Hispanic Heritage Month speaker on campus this week

Michael Benitez Jr., vice president for Diversity and Inclusion at Metropolitan State University in Denver, presents “Examining Hispanic/Latinx at the Crossroads of Race and Culture: The Complexities of a Cosmic Identity in Higher Education,” Wednesday, Sept. 30 as part of the celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month at Youngstown State University.

The virtual event includes a meet-and-greet at 3 p.m. and a lecture at 6:30 p.m. via Webex. Participants should register here.

A leading scholar-practitioner and national voice on diversity for two decades, Benitez holds a PhD in Educational Leadership and Policy from Iowa State University and has served in higher education in a variety of capacities, including academic and student affairs; diversity, equity and inclusion; and teaching. He has authored book chapters and articles on student identity, hip-hop culture, cultural centers, faculty development, cultural and ethnic studies, and campus climate assessment. He has been featured in educational documentaries and on talk shows and his most recent works on supporting faculty of color and creating campus-community participatory frameworks for difficult conversations and institutional action can be found in AACU’s “Liberal Education” (2017) and “New Directions in Institutional Research” (2017). Prior to joining MSU Denver, Benitez was chief diversity officer/dean for Diversity and Inclusion at the University of Puget Sound, director of Intercultural Leadership and Engagement at Lafayette College, director of Diversity Initiatives at Dickinson College and CAMP retention and academic counselor at Penn State University.