USA Names Interim Diversity, Equity And Inclusion Head

Dr. John Smith, acting president of the University of South Alabama (USA) has announced that Associate Professor in the College of Education and Professional Studies Dr. Joél Lewis Billingsley will serve as the interim chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer following the resignation of Dr. Paul Frazier from the role. “As a faculty member, Billingsley has played a significant role in USA’s diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and discussions, including service as a member of the University Committee on Diversity and a leader in USA’s Courageous Conversations program,” Smith explained. In addition, Billingsley is a co-producer of the 2014 documentary Mobile in Black and White, which she expanded into a series of community conversations and partnerships focused on increasing opportunity and equity in the Mobile area. Additionally, earlier this year, she was named an inaugural recipient of USA’s Social Justice Initiative grant program, which was established to support faculty research in social stratification, environmental justice and racial equity.