Date February 4, 2021
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Diversity leader Shontay Delalue to become senior vice president and senior diversity officer at Dartmouth

Brown’s vice president for institutional equity and diversity since 2017, Delalue leaves a legacy of continued momentum toward creating a fully diverse and inclusive academic community at Brown.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — Shontay Delalue, vice president for institutional equity and diversity and a key leader in Brown’s work to make all areas of University life more fully diverse and inclusive, will leave Brown to become senior vice president and senior diversity officer at Dartmouth College, effective July 1.

In her four years as vice president, Delalue has led the campus-wide implementation of Brown’s Pathways to Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan (DIAP), an ambitious plan launched in 2016 that outlines a set of concrete, achievable actions to create a more diverse and inclusive academic community. She has provided strategic direction for a wide range of programs and initiatives, coordinated education and training efforts, measured and reported on progress toward DIAP goals, managed compliance and oversaw the investigation of complaints.

Over the past year, Delalue has led the development of Phase II of the DIAP, which is both assessing progress toward the plan’s original goals and outlining new actions for further advancing those goals.

Brown President Christina H. Paxson said Delalue leaves a legacy of continued momentum toward a campus that brings together the wide variety of experiences and perspectives critical for a vibrant intellectual community and truly outstanding teaching, learning and research — as well as one where people from all backgrounds are valued and supported.

“Shontay has been an exceptional leader and integral part of Brown’s progress in ensuring the institution is upholding its commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion,” Paxson said. “It is obvious to anyone who works with her that Shontay brings to her work a deeply held set of values and possesses a complex understanding of the need to enhance equity and diversity for historically underrepresented groups in higher education. I am grateful for all she has done for Brown.”

As vice president at Brown, Delalue built a cohesive team in the Office of Institutional Equity and Diversity, which focuses on diversity and inclusion strategic planning, visioning and oversight. The office also works to ensure equitable processes related to discrimination and harassment, sexual- and gender-based misconduct, equal employment opportunity and more. Under Delalue’s leadership, the office launched a Bias Incident Reporting System and implemented widespread improvements to policy and practice.

“ I have strived to use a combination of my personal, educational and professional skills to bring about positive change at Brown, and the many moments of this work — every difficult conversation and every laugh — have made me a better person. ”

Shontay Delalue vice president for institutional equity and diversity

In shepherding the work of the DIAP, Delalue worked to institutionalize practices to support the hiring and retention of faculty of color, including advancing one of the plan’s primary goals of doubling the number of Brown faculty from historically underrepresented groups. Among the specific efforts she helped to launch or expand are the Faculty of Color Network, as well as a resource for academic departments titled Guide to Diversifying Faculty Searches.

In addition to her role as vice president, Delalue currently serves as the interim senior associate dean for diversity, equity and inclusion within the Division of Biology and Medicine, and held previous positions as assistant provost for global engagement and director of the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Program; director of international student experience and assistant dean of the College; and as an adjunct assistant professor of American studies.

“I feel fortunate that, by virtue of my various positions, I was able to build strong relationships across campus with students, faculty, staff, alumni, parents and administrators,” Delalue said. “Brown is a special place where the community is always striving to be better. I am honored to have played a small part in this important work.”

Delalue also developed and executed a course that took a cohort of students to Ghana for their studies — and seeing an opportunity to make that kind of experience available to staff at Brown, she expanded the Administrative Fellows Program to include a research component and cultural immersion trip abroad that linked their work to the history of the University.

In 2017, Delalue received the Wilson-DeBlois Award, awarded by the Graduate Student Council to recognize a staff member for their outstanding contributions to graduate education and support of graduate students.

“I have strived to use a combination of my personal, educational and professional skills to bring about positive change at Brown, and the many moments of this work — every difficult conversation and every laugh — have made me a better person,” Delalue said.

In her new role as senior vice president and senior diversity officer at Dartmouth College, Delalue will report directly to Dartmouth President Philip J. Hanlon. She will hold a position on the college’s leadership team and oversee the Office of Institutional Diversity and Equity, serving as an influential leader responsible for empowering others to collectively deepen Dartmouth’s ongoing efforts to create a more diverse, equitable and inclusive community for all faculty, staff and students. She will be tasked with developing strong partnerships with the Board of Trustees, alumni, faculty governance structures, human resources, employee resource networks, student leaders, athletics, and Upper Valley business and community leaders.

"Shontay Delalue is the right leader for this important time in Dartmouth's history as we work to create a more diverse, equitable and inclusive community," Hanlon said. "We are looking forward to welcoming her to campus and partnering with her to advance the important work ahead."

Delalue joined Brown in 2013, after serving as director of the Intercultural Center at Bryant University, where she was also an adjunct instructor in the sociology and psychology departments.

Previously, she managed recruitment of students from historically underrepresented groups at the University of Maine and worked at the University of Alaska Southeast, where she directed admissions and a dual enrollment program, among many responsibilities. Later, she was a counselor at the Met High School in Providence.

Delalue holds a bachelor’s degree and a master’s of education from the University of Maine and attended the Harvard University Graduate School of Education’s Institute for Management and Leadership in Education. She earned her Ph.D. in education through a joint program at the University of Rhode Island and Rhode Island College. Her doctoral work used critical race theory to explore the dichotomy for African and Caribbean students who are racialized within a U.S. context.

Paxson will work with an executive search firm to lead a national search for Delalue’s successor, engaging the Brown community in the process.