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Briggitte D. White is a dedicated retired school administrator with over 30 years of service in public education, where she consistently made a lasting impact on the lives of students and families. As the founder of "A Brig 516," a volunteer tutorial service, she mobilized a network of educators to provide free tutoring for struggling students in grades 2-12. Through this initiative, Briggitte has helped countless young learners overcome academic challenges and reach their full potential. Her passion for service extends beyond education. As a certified life, marriage, and relationship coach, she has supported individuals and couples in navigating life’s challenges, fostering personal growth, and strengthening family bonds. Whether guiding couples through grief or working with families on child-rearing challenges, Briggitte's influence has created ripples of positive change in her community. In addition to her direct work with students and families, Briggitte has held key leadership roles in school districts, where she was instrumental in overseeing educational programs, supporting teachers, and ensuring schools operated smoothly. Her commitment to the betterment of others is further demonstrated through her involvement with several community and service-based organizations, including Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and NanaBabies, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting arts in schools. Briggitte's lifelong dedication to education and community empowerment continues to inspire those around her.

Dr. Darrell Cleveland is an Associate Professor of Education and Africana Studies. Dr. Cleveland earned his Ph.D. in education from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, an Ms. Ed. in elementary education from St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, PA and a bachelor’s degree in African-American studies from Temple University in Philadelphia, PA. He has taught as a middle school teacher in the School District of Philadelphia, worked with at risk youth, individuals with mental illness, and the drug and alcohol population. Dr. Cleveland has actively presented at professional conferences. Many of his presentations, papers, and publications have been directly or indirectly related to Teacher Shortage, Out of Field Teaching and Diversity and Social Justice. Dr. Cleveland is author of the edited volume A Long Way to Go: Conversations аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊͶע Race by African American Faculty and Graduate Students and When Minorities are Strongly Encouraged to Apply: Addressing Diversity and Affirmative Action in Higher Education. Dr. Cleveland also served as editor of The Journal of Educational Foundations from July 2006 to July 2012. Dr. Cleveland presently serves as the convenor for the Race and Racism across the Curriculum Committee (RARE).

Heather Medina's journey reflects her unwavering dedication to education and community. A native of Camden City, New Jersey, she graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School before earning a Bachelor of Arts in Marketing from аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊͶע (formerly аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊͶע State College). After her undergraduate studies, Heather returned to Camden as a counselor for Aspira Inc. of NJ, positively impacting local students. Her passion for education led her to Temple University, where she worked as an Admissions Counselor, recruiting high school students from New York City and South Jersey. Heather later returned to аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊͶע to earn her Master of Arts in Instructional Technology. In her role as a recruiter, she focused on Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) initiatives, emphasizing diversity and inclusion. She also served as an Adjunct Professor at a local county college, further enriching student experiences. With 28 years in higher education, including a transformative tenure at LEAP Academy Charter School as Director of Pre-College Programs, Heather has consistently demonstrated leadership and commitment to empowering students. Today, she is the first Latina to serve as Director of Admissions at аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊͶע, marking a significant milestone in her career and representing progress within the university community. Heather’s wealth of experience and dedication continue to make a profound impact on students and the educational landscape.

Aquasia Davis '13 is known as an up and coming advocate of the youth of Southern New Jersey with her passion and determination to help those in her community. In spring of 2009, she was accepted into аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊͶע under the Equal Opportunity Fund Program. As a first generation college student, she overcame many hurdles in and outside of the classroom. However, she did not let that stop her from reaching her goals. Under the mentorship of a number of faculty, staff and administrators, she decided to dedicate her time to creating an organization to help other first generation college students and those who needed help adjusting with the changing climate of higher education; she founded H.O.P.E. (Helping Other People Excel.)

