CSU’s 16th Annual Diversity Symposium is set for Sept. 19-23 in the Lory Student Center. The Symposium offers a multitude of relevant and engaging diversity-oriented sessions for campus and the Fort Collins community.
This year, sessions are focused on trending diversity topics in higher education, with special attention focused on topics directly relating to diversity initiatives at Colorado State.
“The Diversity Symposium provides a forum for us all to engage in the university’s commitment to excellence in inclusion and access, benefiting the citizens of Colorado, the United States and the world,” said Mary Ontiveros, vice president for diversity. “It is a chance to broaden perspectives, talk to experts, and celebrate our similarities and our differences.”
Week full of events
The week kicks off Monday with keynote speaker Jacqueline Patterson, presented in partnership with the President’s Committee on Sustainability presents, continues with three full days of presentations on a wide range to topics related to diversity and inclusion on campus and in the world, and closes Thursday with An Evening with Author Bryan Stevenson, presented in partnership with Morgan Library.
In between are general sessions featuring more than 60 talks by members of the CSU community on a wide range of topics covering race, gender, identity, communication, social justice and the role of engineering, the arts and veterinary medicine in creating a more equitable society.
CSU Inspire, a TED-Talk-like session focused on sharing engaging initiatives around diversity and inclusion on campus in 8-minute presentations, is set for Wednesday, Sept. 21, at 11:30 a.m. in the LSC North Ballroom.
At 4 p.m. on Thursday, Drs. Raymond Wlodkowski and Margery Ginsberg will discuss “Motivation and Learning in Culturally Diverse Environments: A Framework and Practices.” They will share their expertise and knowledge of applicable practices for honoring diversity and inclusion in the traditional and online classroom.
All sessions are free and open to the public.
The complete schedule is available on the Diversity website and on the Guidebook app.
Keynote speakers
All presentations are free and open to the public. No tickets required, but seating is limited.
Jacqueline Patterson
Sept. 19, 6 p.m., LSC Theatre
In partnership with the President’s Committee on Sustainability, Jacqueline Patterson, director of the NAACP Environmental and Climate Justice Program, will speak on “Resistance, Resilience, Reclamation, Revolution — Racial Justice, Human Rights, and Climate Change.” Since 2007 Patterson has served as coordinator and co-founder of Women of Color United. She has worked as a researcher, program manager, coordinator, advocate, and activist working on women‘s rights, violence against women, HIV/AIDS, racial justice, economic justice, and environmental and climate justice. Patterson holds a master’s degree in social work from the University of Maryland and a master’s degree in public health from Johns Hopkins University.
Maria Hinojosa
Sept. 20, 6 p.m., LSC Theatre
Maria Hinojosa is an award-winning news anchor and reporter who covers America’s untold stories. As the anchor and executive producer of the Peabody Award-winning show Latino USA, distributed by NPR, and of the PBS show America By The Numbers with Maria Hinojosa, both produced by her own Futuro Media Group, she has informed millions about the changing cultural and political landscape in America and abroad. Hinojosa’s nearly 30-year career includes reporting for PBS, CBS, WNBC, CNN, NPR, Frontline, and CBS Radio and anchoring the Emmy Award-winning talk show Maria Hinojosa: One-on-One. She is currently the Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz Chair of Latin American and Latino Studies at DePaul University in Chicago.
Bryan Stevenson
Sept. 22, 7 p.m., LSC Grand Ballroom
In partnership with the 2016 Diversity Symposium, Morgan Library presents Bryan Stevenson, founder of the Equal Justice Initiative and author of Just Mercy. In his book, Stevenson recounts his career as an attorney confronting unfairness in the U.S. justice system. Just Mercy is a New York Times No. 1 bestseller and was named one of the 10 best nonfiction books of the year by Time. Stevenson is also a professor of law at New York University. Book sale and signing will follow his talk, which is part of the Evening with an Author Series.
