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Emory to celebrate Diversity Week Sept. 23-27
A group of students in Emory outfits posing together for a photo

Emory celebrates Diversity Week each fall with a host of activities to deepen the community’s ties to one another and to highlight the breadth of distinct experiences that individuals bring together as they carry out Emory’s mission to “create, preserve, teach and apply knowledge in the service of humanity.”

“Diversity Week is an important time of reflection at Emory, allowing us to recognize our journey as a community that aspires to be more inclusive and more equitable,” says Carol Henderson, vice provost for diversity and inclusion, chief diversity officer and adviser to the president. “In all we do, we must remember that transformation is daily, everyday work. This is how inclusive eminence is activated for the benefit of the greater good.”

The theme for this year’s Diversity Week is “Our Daily Work: Cultivating a Collective Vision of Inclusion and Excellence,” reminding community members that the building blocks of transformation to create a more equitable, inclusive and diverse Emory must be part of our daily actions with one another. As Henderson notes, leading with compassion, empathy and kindness — elements that should bolster the principles of diversity, equity and inclusion — contributes to building a thriving university community.

Below are highlights from the full Diversity Week schedule, which is available online.


Monday, September 23 

Keynote Panel — Our Daily Work: Excellence in the Service of Humanity
4:00-5:00 p.m. | Jones Room, Woodruff Library 

Join us for an engaging and thought-provoking panel discussion exploring how our daily actions contribute to building a more inclusive community at Emory. Light refreshments will be provided and registration is required.

Panel participants:

  • Moderator: Ed Lee III, Senior Director of Inclusivity, Emory College 
  • John Lysaker, Director, Center for Ethics
  • Ashley Brown, Associate Dean of Students, Campus Life (Atlanta Campus)
  • Darleny Cepin, Senior Associate Dean, Campus Life (Oxford Campus) 

Tuesday, September 24 

Women in Leadership Networking Luncheon: Finding Balance in Higher Education
11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. | Phi Gamma Hall, Oxford College

Sharon Stroye, inaugural Director of Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation initiatives, will facilitate an interactive session on wellness. The program is offered to marginalized genders including women, women-identifying individuals, and non-binary and gender non-conforming people who are comfortable in a space that centers the lived experiences of women.


Wednesday, September 25 

Diversity of Desserts
12:00 - 2:00 p.m. | Asbury Circle (Atlanta Campus) and Oxford Quad (Oxford Campus)

In celebration of National Diversity Week, the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion will host Diversity of Desserts at Wonderful Wednesdays. Join us as we celebrate the diverse richness of the Emory community. Stop by to explore sweet treats from around the world.


Thursday, September 26 

Equitable Dinner
4:00 - 6:00 p.m. | Lawrence P. and Ann Estes Klamon Room, Claudia Nance Rollins Building

The Equitable Dinner brings together strangers and friends from diverse backgrounds to talk about complex issues like race over a meal, fueled by theater. Connect and be inspired to build a more equitable world in this transformational experience. Registration is required for this event.


Friday, September 27 

Student Studio: Stuck on You
1:00 - 4:00 p.m. | Tate Room, Carlos Museum 

The exhibition Come Ruin or Rapture features works of art from LaVaughn Belle’s Storm series, works that she created anew from previous works that were damaged in 2017 by Hurricane Maria, meditations on the aesthetics of ruin and symbol of resilience. For this Student Studio we invite you to come and make a collage button using different recycled materials and make a wearable statement about something you believe in and want to share with the world.

Student Studio and admission to the Carlos Museum are always free to Emory students. First come, first served, while supplies last.


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