A Quartet of African Americans Who Have Been Appointed to Diversity Posts in Higher Education

Joshua Quinn Tucker was appointed the inaugural assistant dean of diversity, equity, and inclusion at the University of Mississippi School of Law.

Dr. Tucker earned dual bachelor’s degrees in political science and business administration at the University of Mississippi in 2017. He earned a juris doctorate from the university’s law school in 2020 and then earned a doctorate from the School of Education in 2022.

Lita Little Giddins was appointed associate vice president in the Office of Belonging at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. Prior to this appointment, Little Giddins worked as the coordinator of diversity, collaboration, and inclusion in the College of Family, Home, and Social Science at the university.

Little Giddins holds a bachelor’s degree in sociocultural anthropology and a master of social work degree from Brigham Young University.

Steven Kniffley Jr.,  an expert on the treatment of race-based stress and trauma, has been named senior associate dean for diversity, equity, and inclusion at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, effective May 8. Dr. Kniffley currently serves as chief diversity officer at Spalding University in Louisville, Kentucky, where he is an associate professor in its School of Professional Psychology.

Dr. Kniffley is a graduate of the University of Louisville, where he majored in psychology. He holds a master of public administration degree from Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, and a master’s degree and a doctorate in psychology from Spaulding University.

Alicia Richardson has been named the diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging officer at Hartwick College in Oneonta, New York. Previously, Richardson had a 13-year career with SUNY Schenectady County Community College, for which she has been serving as interim chief diversity officer since September 2021.

Richardson is a graduate of the University of St. Joseph in West Hartford, Connecticut, where she majored in English language and literature. She holds a master’s degree in Africana studies from the University at Albany of the State University of New York System.

Martha Hurley Named Dean at Sinclair Community College in Dayton, Ohio

Martha Hurley will be the next dean of the Liberal Arts, Communication & Social Sciences Division at Sinclair Community College in Dayton, Ohio, effective June 1. She has been serving as chair and professor in the criminal justice and security studies department at the University of Dayton. Her research focuses on criminal justice policy analysis, restorative justice, corrections, and community-police relationship building. She is the author of Aging in Prison: The Integration of Research and Practice (Carolina Academic Press, 2018).

“It is an honor to join Sinclair College and continue its mission to find the need and endeavor to meet it through transformative, inclusive education and community partnerships,” said Dr. Hurley. “I look forward to building lasting relationships with Sinclair’s faculty, staff, and local and regional partners to further student success and advance Sinclair’s strategic priorities of alignment, growth, and equity.”

Born and raised in Darlington, South Carolina, Dr. Hurley earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina. She holds a master’s degree in sociology and a Ph.D. in criminal justice from the University of Cincinnati.