Extension of appointment of Dr. Minelle Mahtani, Senior Advisor to the Provost on Racialized Faculty

I am pleased to announce that Dr. Minelle Mahtani’s appointment as Senior Advisor to the Provost on Racialized Faculty has been extended for a second two-year term, commencing September 1, 2020.

Dr. Mahtani will continue to support our institutional commitment to advancing equity and inclusion in the scholarly and leadership environment for faculty members at UBC Vancouver.

Dr. Mahtani’s commitment to advancing opportunities for racialized faculty has been very impressive. Some initiatives during her first term include the creation of IGNITE, a book club series where UBC’s racialized faculty interview racialized writers, and the Provost’s Distinguished Lecture Series on Race and Leadership.

In her next term, Dr. Mahtani will continue to work collaboratively with the Associate Vice-President, Equity and Inclusion, the Senior Advisor to the Provost on Women and Gender-Diverse Faculty, and with Faculties and administrative units on policies and practices that promote equity for racialized faculty. She will also continue to ensure UBC has the most up-to-date and relevant data to assess the level, and changes in the level of recruitment, retention, and the advancement of racialized faculty. She will be responsible for supporting policy development, advancement and leadership, research and environment, providing recommendations regarding strategies and ways to support UBC’s leadership in creating a welcoming and inclusive community for racialized faculty.

I want to thank Dr. Mahtani for all the work she has done to advance opportunities for racialized faculty at UBC, and I look forward to continuing our collective efforts on this important work.

Andrew Szeri
Provost and Vice-President, Academic, UBC Vancouver