Charged with making PSU more inclusive
Portland State University has appointed Jilma Meneses as the college’s chief diversity officer, a new position created to build a more inclusive, diverse campus.
“Diversity is a fundamental component of the university’s identity,” said Meneses. “It must be part of our goals, performance reviews, course work, and behavior. In order to make it part of our campus culture, we must also recruit, retain, and develop high-performing faculty, staff, and students from diverse backgrounds. I look forward to leading PSU in these efforts.”
Meneses will support a wide range of diversity-related programs at PSU, including the office of diversity and equity; the office of affirmative action; and work in partnership with the office of the ombuds and dozens of student groups.
“We created this new position,” said Wim Wiewel, president of PSU, “because as a society and as an institution we all still have much to learn about how we practice and live diversity.”
Meneses has over 18 years of administrative and business experience, including 10 years at Oregon Health & Science University. She currently serves as director of risk management at OHSU and was previously the director of Affirmative Action & Equal Opportunity. Prior to OHSU, she served as civil rights director at TriMet.
She is the founder and current chief executive officer of Our Family Adoptions, a humanitarian aid organization providing resources to orphans in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
