DAVIE — The 2009 Diversity Summit, designed to engage participants in dynamic discussions on complex issues related to racial, cultural, gender and religious identities, will be held at Nova Southeastern University (NSU) on Saturday, Nov. 7, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The summit is being hosted by the South Florida Diversity Alliance (SFDA) and will feature Phillip J. Bowman Ph.D., as the keynote speaker. Bowman, the founding director of the National Center for Institutional Diversity at the University of Michigan, is a social psychologist with a strong interest in cultural diversity issues in research methodology, higher education and pressing public policy challenges.
The Diversity Summit is open to the public and registration is necessary to attend. Cost is $20 before Oct. 30 and $30 thereafter. Group registration of five or more will receive a $5 per person discount. Students, faculty, and staff of Florida Atlantic University, Lynn University and NSU can register for free. Registration is available by visiting www.nova.edu/studentleadership/ma/diversity.html. The conference is being held in the Carl DeSantis Building on NSU’s main campus at 3301 College Ave. in Davie.
The Diversity Summit seeks to raise participants’ awareness of the many perspectives that make up worldviews; provide an opportunity to examine issues impacting the diverse communities; and supply applicable tools and strategies to participants to take action in order to improve the world.
“As our community becomes increasingly diverse, it is important to understand and cultivate the range of experiences, values, and perspectives that make up the fabric of our communities,” said Terry Morrow, co-founder of the SFDA and director of student leadership and civic engagement at NSU “The Diversity Summit will educate, inspire, and promote collaborative partnerships while building leadership capacity within our campuses and community.”
The South Florida Diversity Alliance was developed to bring together higher education administrators, faculty and student leaders, as well as community leaders, in the mission of uniting and engaging the diverse South Florida community to support and promote respect, inclusion, and social change. The SFDA includes representation from Florida Atlantic University, Nova Southeastern University, St. Thomas University, Barry University, Lynn University, University of Miami, Broward College, Florida Memorial College and Florida International University.
More information on the SFDA is available at http://www.nova.edu/studentleadership
KEYNOTE SPEAKER: Professor Phillip J. Bowman
Since September 2006, Phillip J. Bowman has been the founding Director of the National Center for Institutional Diversity (NCID) at the University of Michigan. In addition, he is a Professor in the Center for the Study of Higher and Postsecondary Education; he holds a faculty appointment in the Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning; and he serves as Faculty Associate in the Center for the Study of Group Dynamics at the Institute for Social Research and as Research Affiliate with the National Poverty Center at the Gerald Ford School of Public Policy.
Professor Bowman is a social psychologist with a strong interest in cultural diversity issues in research methodology, higher education, and pressing public policy challenges, including health disparities, urban poverty, family distress, joblessness, and affirmative action.
Prior to his directorship at the NCID, Professor Bowman was the Director of the Institute for Research on Race and Public Policy (IRRPP) as well as Professor of African American Studies, Urban Planning, and Policy at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). As the Director of IRRPP, he developed a strategic university-wide agenda to improve both the understanding and condition of African Americans, Latinos, American Indians, Asian Americans, and other groups of color, especially within complex urban ecologies.
He received his Ph.D. in Social Psychology from the University of Michigan, where he directed a postdoctoral training program in survey research methodology and helped to develop a series of landmark national studies at the Institute for Social Research on African American life. He has held faculty appointments at the University of Michigan and University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in Psychology, African American Studies, and Educational Policy, as well as at Northwestern University in Human Development and Social Policy.
A former Rockefeller Foundation Fellow and Senior Ford Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow, Professor Bowman has received research funding from numerous state agencies, federal agencies such as NIMH, NIA, NSF, and HHS, and the Spencer Foundation. He serves on advisory boards for the Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Program for Research on Black Americans, and other national organizations.
Professor Bowman is also an active national and international lecturer and consultant on race, ethnicity, and public policy issues.
