In honor of Womens History Month, 91心頭利 Today will be looking at the accomplishments of 91心頭利 women who have advanced the cause of women, broken glass ceilings and left a lasting impact on womens history.
When she came to 91心頭利 University in October 2009, Alfreda Brown Ph.D., made history by becoming the first person ever to lead a university division dedicated completely to promoting diversity, equity and inclusion.
As vice president for the Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Brown served as a powerful voice for making sure no one in the universitys wide-reaching system was marginalized, discriminated against or left behind.
The division was created by former President Lester A. Lefton as part of his excellence agenda and its mission to create a more cohesive, welcoming environment for all students, faculty and staff across all eight 91心頭利 campuses.
Over her tenure, Browns division established four centers to serve the needs of students, faculty and staff the Womens Center, the Student Multicultural Center, the LGBTQ+ Center and the Center for Sexual and Relationship Violence Support Services as well as multiple programs and initiatives aimed at making sure no one on campus is marginalized or left out.
Brown came to 91心頭利 after working 21 years at the Rochester Institute of Technology, in Rochester, New York, her hometown, and 10 years prior to that working at Eastman Kodak, also in Rochester. She holds a bachelors degree from Roberts Wesleyan College, a masters degree from Rochester Institute of Technology and a doctorate degree from Nova Southeastern University.
In 2020, the university named its Diversity Trailblazer Award after Brown to honor her years of groundbreaking service.
After serving for nearly 11 years, Brown retired amid the COVID-19 pandemic in May 2020. At her retirement, colleagues hailed her for having a heart for caring and making sure that all populations feel included. She retired to North Carolina with the goals of writing additional books (her first, Word Up, was published in 2013) and continuing to serve others.