New staff and associate dean positions reinforce UNC Hussman’s commitment to a welcoming and inclusive environment

By Beth Hatcher

Associate Professor Trevy McDonald lives by a simple rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do to you.” Carved on a ruler she keeps in her office, the motto informs both her personal and professional choices and buttresses her work as UNC Hussman’s Associate Dean of Access, Belonging, Inclusion, Diversity and Equity (ABIDE) — a promotion she earned this year after serving as the school’s inaugural director of diversity and inclusion since 2020.

“When you treat people how you want to be treated, it creates the inclusion and belonging that moves us forward as a society,” said McDonald, who joined the school’s faculty in 2010. “And inclusion gives space to the diversity of opinions and voices that bring out the best in all of us. Without diversity there is no excellence.”

McDonald and the school’s ABIDE committee — led by Associate Professor Nori Comello — have created those spaces by implementing initiatives that build community and capacity around diversity issues.

Comello, McDonald and ABIDE Coordinator Aurora King are pictured at right. Photo by Beth Hatcher.

“We are committed to creating an exemplary school culture that is welcoming and inclusive and that embraces diversity as a strength of the school,” said Raul Reis, dean of UNC Hussman.

The diversity committee has served the school for over a decade.  In 2021, it was renamed ABIDE to highlight issues beyond diversity, including a sense of belonging and community.

Staff and faculty members serving on the ABIDE committee include Comello, Lois Boynton, Livis Freeman, Barbara Friedman, Monica Hill, Chad Heartwood, Leah Massey, Trevy McDonald, Terence Oliver, Tricia Robinson, Heather Stevenson and Stephanie Willen Brown.

McDonald’s promotion and a new staff position supporting the ABIDE committee are enhancing efforts aligned with the school’s DEI Plan of Action and the University’s Carolina Next strategic initiative to build a community where all work together toward a common goal of creating a more diverse, equitable and inclusive community.

“I believe that it's everyone's job to work toward a diverse, equitable and welcoming community. For an organization as large as our school, it's important that our efforts are coordinated, and ABIDE serves in that role,” Comello said. “As a health communication researcher, I see major implications of diversity in terms of health. People are healthier when systems are equitable, when they feel a sense of belonging and when they can be their best selves.”

Aurora King began work this month in the newly created ABIDE coordinator position, helping support the committee’s many initiatives. King, a Lenoir-Rhyne University graduate from Jonesville, North Carolina, described the role as a dream position.

“I believe it’s important to incorporate diversity within workplaces because it’s important to understand viewpoints of people from different backgrounds. Everyone has their own strengths, and it’s important to have a variety of creative thought to be successful,” King said.

Some of the recent events and opportunities that the school and the ABIDE committee have supported include the following:

• An MLK Day of Action on Tuesday, Jan. 17, during the University’s Jan. 15-22 Week of Celebration honoring the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. The day included an evening conversation with Frank McCain Jr. — son of civil rights activist Franklin McCain, part of the “Greensboro Four” who staged the sit-in at a Woolworth store in Greensboro, North Carolina, on Feb. 1, 1960. Earlier in the day, students led a walk-out/sit-out-themed school event with more that 150 students, faculty and staff in attendance. Pictured above are scenes from ABIDE's MLK Day of Action event.

• Awarding the 2023 ABIDE grants, which fund a host of diverse projects and activities for the school’s faculty, students and staff. The DEI Guest Speaker Fund went to Associate Professor Chad Heartwood; the DEI Conference Travel & Professional Development Fund went to Park Library Director Stephanie Willen Brown; the Student Organization DEI Event Fund went to Xpressions Club/Magazine; and the Research/Professional/Creative Grant went to master’s student Clay Williams.

• A DEI Book Club for faculty and staff organized around the book “Inclusive Teaching: Strategies for Promoting Equity in the College Classroom” by UNC faculty authors Kelly Hogan and Viji Sathy.

• A "Navigating Bias in the Internship & Job Search" panel discussion on February 7, 2023, was produced with the school’s Career Services team with Rhema Bland, recruiter at McClatchy, and former director of the Ida B. Wells Society; Aaron Sanchez-Guerra, reporter for The News & Observer; and alumnus Markie McRae '22, assistant account executive at Jack Morton Worldwide. School alumni have been instrumental in supporting many ABIDE-related activities, Comello said.

• Dean Reis, McDonald and Associate Professor Barbara Friedman participated in the panel discussion "Teaching Innovations and Best Practices for Inclusive Excellence" at the Media & Civil Rights History Symposium, co-sponsored by UNC Hussman and held March 30-31 virtually and on-site at the University of South Carolina College of Information and Communications.

• The development of the “MEJO 142: Cultural Competency in Journalism and Strategic Communication” course that will be taught in the fall 2023 semester.

“All these events and activities really go a long way in creating a sense of inclusion and belonging at the school,” McDonald said. “I think it’s really important that people — students, faculty and staff — feel at home at Hussman.”

And she’s quick to point out that diversity is about many factors in addition to race. “Diversity can mean things that aren’t easily seen,” McDonald said. “Diversity can include socioeconomic backgrounds, disability, age group and a host of other factors.”

She looks forward to bringing to life more opportunities that build community in the school, including the April 24 - 28 “Week of Kindness” during the last week of spring 2023 classes.