Our Story: Staff of Color Experiences at U-M." It was designed, in collaboration with ODEI and The Coalition, to share findings from a research study of the same name. The study revealed various ways in which staff of color experience pervasive white cultural norms and marginalization in the workplace.
The team is currently working with ODEI and partners to connect these research findings with existing DEI 2.0 Campus Action Items (CAIs) and to develop recommended actions to address the specific needs of staff of color.
To learn more about the ADEI team, see their 2024 project poster.
Kacey Vaughn I am a University of Michigan alum, receiving a master of public health in Environmental Health Sciences in 2021. I am now the Hazardous Waste Coordinator for the LSA Chemistry Department. I am committed to fostering a safe, inclusive workplace where everyone feels like they have the chance to be heard. I have a unique view of UMICH due to my time as a staff member, a student, and as a contracted Hazardous Waste Hauler around campus with Drug and Laboratory Disposal, LLC. I spent many hours classifying and packaging chemicals in anticipation of the Ruthven and Kraus building renovations. It is my goal this year to obtain my Certified Hazardous Materials Management (CHMM) certification. My goal as a part of the Voices of the Staff ADEI committee is to contribute to creating an environment where all employees feel valued and respected. Outside of work, I enjoy bike riding and birdwatching. Feel free to connect with me, because I would love to collaborate and learn from fellow staff members!
LaQwana “Q’ Dockery (she/her) is the Assistant Director at the University of Michigan-Flint’s Intercultural Center (ICC), where she develops cross-cultural programs centered around student voices, focusing on belonging, advocacy, and education. Q is also a co-chair of the Communities of Belonging initiative and an active member of the Campus Climate Team, DEI Committee, and Inclusive History Project. All work that has the goal of creating a more inclusive and supportive campus environment. She has presented nationally on various DEI topics at the National Conference on Race and Ethnicity (NCORE) and serves as the UM-Flint Staff Council Chair for the 2024-2025 year. Q earned her Bachelor of Social Work from Adrian College and holds two Master’s degrees from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, in Social Work and Higher Education, with a focus on Diversity and Social Justice in Higher Education.
Laura Renaud (she/her) is a Research Area Specialist in the Michigan Medicine Department of Psychiatry Child Services. She serves as the Study Coordinator and a Therapist/Interventionist on a study aimed at improving mental health outcomes for teens. She holds a BA in Psychology from Wayne State University and a Master’s in Social Work from the University of Michigan. Laura is passionate about working to provide equal access to excellent care to everyone, and advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout the university environment. Outside of work, she enjoys spending quality time with her family and friends, caring for her rescue pets, reading, and hiking.
Lee Seramur (they/them) oversees the U-M Digital Asset Collaborative, providing a free repository for all campus communicators to manage, describe, and share photos, videos, graphics, logos, and templates. A librarian by training, Lee has worked in advertising, book publishing, libraries, and higher education. Since starting at the University of Michigan in 2023, Lee has advocated for DEI and accessibility in descriptive metadata and digital platforms. Solidarity and community are their core values. Lee looks forward to elevating trans, neurodivergent, queer, and disabled perspectives as a member of Voices of the Staff - Advancing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (ADEI) committee.
Luciana Nemtanu serves as Director of Student Experience at the LSA Opportunity Hub. Before this role, she was the Associate Director of Mentorship at the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program and has also worked in the MLibrary and at Rackham Graduate School. Her research has focused on how community members activate their social capital to strengthen their identity and recover after local economic and industrial collapse. She holds a BA in History, a PhD in Anthropology and History and a graduate certificate in Museum Studies, all from the University of Michigan. For the past several years, she has served as a volunteer DEI workshop facilitator for U-M Organizational Learning which has been an incredibly rewarding experience.
Mariam Negaran (she/her) is a facilitator of the Voices of the Staff Advance Diversity Equity and Inclusion team. Mariam started her career at U-M as a temp working in the Office of Admissions at the School of Dentistry in 2008. She currently serves as an Administrative Coordinator for the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, where she supports the Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy. Outside U-M, Mariam enjoys traveling, music, walking in nature, cultural experiences, reading, watching shows and movies, spending time with friends and family, and exploring as many new coffee shops and ethnic eateries as possible.
Michele Santillan is the Communications Manager for Biomedical Engineering (BME). She has worked in BME since July 2023. Prior to her current position, she was the Marketing Communications Specialist for Civil & Environmental Engineering. Before joining the University of Michigan in 2021, Michele held communications positions at Chrysler Corporation, DaimlerChrysler and an elementary school in Canton, Michigan. Her role in BME is to develop and implement print and digital communications programs, including the content and production of newsletters, social media and web efforts, along with brochures and the annual magazine. She also assists on the promotion and execution of special department events, among other responsibilities. Michele earned her BA from Wayne State University, double majoring in journalism and public relations. She also earned her MA from Wayne State in communications, with an emphasis on organizational and corporate communications. As a member of Voices of the Staff, she seeks to infuse BME’s communications programs with the information she learns from Voices sessions. Her goal is to communicate the importance of equity, inclusion and diversity throughout all department activities.
