Marist Names Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Dr. Edward P. Antonio, Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). Photo Courtesy of Concordia College

Beginning in September, Dr. Edward P. Antonio will start in his role as the Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). Marist created this new position with the goal to help build community and spark positive change across campus. 

“I am excited to be joining Marist at this pivotal moment in its history,” said Dr. Antonio in a Marist press release. “My work and leadership at Marist will be informed by the values of equity, inclusion, and belonging.”

The search for this new position was conducted by Dr. Addrain Conyers, the Associate Professor and Chair of Criminal Justice. The selection process involved a diverse search committee made up of faculty, staff and a student representative. Dr. Antonio comes to Marist with a background in higher education. He has 25 years of experience teaching undergraduate and graduate students at universities in Europe, Africa and the United States. 

“Dr. Antonio stood out as a candidate with a reputation for strategic thinking and the ability to partner with campus stakeholders to drive change,” Dr. Addrain Conyers said. “He is an innovator who will build out our DEI infrastructure, challenge the status quo and find synergies within our current efforts and initiatives.”

Before accepting the position at Marist, Dr. Antonio worked as the Chief Diversity Officer at Concordia College in Minnesota. In that role, he created diversity training and educational programs for staff members and students. In addition, he also supported LGBTQ+ initiatives on campus by encouraging students to develop empathy for differences through storytelling. He also chaired the Diversity Council and helped create the Bias Incident Response Team. 

Once he begins at Marist, Dr. Antonio will partner with President Kevin Weinman, the President’s Cabinet and faculty across campus to develop DEI initiatives. After creating this specific position, the college is hopeful that Dr. Antonio’s presence can establish a system of accountability for diversity initiatives across campus. 

“We must continue to make progress towards the College’s goal of becoming a more diverse, inclusive and equitable institution.” President Weinman said. “While this work is the responsibility of each and every member of our community, it also requires vision and coordination by skilled leaders. Dr. Antonio has a proven track record as a DEI strategist, and has implemented initiatives at other academic institutions with great success. I look forward to working closely with him to achieve similar successes here at Marist.”

After becoming president in the last academic year, President Weinman has revisited the college's commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. Marist currently works on diversity initiatives through the Marist Center for Social Justice Research and the Diversity Leadership Institute. However, with the new DEI position, Dr. Antonio can advance the current programs and create new initiatives for the college. 

“I know that students, staff and faculty are ready to go beyond diversity to the next phase, to become a more deeply welcoming and inclusive college with a strong culture of belonging, an actively anti-racist culture and a shared equity mindset,” Dr. Antonio said. “I am thrilled to have the opportunity to lead and guide this essential work.”