Inclusive Leadership Fellows

The Inclusive Leadership Fellow program expands university initiatives advancing inclusive excellence and supports the professional development of faculty and faculty leaders.

Overview

The Inclusive Leadership Fellow program supports the Division of Academic Affairs鈥� ongoing commitment to:

Inclusive Leadership Fellows are full-time faculty members who work closely with the assistant provost for diversity and inclusion and assist in developing,identifying and implementing best practices in the areas of faculty recruitment and retention and faculty searches.

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Gabeza Abeza , Ph.D.  |  Inclusive Leadership Fellow 

Gashaw Abeza (PhD) is an Associate Professor and one of the Inclusive Leadership Fellows at Towson University (色花堂). As a fellow, his focus is on fostering inclusive practices and equitable environments to enhance faculty retention. He is particularly interested in creating supportive structures and resources that address the diverse needs of faculty, ensuring their long-term success and engagement within academic institutions. Abeza will be completing his Diversity Coach training by December 2024. As a researcher, his interest is in marketing communication, with specific areas of expertise in the field of sport. He has researched and written extensively on the topic publishing over 80 peer-reviewed works including 7 books (3 more coming up), 50 journal articles and 35 book chapters. Abeza serves on the editorial boards of ten different academic journals, and he also serves as an ad hoc reviewer for a number of academic journals. He guest edited three special issues (2018, 2023, & 2024) on the topic of Social Media in Sport. Prior to returning to academia, Abeza had a successful career in sport management and marketing at a global level, and currently provides consultancy services to a range of sport organizations around the world. 

Dr. Gashaw Abeza's Faculty Page 
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Kimberly Corum, Ph.D. | Inclusive Leadership Fellow 

Dr. Kimberly Corum is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mathematics. Her research focuses on leveraging emerging technologies commonly found in makerspaces to support justice-centered mathematics teaching and learning. Her interest in faculty recruitment and retention is driven by her commitment to supporting underrepresented populations in STEM. Dr. Corum earned her B.A. in English Language and Literature from the University of Virginia. As a Math for America fellow, she earned her M.A.T. in Mathematics from Bard College and spent four years teaching mathematics and science at a small public high school in the South Bronx, NYC. She then returned to the University of Virginia, where she earned her Ph.D. in Mathematics Education. Dr. Corum recently completed the Associate Diversity Coach Certification training program through CoachDiversity Institute. 

Dr. Kimberly Corum's Faculty  
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Eric Karikari, Ph.D. | Inclusive Leadership Fellow 

As a scholar of organizational communication and leadership, one of the issues that continue to drive my work is the dynamism of organizational change. I deem organizational change as a product of the balance between evidence-based policy and the need to organize to meet a cultural moment. This is because I firmly believe change is not inevitable and should be planned for and executed with intention. To this end I was privileged to receive coaching training, courtesy of my Inclusive Leadership Fellowship, which has provided me with the skills to influence change in organizations and communities by activating transformation within the people who lead them. Therefore, as a certified coach, I am able to advance the crucial work of faculty retention through initiatives that validate individuals鈥� experiences and connect them to mentoring and other resources. 

Dr. Eric Karikari's Faculty Page

Questions? Please  Iona Ringgold, Assistant Provost for Diversity and Inclusion for further information.