University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
Donaldson, Howard to Lead Athletics’ EDI Efforts
October 05, 2021 | Bruin Athletics
"We're proud to take the lead in creating a first-of-its-kind position for a faculty member, particularly one as esteemed as Dr. Tyrone Howard," said Martin Jarmond, UCLA's Alice and Nahum Lainer Family Director of Athletics. "Both he and Kenny Donaldson have extensive work in social justice and equity matters, and our student-athletes, coaches and staff will benefit from their leadership and guidance."
Donaldson has been tasked with developing an EDI strategic plan for UCLA Athletics, while also continuing to fulfill the responsibilities as a sports administrator for men's and women's water polo, women's indoor volleyball and beach volleyball. He will continue to chair the UCLA Athletics EDI Committee, which focuses on education and programming for student-athletes, coaches and Athletic Department staff while also serving as a designated liaison when issues around racial or ethnic discrimination or harassment arise in the Athletic Department.
Donaldson, a 1997 UCLA graduate, holds an Ed.D. in Higher Education Management from the University of Pittsburgh. While working as the Associate Director of Strategic Initiatives at the Center for Urban Education at Pittsburgh, Donaldson also was a member of the Greater Pittsburgh Higher Education Diversity Consortium (GPHEDC), and served on the School of Education Strategic Planning Committee for Research-Planning Partnerships and the Equity, Inclusion & Anti-Discrimination Advocacy Committee (EIADAC).
The Pritzker Family Endowed Chair and professor in the School of Education & Information Studies at UCLA, Howard will serve as an expert faculty member working with the athletic department on matters tied to equity and social justice. Under the direction of Jarmond and Donaldson, Howard will provide direct support and assistance to coaches, student-athletes and department administrators and staff in acquiring essential knowledge, resources, strategies and skills on issued tied to equity and justice in the athletic, academic, and social domains. This partnership will be important in helping members of the athletic community build core competencies and dispositions tied to equity, justice and inclusion that are essential to today's learning and living climate.
Howard, who earned his Ph.D. in Education from the University of Washington, is the Director of the UCLA Black Male Institute. His research addresses issues on race, culture, equity and educational opportunity for minoritized student populations. He is the author of several best-selling books, a member of the National Academy of Education, an American Educational Research Association Fellow, and has been listed by Education Week as one of the 30 most influential educational scholars in the nation on education practice, policy, and research.
