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Our goal in creating the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Strategy Council is to bring together members from across campus to become the change agents who center equity at our institution. A successful transformation at this scale will require the complementary approach of a cohesive shared equity leadership vision with unique insights and efforts enacted at the unit levels. The EDI Strategy Council will offer a mechanism to honor current equity strategies while helping them move forward, offer support and guidance to areas that need equity strategies, while bringing our decentralized campus into one organized effort.

Strategy Council Make-Up


graphic displaying a large table with individuals, then some of the individuals highlighted in red meeting with others in smaller groups

The EDI Strategy Council will center and implement equity processes, practices, and behaviors in its member leadership who will further engage and ignite participation in their units. The council is comprised of a point of contact/lead person from each college, division unit, and organization. The charge of the ongoing steering councils is to lead in the development of an equity, diversity, and inclusion roadmap for units and colleges to use as a guide towards meeting the equity, diversity, and inclusion goals of the Operation Bold Transition recommendations for both the University of Utah and University of Utah Health. The goal of the council is to align unit efforts by implementing shared equity leadership practices across the university.

Takeaways from the council will be brought to each representative’s team and applied to equity, diversity, and inclusion work already in progress and used as a guide for future initiatives in their area.

Membership is as follows:

    • Brian Nicholls, Special Assistant to the Chief Safety Officer
    • Bryan Hubain, Associate Vice President, Student Development and Inclusion
    • Charmelle Green, Deputy Athletics Director for Internal Operations and Chief Operating Officer
    • Jason Perry, Vice President for Government Relations & Director of the Hinckley Institute of Politics
    • Keith Squires, Chief Safety Officer
    • Lindsay Nelson, Senior Advancement Director 
    • Michelle Ballantyne, Associate General Counsel
    • Rebecca L. Paulson, Director of Real Estate Transactions
    • Rob Patton, Executive Communications Manager, University Marketing & Communications
    • Sarah Sherer, Chief Hospital Human Resource Officer, University of Utah Health
    • Steve Robinson, Senior Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management 
    • Allison M. Nicholson, Special Assistant to the Chief Financial Officer
    • Tyler Matsamas, Administration Manager, Office of the Vice President for Research
    • Wendy Peterson, Deputy Chief Human Resources Officer
    • Abdulkhaliq Barbaar, Director; University of Utah Health Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion
    • Brian Burton, Assistant Dean of Student Affairs and EDI, Law
    • Chase Hagood, Dean, Undergraduate Studies
    • Michelle Comacho, Dean, Social and Behavioral Science
    • Darryl Butt, Dean, Mines & Earth Sciences
    • Scott Ward, Interim Dean, Health
    • John Scheib, Dean, Fine Arts
    • Julie Lucero, Associate Dean for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion; Health
    • Keith Diaz Moore, Dean, Architecture and Planning
    • Marla De Jong, Dean, Nursing
    • Nancy Songer, Dean, Education
    • Paul Estabrooks, Associate Dean, Health & Kinesiology
    • Peter Trapa, Dean, Science
    • Philip Osteen, Interim Dean, Social Work
    • Rachel Hayes, Interim Dean, Business
    • Randall Peterson, Dean, Pharmacy
    • Richard Brown, Dean, Engineering
    • Sarah Projansky, Associate Vice President, Office for Faculty
    • Sneha Kasera, Associate Dean, Engineering
    • Stuart Culver, Dean, Humanities
    • Sylvia Torti, Dean, Honors College
    • Wyatt Hume, Dean, Dentistry

Working Groups


EDI Strategy Council Working Groups infuse shared equity leadership principles into existing work via four priority areas from the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Strategic Plan:

Ensuring Belonging for All

We are boldly determined to create a campus where everyone knows their authentic self is affirmed and supported in order to thrive at the University of Utah and beyond.

Belonging Working Group Membership

Fostering an Inclusive Campus Climate

We will consistently assess the university policies, programs, and practices to ensure a culture that is equitable and inclusive of the diverse individuals represented throughout our community.

Climate Working Group Membership

Amplifying Community Engagement

We actively cultivate community connections where trust is built and the structural effects of injustice are uprooted to transform the future of the university.

Enagement Working Group Membership

Securing Health Equity

We courageously and creatively develop institutional policies, practices, and programs that eliminate health inequities and ensure all patients and clients achieve equitable health outcomes.

Health Equity Working Group Membership

Milestones & Updates


April 2021

April 6, 2021: At an EDI Open House, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion shared its vision and direction of One U Thriving and how to draw connections between the unit and divisional strategies across the University of Utah -- including an announcement of the EDI Strategy Council.

July 2021

July 14, 2021: The EDI Strategy Council and the concept of Shared Equity Leadership was featured on the EDI blog and One U Thriving Newsletter.

February 2022

February 4, 2022: In a press release for the Collective Day of Action, mention of the EDI Strategy Council's curation of a campus-wide resource of toolkits for self-assessments was included in a list of initiatives underway at the U.

March 2022

March 10, 2022: With updates on the Collective Day of Action, the EDI Strategy Council was mentioned as part of collective EDI efforts across campus.

June 2022

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Strategy Council shared preparations for embedding equitable systems within the U

September 2023

New scorecard reveals many successes for Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion at the U