Monica Hickson, MA currently works for the ITS as an Instructional Designer and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion facilitator. She received her bachelor’s degree in Journalism from Wayne State University and later a Master’s in Education from Central Michigan University. She has also received a DEI certificate in 2021. She is the author of The Covid Diaries which discusses the loss of her fiance to COVID and the healing journey that she took as well as a follow-up story which are both in several bookstores in the Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti area(s). Monica is a WCTF executive board member and Women in Technology and a Facilitators Engagement (FEP) member for more than six years where she teaches DEI courses throughout campus and Michigan Medicine.
Nikki Greet (she/her/hers) is a Senior Project Manager with the Office of Patient Experience since January 2023. She has been with the University of Michigan since October of 2004 and spent the first 18.5 years working for the Division of Public Safety and Security at Michigan Medicine. Her experience working within the University and specifically within Michigan Medicine has given her a unique perspective on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion and how it relates to patients, families, staff, faculty, and learners. She has four fur babies, including a German Shepherd, Kirsche and three cats, Tika, Bowie and Blaze. For fun, she loves to travel and spend time with her niece and nephew!
Sarah Herwick (she/her) joined the University of Michigan Investment Office in November of 2021. There she provides administrative support to the teams that manage the endowment's investments in alternative assets. She also works as an investment office representative for the Business and Finance Diversity Working Group which assists unit leadership in the development of their prospective DEI policies and practices. Before joining the Investment Team, Sarah aided local organizations in crafting support structures and aiding in the development of programming for the neurodiverse community, their caregivers, and other marginalized groups who may have previously felt unwelcome in traditional spaces.
Tyler Wang (she/her) serves as the Director of Alum Engagement for the LSA Opportunity Hub. The LSA Opportunity Hub is a transformative career exploration center for undergraduate students of the liberal arts and sciences. The LSA Opportunity Hub ensures all LSA students, with a deep commitment to those who have been historically underserved, pursue a meaningful life by drawing on the richness of the liberal arts and sciences in their choice of purposeful work. Prior to joining the Opportunity Hub in 2018, Tyler’s career spanned leadership roles in healthcare operations and retail. Tyler is a proud U-M grad and lives in Ann Arbor with dog, husband and two young kiddos.
Zarinah's dedication to the University of Michigan traces back to 2005 when she embarked on a journey marked by impactful service. Currently serving as a Project Senior Manager in the Office of the Provost, she orchestrates administrative coordination and leadership for the Provost's Office initiatives, committees, and special projects. In her previous roles within the Medical School, Zarinah served as the administrator of the Graduate Program in Immunology and the Doctoral Program in Cancer Biology. Her responsibilities encompassed the development, planning, management, and evaluation of administrative, business, and operational policies and procedures. Additionally, she provided administrative support to the Pathology Department’s clinical, research and academic faculty in her first role at U-M. Recognizing the profound importance of service, Zarinah has actively contributed her talents and expertise to a myriad of committees and initiatives. Recognizing the profound importance of service, Zarinah has actively contributed her talents and expertise to a myriad of committees and initiatives. Notable roles include the Women of Color Taskforce (WCTF) Executive Team; Juneteenth Planning Committee; Voices of the Staff Program Management Team (PMT); Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Annual Symposium Planning Committee; Black Employee Association at the University of Michigan (BEAM); Administrators and Staff, Student Parent Faculty and Staff Allies Committee; Medical School Administration Staff Engagement Steering Committee; Medical School Administration Employee Recognition Task Force; Advancing Inclusive Leadership (AIL) Committee; and Culture Change Values Identification Working Group Committee. Her active participation demonstrates her commitment to fostering inclusivity, empowerment, and positive organizational change. Zarinah's dedication has not gone unnoticed. In 2020, she was honored with the Staff Impact Award, a recognition celebrating her as a champion of volunteerism and service within the university. This award acknowledges her as a wall-breaker and bridge-builder, consistently finding ways to collaborate across units and improve the workplace for everyone. Additional accolades include the 2010 Michigan Medicine Staff Award for Integration, Collaboration, and Teamwork, and the 2014 UMHS Making a Difference Award. Outside the professional sphere, Zarinah finds joy in travel, theatre, suspense thrillers, most genres of music, reading, yoga, cycling, hiking, reflection, writing, and engaging in deep conversations. An introvert by nature, she unfolds her creativity in the quiet moments, yet finds contentment in the company of family and friends.