Enobong (Anna) Branch to Deliver ADVANCE Annual Distinguished Lecture on March 28

UMass ADVANCE will welcome Enobong (Anna) Branch, the first associate chancellor for equity and inclusion and the founding PI of UMass ADVANCE, back to campus to deliver the ADVANCE Annual Distinguished Lecture on Tuesday, March 28 at 4 p.m. in the Great Hall of Old Chapel.

Branch will be speaking on, “Working in Black and White in the Knowledge Economy.”

Learn more and register to attend: https://www.umass.edu/advance/events/advance-annual-distinguished-lecture

The Annual Distinguished Lecture is UMass ADVANCE's major event to raise awareness about diversity, equity, and inclusion issues in STEM fields and at UMass Amherst. The lecture features women in STEM with extraordinary records of leadership and vision in addressing DEI issues in STEM fields. This year's lecture is hosted by UMass ADVANCE in collaboration with the Office of Equity and Inclusion and the Provost's Office and is cosponsored by the College of Engineering, College of Natural Sciences, College of Social & Behavioral Sciences, the Manning College of Information and Computer Sciences, the Institute for Diversity Sciences, the Institute for Social Science Research and the Office of Faculty Development.

Image

Enobong (Anna) Branch is the senior vice president for equity at Rutgers University and provides strategic leadership to ensure that the institutional commitment to equity is reflected in the research, educational, and public engagement efforts that occur throughout the university and the focus extends to faculty, staff and students. She leads the University Equity and Inclusion office and the Division of Diversity, Inclusion, and Community Engagement on the New Brunswick campus, championing the role of diversity and inclusion in achieving excellence and strengthening the institutional commitment to its diverse community on and off campus. 

Prior to joining Rutgers University, Branch served as associate chancellor for equity and inclusion and chief diversity officer at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and she was the founding PI of UMass ADVANCE. Her significant accomplishments in that role included leading the integration of diversity throughout the campus strategic plan, executing the university’s campus climate survey, creating diversity infrastructure through climate advisors in executive areas and diversity officers in schools and colleges and leading the National Science Foundation funded ADVANCE program pursuing innovative organizational change strategies to spur institutional transformation and support racial and gender equity in the faculty ranks. 

A professor of sociology, Branch's commitment to advancing equity extends to academic research on labor and work that explores the historical roots and contemporary underpinnings of racial and gender inequality. She is the co-author of “Work in Black and White: Striving for the American Dream,” coauthor of “Black in America: The Paradox of the Color Line,” the editor of “Pathways, Potholes, and the Persistence of Women in Science: Reconsidering the Pipeline,” and the author of “Opportunity Denied: Limiting Black Women to Devalued Work.” A sought-after national expert on diversity in the academy, Branch serves on several advisory boards that aim to advance inclusive excellence within professional societies, the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine; the Association of American Universities; and more. Branch earned her Ph.D. in sociology from the University at Albany, SUNY and her B.S. in biology from Howard University. 

Contact Donna Baron at dbaron@umass.edu with questions.