Judi Brown Clarke Promoted to Vice President of Equity & Inclusion
July 29, 2020
Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff,
It is with great pride that I write to you today to announce the promotion of Judi Brown Clarke to the newly created position of Vice President of Equity & Inclusion.
We have created this position at a time when our nation needs thoughtful leaders who understand the aspirations, challenges, and changing needs of our increasingly diverse society. This is a moment where we can rise to the occasion and address the systemic issues of economic, social, and racial inequality that have infected our country for far too long.
Judi Brown Clarke has an absolutely inspiring history of promoting access and equity within educational institutions and academia. Judi joined Stony Brook’s ranks in February of this year as Chief Diversity Officer—just before COVID-19 reshaped our world. I cannot overstate the impact she has had in leading our university through these challenging times, particularly as our nation has grappled with issues of race and injustice on a massive scale.
Before coming to Stony Brook, Judi served as the Diversity Director of Bio-Computational Evolution in Action Consortium (BEACON) Science and Technology Center at Michigan State University, in which she worked closely with five large public universities to strategize for diversity within STEM fields. Before that, she served as MSU’s Director for the Office of Multicultural Affairs and Inclusion for the College of Communication Arts and Sciences. At the same time, she began a dynamic political career in which she was elected an at-large member of the Lansing City Council and, eventually, served as both its vice-president and president.
Along with many other past roles, Judi was a decorated 1984 Olympian, winning the silver medal in the 400-meter hurdles, and truly knows the value of working as part of a team. But more than anything, I think it’s best to end this letter by emphasizing her critical role on our campus.
Judi has demonstrated a deep, intersectional, and multidisciplinary approach to learning and knowledge. And she will bring all of her talents to this new role at Stony Brook, in service of our extraordinary community when we need her leadership most.
This marks an important step in the history of our University. It is an affirmation of our values as well as an elevation of an incredibly talented leader. I couldn’t be more pleased.
Sincerely,
Maurie McInnis, PhD
President