The Division of Diversity, Equity and Educational Achievement (DDEEA) is proud to announce that Dr. Anju Reejhsinghani has accepted the role of assistant vice provost for strategic diversity, equity and inclusion administration.
Dr. Reejhsinghani is a former tenured associate professor of Latin American and Caribbean history at the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point, where she also taught courses in global, ethnic, gender and cultural history. At UWSP, she established an interdisciplinary Latin American/Latinx speaker series that was funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities. After leaving UWSP, she served as executive director of the UW–Madison Institute for Regional and International Studies (IRIS) in The International Division.
“Dr. Reejhsinghani’s background in administration, teaching, research and outreach will bring a rich perspective to engaging campus diversity and inclusion efforts. Her passion and commitment to addressing equity, access and inclusion are evident,” says Dr. Cheryl Gittens, interim deputy vice chancellor for diversity & inclusion. “We look forward to what she can bring to expand and support our campus commitment to strategic diversity efforts.”
As a scholar, Dr. Reejhsinghani’s research intersects with Latin American, Latinx, African American, and Asian American studies and with race, gender and transnational sport. Her work has appeared in a number of journals and publications, among them “The World of Jim Crow: A Daily Life Encyclopedia,” “Dictionary of Caribbean and Afro-Latin American Biography,” and “Journal of American Ethnic History.”
In her new role, Dr. Reejhsinghani will lead and supervise Employee Disability Resources, Affirmative Action Planning and Programming, the Office of Strategic Diversity Planning and Research, and the Learning Communities for Institutional Change & Excellence. In conjunction with key stakeholders, she will help to develop and articulate best practices for diversity, equity, and inclusion work across campus. She will support me in managing the campus Strategic Diversity Framework and consult with other vice provosts as they execute that framework. She will also manage the coordination of DDEEA’s education, training, and development efforts, including the annual Diversity Forum.
“I am honored to begin this important role at DDEEA,” says Dr. Reejhsinghani. “As a professor and administrator in the UW System, I have been a passionate advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion in higher education. At this critical juncture in our nation’s and our campus’s history, I am excited to join this dynamic division in helping to bring about much-needed institutional change.”
Dr. Reejhsinghani will begin her position with the DDEEA on February 8.