The following message from Dean Diana Hess was emailed to faculty, staff, and students across the School of Education on Monday, July 19:
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Dear School of Education faculty, staff, and students:
I am pleased to announce that I have offered the position of interim associate dean for equity, diversity, and inclusion to Percival Matthews — and he has accepted.
Matthews is an associate professor with our highly regarded Department of Educational Psychology. Starting on Aug. 1, he will devote 80 percent of his time to the interim associate dean position and to leading our School’s Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (OEDI). Matthews will dedicate 20 percent of his time to department duties and his research. This appointment is through the end of May 2022 — or until a permanent associate dean begins, whichever is sooner.
I have every confidence that Matthews will be a wonderful leader for OEDI. I have worked with him often in a number of roles. As many of you know, he was the co-creator of the Wisconsin Center for Education Research (WCER) Fellows Program, served on the search committee for the UW–Madison provost, and co-led the search committee for the WCER director position. Matthews runs the highly successful Mathematics Education Learning and Development Lab, and is well-respected by students, staff, and faculty in his department, around our School, and across UW–Madison.
Please join me in thanking Percival Matthews for his willingness to take on this important role after it was announced in June that LaVar Charleston would be leaving our School to become UW–Madison’s next chief diversity officer, also holding the titles of deputy vice chancellor for diversity and inclusion, vice provost, and the Elzie Higginbottom Director of the Division of Diversity, Equity and Educational Achievement (DDEEA).
Best,
Diana
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Diana E. Hess, Ph.D.
Dean, School of Education
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Karen A. Falk Distinguished Chair of Education