After a national search, Georgia Southern University has hired alumnus Dominique A. Quarles, Ph.D., to be its next Associate Vice President for Inclusive Excellence and Chief Diversity Officer.
Quarles comes to Georgia Southern from Mississippi State University where he serves as the Assistant Vice President for Access, Diversity and Inclusion. In this role he provides leadership for the Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion, the Holmes Cultural Diversity Center, and the Learning and Strategic Initiatives portfolio on behalf of the Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer. He also serves as an adjunct faculty member for the Ph.D. in Educational Leadership (Higher Education) program.
He will start August 1, 2022, and serve as a critical member of the President’s cabinet as we continue prioritizing Inclusive Excellence as a strategic pillar and a core value at Georgia Southern University. He has experience with large-scale initiatives, securing funding for programs and special projects, and collaborating across institutional divisions to maximize the impact of diversity, equity and inclusion work on college campuses.
“Dr. Quarles’ journey has prepared him expertly to come back to Georgia Southern to continue our journey toward Inclusive Excellence,” said Georgia Southern President Kyle Marrero.“ We have made tremendous progress since Dr. Damon Williams first visited the university in 2018 to outline a plan to improve Georgia’s Southern’s climate and sense of belonging for all students, faculty and staff. Dr. Quarles will build upon the framework we created when we developed our Inclusive Excellence Action Plan.”
Quarles has a B.S. in Biology and a M.Ed. in Higher Education, both from Georgia Southern University. He earned a Ph.D. in Higher Education from the Louise McBee Institute of Higher Education at the University of Georgia.
He previously served the University of Georgia as the Director of Diversity and Inclusion where he reported to the Vice Provost for Diversity and Inclusion and Strategic University Initiatives. He also served Georgia Southern University as the Assistant Director of Educational Opportunity Programs and as Special Assistant to the Vice President.
“We want to acknowledge and thank Dr. Patrice Jackson for leading us as Interim Associate Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer this past year and the search committee for their successful efforts in identifying highly qualified candidates.” Marrero said. “We are engaged in the long-term, ongoing goal of Inclusive Excellence at Georgia Southern that supports the center pillar of the university’s strategic plan. We are confident that Dr. Quarles will be an effective leader in this journey of continuous improvement.”
Quarles said he is eager to return to his alma mater.
“I am thrilled to join Georgia Southern and have the opportunity to directly enhance the experiences of faculty, staff, students, and alumni at an institution that means so much to me,” Quarles said. “I look forward to working alongside committed colleagues to build upon the foundation of inclusive excellence and positively impact the Georgia Southern community.”
