About Us
Since the initial planning meeting in August of 2020, the UD Anti-Racism Initiative (UDARI) has since grown to well over 500+ individuals consisting of faculty, staff, students, and community members who all share the common goal of combatting systemic racism and reducing racial inequities on campus and the broader community.
To register your interest in getting involved with the initiative, please complete the UDARI Interest Form.
UDARI Leadership
Faculty Fellows
The new UDARI Faculty Fellows are Nöel Archambeault, Associate Professor in the School of Music; Mellissa Gordon, Associate Professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Sciences; and Anu Sivaraman, Assistant Professor of Business Administration and Director of the Lerner Diversity Council.
Associate Professor Noël Archambeault, College of Arts and Sciences, School of Music. Noël Archambeault, soprano, teaches applied voice, vocal pedagogy and lyric diction at the University of Delaware. Professor Archambeault has served on various UDARI and DEIA initiatives on campus and in her scholarly/creative work. Much of her work in higher education has had a focus on diversity and inclusion for all people of difference. Some highlights of her recent activities include founding the Chicana Art Song Project, serving on UDARI’s Visual and Performing Arts Anti-Racism committee, serving on the School of Music Faculty Council for Diversity, being a member of the American Choral Directors Association’s Diversity Initiatives Standing Committee and co-chair of the Task Force on the Care of Transgender Singers. She is committed to working collaboratively across campus to ensure the rights and interests of people of difference within our UD community.
Associate Professor Mellissa Gordon, Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, College of Education and Human Development. Dr. Gordon served as the UD ADVANCE Fellow for four years, providing her College with resources and support relating to diversity, equity, and inclusion initiates available at the university, as well as nation-wide. She was also responsible for conducting trainings for faculty to increase representation and advancement of underrepresented faculty in STEM and Social Sciences. Dr. Gordon’s research examines how at-risk families and their communities impact adolescent and young adult developmental outcomes. Her work is situated at the intersection of several theoretical frameworks, including Ecological Theory and Critical Race Theory. In line with UDARI’s interests, her program of research is inclusive of factors aimed at reducing racial/ethnic disparities and increasing access, equity, and opportunities for marginalized groups.
Assistant Professor Anuradha (Anu) Sivaraman is an assistant professor of marketing and Director of the Lerner Diversity Council (LDC) at the Alfred Lerner College of Business & Economics. She has been dedicated to addressing race and inequality in the Lerner College and looks forward to working at the university level. Dr. Sivaraman has also been actively engaged with Delaware communities, especially the area High Schools, as a new board member of the Girl Scouts of Chesapeake Bay. Dr. Sivaraman was awarded the Lerner College of Business and Economics Outstanding Service Award (2022-2023) and served as a Faculty Fellow in the Women’s Leadership Initiative (2022-2024). Dr. Sivaraman has an unwavering commitment to fostering collaborative decision-making processes and creating an equitable environment through inclusive policies. Whether serving the AAUP as the interim grievance officer and deputy contract maintenance officer, or leading diversity initiatives, Dr. Sivaraman consistently advocates for inclusive practices that ensure all voices are heard and valued.
Steering Committee
The steering committee is comprised of the chairs and/or co-chairs for each of the committees. Currently, the steering committee features:
- Pascha Bueno Hansen: American Indian and Indigenous Relations Committee
- Adam Foley: Anti-Racism Programming
- Hannah Kim: Anti-Racist Curriculum in PK-12 Schools
- Soo-Bin Jang: Anti-Racist Curriculum in PK-12 Schools
- Stephanie Del Tufo: Addressing Barriers to Participation in STEM
- Vimalin Rujivacharakal: Asian-American Anti-Racism Initiative (AAAI)
- Neri de Kramer: Associate in Arts Program Outreach
- David Teague: Associate in Arts Program Outreach
- Jennifer Van Horn: Campus Tours
- Kristina Najera: Collaborative to Diversify Teacher Education
- Maya Constantine: Collaborative to Diversify Teacher Education
- Jamie Bailey: Collaborative to Diversify Teacher Education
- Sonia Robles: DACA and Undocumented Student Support
- Angela Hattery: First State First Chance UD Prison Education Program
- Earl Smith: First State First Chance UD Prison Education Program
- Natalia Davila: Latino Hispanic Heritage Caucus
- Rebecca Davis: Legacies of Slavery & Dispossession at UD
- Dale Norwood: Legacies of Slavery & Dispossession at UD
- Colin Miller: Visual & Performing Arts
Committees
The committees are open to all UD faculty, staff and graduate and undergraduate students who are willing to commit themselves to taking specific action by serving on, chairing, or co-chairing a committee.
Former Co-Chairs
Former co-chairs of UDARI include:
Interns
UDARI’s team of interns is a group of ardent, determined, and inspired undergraduate students who work on various research tasks and projects of the Initiative that lie within their fields of interest. Together, they are working towards fulfilling the five objectives of UDARI, as well as enhancing life on campus for our increasingly diverse student body.
Current Interns
The initiative’s current interns are:
Past Interns
The initiative’s past interns include: