Dear UVM Community,

I’m delighted to share with you that Amer F. Ahmed has been appointed Vice Provost for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Dr. Ahmed will assume the role on July 1, 2021.

A widely recognized thought leader in the area of DEI, Dr. Ahmed has almost 20 years of experience advancing inclusive excellence strategies that span disciplines and operating areas while creating new opportunities for collaboration. Dr. Ahmed is known for his success in bridging religious, secular, and spiritual identity with broader DEI and social justice work. In addition to this, he brings a strong focus on intercultural and global education.

Prior to his most recent role with Dickinson College, Dr. Ahmed held a faculty appointment at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and was a dean and director of the Intercultural Center at Swarthmore College. He served at the University of Michigan for seven years, developing strategies for strengthening and implementing support and retention services for communities of color. Dr. Ahmed has acted as a consultative resource for higher education institutions and organizations across the United States and Canada, and has previously worked with faculty, staff and students at UVM including our former Vice President for DEI, Dr. Wanda Heading-Grant, and current Senior Executive Director and Director of the Center for Cultural Pluralism, Dr. Sherwood Smith. Many members of our community have already benefitted from the expertise Dr. Ahmed has shared.

Dr. Ahmed has also keynoted and presented at numerous national conferences on subjects including racism, intersectionality, and confronting Islamophobia. He is a leader in advancing Hip Hop curricular, co-curricular, and experiential pedagogy.

In his new role, Dr. Ahmed will help advance strategic DEI initiatives and oversee the Center for Cultural Pluralism, the Prism Center, the Mosaic Center for Students of Color, the Women and Gender Equity Center, and Interfaith Education and Engagement.

I would like to thank Dr. Smith, who has overseen our DEI operations on an interim basis in collaboration with Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs, Dr. Jim Vigoreaux. I would also like to acknowledge all the members of the search committee, co-chaired by Dr. Leslie Parise, dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and Dr. Vigoreaux, who volunteered their time and expertise in identifying an excellent pool of applicants for this role.

Please join me in welcoming Dr. Ahmed to the University of Vermont. We look forward to his continued success and the energy he will bring to support and enhance our DEI efforts with faculty, students and staff.

Best wishes,

Patty