The Office of Diversity and Inclusion was created in the fall semester of 2020 to centralize and prioritize UNC Charlotte’s diversity, equity and inclusion efforts and to ensure that faculty, staff and students are working together to achieve our goals.
MISSION
The office guides our path forward and works to leverage the talents of our students, faculty, staff and alumni so that UNC Charlotte will be one of North Carolina’s most diverse and inclusive hubs for teaching, research and service.
VISION
UNC Charlotte will be a model university recognized for effectively creating a diverse, equitable and inclusive campus community.
Staff
Dr. Cheryl Waites Spellman
Interim Special Assistant to the Chancellor for Diversity and Inclusion
Dr. Cheryl Waites Spellman was appointed in September 2020 to serve as the Interim Special Assistant to the Chancellor for Diversity and Inclusion at UNC Charlotte. She is also a Professor in the University’s School of Social Work.
Dr. Waites Spellman’s career has included a variety of leadership and administrative appointments, including supervisor and program director roles in several human services organizations. She formerly served as Dean of the Wayne State University School of Social Work where she worked to enhance their diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. She is a graduate of the Harvard Institutes for Higher Education’s Management and Leadership in Higher Education Institute (2011) and Management Development Program (2005), and has chaired diversity committees while serving on numerous community and national boards. In addition, Dr. Waites Spellman has developed and taught diversity courses and programs, and has received multiple awards related to her leadership and teaching. Dr. Waites Spellman has enacted policies to eliminate barriers throughout her career.
Dr. Waites Spellman is widely published, with numerous articles in refereed journals, as well as several book chapters, teaching/training books and technical reports. Her book, Social Work Practice with African American Families: An Intergenerational Perspective, provides an approach for understanding multi-generational families. Along with colleagues, she has recently published a book titled Gerontological Social Work and the Grand Challenges: Focusing on Policy and Practice (2019). This edited volume uses the Social Work Grand Challenges initiative as a framework for addressing critical policies and issues pertaining to older adults and their families.
Dr. Waites Spellman earned an Ed.D. in Counselor Education from North Carolina State University, a MSW from Fordham University, and a BA in Sociology from CUNY-Hunter College. She is a Hartford Geriatric Social Work Faculty Scholar and a Fellow of the Gerontological Society of America, which is the largest interdisciplinary organization devoted to research, education, and practice in the field of aging. She is also a Fellow of the Institute on Aging and Social Work Research, St. Scholastica College, and the National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health.
Email: cwaites.spellman@uncc.edu
Kerrie Stewart
Social Research Specialist
Kerrie Stewart, a Social Research Specialist in the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, received a B.S. from Xavier University in New Orleans and an M.A. in Sociology from UNC Charlotte.
Email: kdstewar@uncc.edu
Alexandra Pardo
Graduate Assistant
Alexandra received her B.A. in Anthropology and Classical Studies from UNC Greensboro. At UNC Charlotte, she is working towards her M.A. in Applied Anthropology, focusing on food insecurity, political economy, and power.
Email: apardo1@uncc.edu