August 27, 2020
Dear students, faculty, and staff,
The Reed College Office for Institutional Diversity (OID) is very pleased to announce three new members of our staff. OID has expanded its scope to include two student-centered programs, the Multicultural Resource Center (MRC) and Students for Education, Equity, and Direct Service (SEEDS). In addition, we are pleased to announce the new role of associate dean for institutional diversity. The associate dean will coordinate and deliver educational programming that fosters strong intergroup communication skills and inclusive pedagogical practices and deepens the capacity of students, faculty, and staff to create learning, living, and work environments that allow all members of the community to thrive.
These additions will allow OID to offer more community education and professional development opportunities related to diversity, inclusion, and equity to the entire Reed community. Please join us in welcoming our new staff members to campus!
Meet Our New (and Existing) Staff
Mary James
Dean for Institutional Diversity and A.A. Knowlton Professor of Physics
Dr. Mary James received her BA in physics from Hampshire College and her PhD in applied physics from Stanford University. Her principal areas of physics research have been in accelerator physics and astrophysics. As dean for institutional diversity, Professor James works across all college constituencies to design and implement practices and procedures to build a diverse faculty, staff, and student body and to create a campus climate in which community members from diverse backgrounds can work, learn, and grow in a supportive and inclusive environment.
Cameo Lyn West
Associate Dean for Institutional Diversity
Dr. Cameo Lyn West is an educator, faculty development facilitator, and education research and assessment specialist. Her work is informed by culturally responsive and equitable frameworks, particularly social justice education and the universal design for learning. As a social scientist, she is interested in learning outcome assessment, formative feedback, holistic evaluation, and cultural auditing. Dr. West earned her PhD in history from the University of California, San Diego, and most recently served as a postdoctoral fellow in diversity, equity, and inclusion education studies at the UC San Diego Teaching + Learning Commons. Dr. West joins the Reed community as the associate dean for institutional diversity on August 31.
Jessika Chi
Assistant Dean for Institutional Diversity
Jessika Chi is a higher education scholar and practitioner with over a decade of experience. She has developed multiple programs and services to support the recruitment, transition, and retention of historically underrepresented students, staff, and faculty. She received her MA in educational administration and leadership from the University of the Pacific and is currently a PhD candidate in Pacific University’s education and leadership program. Prior to Reed, Jessika worked in student affairs in residence life and multicultural affairs. Jessika has been a part of the Reed community for five years and is looking forward to beginning her sixth academic year this fall.
Ashley Stull Meyers
Multicultural Resource Center Program Director
Ashley Stull Meyers is a writer, curator, and educator working across the fields of visual art, community programming, and publications. In the past 10 years, she has collaborated with a diverse set of institutions in Portland, Seattle, and San Francisco. Ashley served as director and curator of the Art Gym at Marylhurst University through its closure in late 2018. Currently, she is a contributing writer for several arts and culture publications and is a visiting faculty member at Sierra Nevada University's MFA program. Her primary interests are systems that facilitate equity and inclusion and humanizing academic language through humor and community-centered ideologies. She assumed the role of Multicultural Resource Center Program Director in July.
Madeline Harmon
Students for Education, Equity, and Direct Service (SEEDS) Program Director
Madeline Harmon is an educator, budding cultural somatic therapist, and movement teacher steeped in an Afrocentric worldview. They are passionate about utilizing the power of mindfulness, somatic body work, and nature to bring about sweeping change toward a more just world. They received a BA in communication studies from Loyola Marymount University and a master of social work from Portland State University. In addition, they have over 1,000 hours of training and experience teaching yoga and trauma-informed movement. Their career has spanned work with youth and adults of all ages. Prior to Portland, they taught in the Stanford Early Life Stress Research Program at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital in a three-year study focused on the effects of yoga and mindfulness in mitigating the effects of childhood trauma. In Portland, they have worked as a clinician at the OHSU Avel Gordly Center for Healing, been a facilitator with Peace in Schools, and coordinated the student community engagement program at PSU. They assumed the role of SEEDS Program Director in July.