Recommended Reading: Ely, Robin J., and Thomas, David A. “Getting Serious About Diversity: Enough Already with the Business Case.” Harvard Business Review, November-December 2020 Magazine Issue.

How do you proactively promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in your role as a graduate student, a researcher, a teaching assistant, and a peer and undergraduate mentor? Learn active steps you can take in every role to promote a just and welcoming environment at UCSC in every space.

As director of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the Division of Graduate Studies at UC Santa Cruz, Lorato Anderson focuses on advancing initiatives for minoritized graduate student support across multiple campus-wide projects and providing direct support to students, staff, faculty, and programs. Lorato graduated with a B.A. in Literature/Writing from UC San Diego and received her M.S. in Higher Education Administration and Policy from Northwestern University, where she researched and developed assessment models for English language learners and created multiple DEI programs that are still active. She has extensive experience in grant writing, teaching, advising, assessment, and creating long-lasting research-backed programs to promote minoritized undergraduate and graduate student success.

Lorato has worked on campus since 2016 and received the 2020 Outstanding Staff Achievement Award in Social Sciences. Her previous roles include graduate program adviser and coordinator for Latin American and Latino Studies (LALS) and Politics and undergraduate advisor for Psychology. She takes pride in incorporating social justice and empathetic advising strategies and teaching pedagogies into her work in advising, administration, and grant and program development.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT EVENTS