Don C. Sawyer III of Hamden promoted to vice president for equity and inclusion at Quinnipiac University

For immediate release

Caption: Don C. Sawyer III of Hamden. Photo by Quinnipiac University.

Don C. Sawyer III of Hamden promoted to vice president for equity and inclusion at Quinnipiac University

            Hamden, Conn. – Oct. 1, 2019 – Don C. Sawyer III of Hamden has been promoted from associate vice president for academic affairs and chief diversity officer to vice president for equity and inclusion at Quinnipiac University.

           

In his new role, Sawyer will be responsible for the equity and inclusion vision and initiatives outlined in the university’s strategic plan. He will launch various initiatives to further advance inclusive excellence, including a series of critical conversations to engage the university community with a range of opinion leaders on current important topics; a comprehensive training curriculum for faculty, staff and students related to equity and inclusion; and a summer bridge program to facilitate incoming students’ transition to the university.

“I am honored to serve in this role, advancing diversity and inclusion proponents across the Quinnipiac community,” Sawyer said. “I cannot do this work alone; we all have a part to play in creating a campus environment that is conducive to the success of every member of Bobcat Nation. I look forward to partnering with the Quinnipiac community as we work to reach the goals stated in our visionary strategic plan.”

            Sawyer is a 20-year veteran of higher education, who joined Quinnipiac’s sociology faculty in 2012. Five years later, he was appointed associate vice president for academic affairs and chief diversity officer. Before coming to Quinnipiac, Sawyer worked at Syracuse University, where he was the director of the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation. Prior to that, he held positions in admissions and student affairs at Syracuse.

Sawyer’s research and life’s work has focused on diversity, inclusion and social justice in education. He is a certified diversity trainer and conflict mediator, and has gained extensive experience in recruiting, mentoring, advising, supervising, budgeting, assessment, strategic planning and building university-community partnerships.

“Dr. Sawyer has already had a big impact on Quinnipiac through his incisive analyses of our campus climate and the steps we need to take to become a more diverse and inclusive community,” said Jennifer Gerarda Brown, interim executive vice president and provost at Quinnipiac. “He is a careful thinker and a gifted speaker. I know he will bring his trademark humor, humanity and candor to his work as a vice-president, all to improve the quality of our decision making at the highest levels of senior leadership.”

Sawyer has a Ph.D. in sociology as well as master’s degrees in both sociology and the cultural foundation of education from Syracuse University. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Hartwick College.

About Quinnipiac University

Quinnipiac is a private, coeducational, nonsectarian institution located 90 minutes north of New York City and two hours from Boston. The university enrolls 7,000 full-time undergraduate and 3,000 graduate and part-time students in 110 degree programs through its Schools of Business, Communications, Education, Engineering, Health Sciences, Law, Medicine, Nursing and the College of Arts and Sciences. Quinnipiac is now classified as a Doctoral/Professional University, a recently created category by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education that recognizes Quinnipiac’s commitment to providing high-quality professional and doctoral degree programs at the graduate level. Quinnipiac also is recognized by U.S. News & World Report and Princeton Review’s “The Best 385 Colleges.” The Chronicle of Higher Education has named Quinnipiac among the Great Colleges to Work For®. For more information, please visit qu.edu. Connect with Quinnipiac on Facebook at facebook.com/quinnipiacunews and follow Quinnipiac on Twitter @QuinnipiacU.

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Media Contact:          

John W. Morgan, associate vice president for public relations,

Quinnipiac University

(203) 582-5359 (office)