They inspire all of us in the process.
Moving equity and inclusion forward takes more than compassion and the desire to do better. It takes tireless research, the ability to listen to others, problem solve and address their needs.
Ana Ribero, Tenisha Tevis and Vrushali Bokil — this year’s Outstanding Diversity Advocate Award recipients — practice all of the above, creating a space where their students can feel welcome and thrive.
Ana Ribero is always there for her students as a mentor and advocate. An assistant professor in the College of Liberal Arts, she actively recruits students of color to the Master of Arts in English program in the School of Writing, Literature and Film. She helps students discover their area of interest and place them in the top program of their choice. Many of her students have successfully graduated from Oregon State and begun Ph.D. programs across the country.
Ribero’s commitment to social justice is also evident in her research and coursework. An expert in areas including feminism, critical race theory and immigration, she has suggested new and experimental courses focusing on diversity, including Rhetorics of Race, Stories of the U.S./Mexico Border and Anti-Racism in English Studies. She continues to speak on the importance of anti-racist teaching methods at several conferences, assists Latinx students with résumés and job applications through the Centro Cultural César Chávez and encourages open classroom dialogues about pertinent issues like reproducing whiteness in the classroom.
Emalydia Flenory, an Oregon State alumna and University of Oregon Ph.D. student, says Ribero’s support was integral to her success.
“The guidance and feedback she was able to bring to my work were absolutely crucial.” Flenory says. “Without her support and expertise, my scholarship then and now would not be as robust, thoughtful and critical.”
Tenisha Tevis is charismatic and engaging, drawing students in with her compelling teaching style. An assistant professor in the College of Education, she works hard to stay up-to-date on all the latest technology and teaching tools to easily relate to her students and make learning inclusive and interesting, whether in person or online.
Tevis isn’t someone who will wait for another person to take the lead — she steps up first. Through mentoring and advising Oregon State students, she shows them that they have a place here. She serves as faculty advisor for the Black Graduate Student Union and co-president of the President's Commission on the Status of Black Faculty and Staff Affairs. She has helped to create workshops that educate others about systemic racism in education and around the U.S. and how to combat white supremacy.
In 2020, Tevis co-taught a seminar on Confronting Systemic Whiteness in Higher Education with College of Liberal Arts professor Dwaine Plaza, which received overwhelmingly positive feedback. She has also co-chaired the College of Education’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee, moving many initiatives forward.
“Dr. Tevis gives outstanding feedback and counseling to her students both in class and in general on the OSU campus,” Plaza says. “She has respect for the dynamics of the wide array of consciousness level of all students in her class as well as the students of color who seek out her mentorship.”
Vrushali Bokil is an advocate for making the study and profession of mathematics more accessible to all students and faculty. Now serving as interim dean in the College of Science, Bokil took the lead in developing the college’s diversity action plan, as well as ways to recruit diverse students and faculty to OSU’s health science programs. As a panelist at the 2016 STEM Leaders workshop, Bokil led discussions on creating more research internships for students of color.
Bokil also serves on several committees to keep equity and inclusion work moving, was an ADVANCE program facilitator and is chair of a Career Opportunities Committee at the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics, which works to bring more women into STEM fields. And her encouragement toward students has made an impact. She has been instrumental in recruiting women and students of color into math and computer science graduate programs — mentoring and convincing them to stick with the program when they had considered dropping it.
“Professor Bokil brings a deep understanding of the value of diversity and equity for faculty and student success, and has put into play important structural changes that can ensure sustainable impact,” says Becky Warner, professor emerita and a principal investigator for Oregon State ADVANCE.
Progress can be a long road. But strong leaders like Ribero, Tevis and Bokil are lighting the way forward.