Dawit Negussey Appointed Graduate Dean’s Faculty Fellow for Diversity and Inclusion

Peter Vanable, dean of the Graduate School, today announced the appointment of Dawit Negussey as the Graduate Dean’s Faculty Fellow for Diversity and Inclusion. In this new role, Negussey will assume broader responsibility for promoting the Graduate School’s diversity and inclusion goals. His appointment is effective immediately.

Dawit Negussey

Negussey is a professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University and currently leads Syracuse’s GEM Fellowship Program and participation in The National GEM Consortium. The National GEM Consortium facilitates fellowships and industry internships to qualified underrepresented students looking to pursue master’s and doctoral degrees in applied science and engineering at GEM member institutions like Syracuse. Negussey will continue to oversee the University’s GEM Fellowship Program in his new role.

“The Graduate School is committed to enhancing our success in recruiting under-represented students to our graduate programs and to creating an inclusive environment for all members of our community,” says Vanable. “Dawit is a long-time advocate for improving diversity and inclusion in our graduate programs and is poised to make a big impact through this new role. I look forward to seeing all that we will accomplish under his leadership.”

As the Dean’s Faculty Fellow for Diversity and Inclusion, Negussey will undertake the following:

• Work to strengthen the Graduate School’s success in recruiting students from diverse backgrounds;
• Provide tangible support to current underrepresented graduate students;
• Identify and administer graduate fellowship and related funding initiatives to support recruitment and retention of underrepresented graduate students; and
• Conduct trainings and outreach to departments within Syracuse University’s schools and colleges to support their graduate diversity and inclusion work.

“This is a meaningful opportunity to create positive change on our campus,” says Negussey. “I look forward to working closely with Peter Vanable and leaders within the schools and colleges to make a real difference to our graduate programs’ culture of diversity, inclusion and equity.”

About Syracuse University

Syracuse University is a private, international research university with distinctive academics, diversely unique offerings and an undeniable spirit. Located in the geographic heart of New York State, with a global footprint, and nearly 150 years of history, Syracuse University offers a quintessential college experience. The scope of Syracuse University is a testament to its strengths: a pioneering history dating back to 1870; a choice of more than 200 majors and 100 minors offered through 13 schools and colleges; nearly 15,000 undergraduates and 5,000 graduate students; more than a quarter of a million alumni in 160 countries; and a student population from all 50 U.S. states and 123 countries. For more information, please visit www.syracuse.edu.