Having served in diversity and equity positions at Northern Illinois University, DePaul University, and the University of Illinois at Chicago, Dr. Katrina Caldwell became the first vice chancellor for diversity and community engagement at the University of Mississippi last year. In this role, the Memphis native is responsible for the overall leadership and coordination of the university’s ongoing efforts to create and supervise a diverse, inclusive and welcoming environment for all members of the campus community. Caldwell is the recipient of numerous accolades, including the Diversity/MBA Magazine’s Top 100 under 50 Emerging and Executive Leaders Award, which she received in 2011. She has also received the White House Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring. As a kid growing up in nearby Memphis, Caldwell recounts that she was told that she could not apply to Ole Miss because of its troubled history with race and diversity. But she said that her mother pushed her to apply for her current job, with the belief that she could help push the public university — founded in 1848 — forward.
