Amel Ahmed Named Director of Academic Equity and Inclusion Initiatives

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Amel Ahmed, associate professor of political science, has been named the inaugural director of academic equity and inclusion initiatives in the Office of Equity and Inclusion (OEI). Led by Enobong (Anna) Branch, associate chancellor for equity and inclusion and chief diversity officer, OEI strives to promote an institutional culture that advances and upholds the university’s commitment to fostering a diverse and inclusive environment.

Ahmed will work to support the university’s efforts to build a vibrant and diverse academic community, through various faculty and student co-curricular engagement efforts. She will also serve as a partner to diversity officers and advocates on campus to support faculty recruitment and retention.

Prior to her role as director of academic equity and inclusion initiatives, Ahmed provided significant leadership to the campus as the director of diversity advancement in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences. In that capacity, she played a key role in advancing diversity and inclusion initiatives, and broadened the position’s scope to include a focus on internationalization and outreach.

“With her experience as the director of diversity advancement in SBS, Amel is perfectly positioned to lead the Office of Equity and Inclusion’s efforts to support faculty of diverse backgrounds and to help build an inclusive campus culture where faculty can thrive,” Branch said. “An award-winning scholar and faculty member, Amel understands the faculty concerns and challenges identified in our Campus Climate Survey. I’m excited to have her on our team. She’s already making a difference.”

As an advocate for engaged scholarship, she has done extensive outreach work, much of which revolves around her interest in democratic politics and her belief in the importance of transparency and inclusiveness in the electoral process. She has worked with policymakers in the United States, as well as international NGOs, to enhance electoral transparency, finding creative ways of making electoral data more available and allowing diverse constituencies to participate in the electoral process. In 2016, she received the UMass Spotlight Scholar Award for her track record of engaged scholarship and ground-breaking work on the origins of electoral systems.

Regarding her appointment, Ahmed says, “I am excited to join the dedicated team in the Office of Equity and Inclusion, and welcome the opportunity to help the university envision creative solutions to support equity and inclusion in academic affairs.”