IU names new associate vice provost for faculty development and diversity
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- John Nieto-Phillips, an associate professor in the Department of History and the Latino Studies Program in the College of Arts and Sciences, has been named associate vice provost for faculty development and diversity at Indiana University Bloomington. He will assume his new role Jan. 1.
In this role, Nieto-Phillips will work closely with the IU Bloomington Office of the Provost and the IU Office of the Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Multicultural Affairs to create structures, processes and cultures throughout campus that will provide an increasingly inclusive faculty with the opportunities they need to thrive professionally and personally.
“I’m excited about the opportunity to participate in developing a robust plan of action to diversify our faculty,” Nieto-Phillips said. “There’s a sense of urgency to the mission of diversity that’s apparent across the country. There’s also been a lot of conversation about how to diversify the academy, which brings that sense of urgency to IU, to faculty and students alike.”
In his first few months on the job, Nieto-Phillips will reach out to faculty in departments and programs across campus to discuss methods of increasing the number of underrepresented minorities and women on the faculty. The conversations will also include methods of retaining those faculty members through career enrichment and professional development programming.
“With his excellent scholarly record and positive relationships with colleagues across campus, John is well-suited to hone IU Bloomington’s focus on faculty development and diversity,” said Provost and Executive Vice President Lauren Robel. “John’s efforts will ensure that faculty hiring committees for every position take diversity and excellence into account -- and that continued professional development and programming opportunities help us to retain the good faculty who are recruited.”
Nieto-Phillips will report to James Wimbush, IU's vice president for diversity, equity and multicultural affairs, and to Eliza Pavalko, IU Bloomington's vice provost for faculty and academic affairs. He will work closely with other associate vice provosts to expand and create faculty development and leadership programs, building community among faculty through such programs as the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity and the campus Scholarly Writing Program.
“This position plays a critical role to the IU Bloomington campus in creating and maintaining a welcoming and supportive environment for faculty members from diverse fields and social backgrounds,” Wimbush said. “I have the utmost respect for John’s experience and accomplishments and am very pleased that he has accepted this appointment.”
“John has devoted his scholarly career to informing issues of race, ethnicity and identity, and he has already enriched our campus through his directorship of the Latino Studies program,” Pavalko said. “I am thrilled that the entire campus will have even more opportunity to benefit from John’s leadership.”
Fostering a diverse learning environment is crucial to IU’s mission as a public institution in preparing students for future careers, Nieto-Phillips said. His long-term plans include increasing diversity in all academic programs and units and encouraging multiyear or cluster hires of world-class scholars whose work focuses on race and ethnicity.
Nieto-Phillips earned his Ph.D. in history at University of California, Los Angeles, in 1997, where he also earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees. He served as an assistant professor at New Mexico State University from 1995 to 2003, when he joined the faculty at IU Bloomington. He is editor of Chiricú Journal: Latina/o Literatures, Arts and Cultures and served as director of the Latino Studies Program from 2010 to 2014. He also served as associate editor of the Journal of American History from 2006 to 2010. Nieto-Phillips is the author of “The Language of Blood: The Making of Spanish American Identity in New Mexico, 1880s-1930s” (2004) and co-editor of “Interpreting Spanish Colonialism: Empires, Nations and Legends” (2005). His current book project focuses on the role of U.S. Latinas and Latinos in the global cultural movement known as Hispanism, which involved the advancement of the study of the Spanish language and Hispanic cultures and histories.
Related Links
Media Contacts
Jennifer Piurek
- Office of the Provost and Executive Vice President
- Office 812-856-4886
- jpiurek@iu.edu