H.O.P.E. has two main focuses. At the college level, H.O.P.E. helps students navigate the unknowns with holistic programs including skill building, educational programs, and financial programs to better prepare young people for life during and after college. While the success of H.O.P.E grew on campus, Aquasia realized her work needed to reach younger people to truly prepare and excite others about college. As a second focus, members of H.O.P.E. mentor at risk youth in Atlantic City. The mentoring program is designed to enhance inner city youth’s engagement with consistent support and develop emotional and social skills that are needed to achieve academic success and keep children motivated throughout school. H.O.P.E. has gone further than she expected. In honor of her Aunt who lost her hair during chemotherapy, she created the B.A.L.D. (Beautiful Ambitious Loving Divas) Extravaganza Hair Show. The fundraiser exhibits local hairstylists, makeup artists, designers, poets, and dancers to raise money for cancer awareness. Aquasia wanted women to know that even during their battles with cancer women are Beautiful, Ambitious, Loving Divas even if their hair is gone.

During her time at аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊͶע, Aquasia began to mentor students in Uganda who encouraged her to expand H.O.P.E. With the help of another аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊͶע Alumini, she was able to start the organization in December of 2018, in Africa. Specifically, in the Sinthiou Ndiene Village’s school located in Senegal. Aquasia learned that the men, women and children in the village, worked and lived barefoot. After learning about a village in need, Aquasia started a movement; Flip-Flops for a cause. She was able to fundraise and personally hand out approximately 1300 pairs of flip flops with the help of the community, multiple local organizations and businesses.

Aquasia’s professional career began in 2013 as an investigative intern in the Juvenile Unit at the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office which is the second busiest Prosecutor’s Office in the State of New Jersey. She was hired as an Agent, and was later promoted to Detective working in multiple units spending the majority of her career in the Special Victims Unit. Aquasia became a member of New Jersey's Clergy Abuse Task Force and the Child Abduction Response Team. She worked 8 years for Camden County and was hired in September of 2021 by the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office becoming their first African American Female Detective. Aquasia is assigned to the agency’s Special Victims Unit investigating allegations of interpersonal violence to include physical and sexual assault of both adults and children, domestic violence and human trafficking. In August 2022, Aquasia was deputized as a Federal Task Force Officer (T.F.O.) with the Federal Bureau of Investigations assigned to the Child Exploitation Task Force. Aquasia also became the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office Chaplain Liaison Coordinator where she oversees 34 Chaplains who are on call 24-7 assisting local police, fire and EMS in any calls for service.

Outside of her professional career, Aquasia is the Assistant Treasurer for the Gloucester County NAACP Chapter, a member of Gloucester County’s Women in Law Enforcement Association, and also a member of N.O.B.L.E. (The National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives). In 2021 she became member of аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊͶע’s Foundation Board of Directors.

TogetHER, founded in 2019, is a retention initiative that seeks create a community and sisterhood amongst women of color at аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊͶע who oftentimes feel their voices are unheard.  Emphasizing impact areas such as mentoring, professionalism, and life skills, TogetHER aims to build up young women and prepare them to for post-graduation life.   Some past events and projects have included:

• Shades of Success Luncheon - Women of color faculty and staff give speeches and share their testimonies with the ladies of TogetHER.  Also, an opportunity to network and potentially find a professional mentor.
• Domestic Violence Awareness Month - In collaboration with the WGSC, the ladies of
• TogetHER wore purple to bring awareness to domestic violence issues during the month of October.  A group photo showing solidarity was taken.
  TogetHER Tuesdays - meetings held bi-weekly to discuss a myriad of issues surrounding women of color but also brought guest speakers to discuss academic success topics such as registration and precepting.
• Spill the Tea Series - in conjunction with the WGSC, a Women's History Month discussion on a topic focusing on the accomplishments and triumphs of women of color.

Rob Gregg came to the United States in 1979 as an exchange student specifically to study African American history at the University of Pennsylvania. In his first class, African-American History to 1865, he was the only white student. His professor in this class, Robert F. Engs, was a great inspiration to him and he became his advisor in the Penn PhD program. From his dissertation he was able to publish his first book, Sparks from the Anvil of Oppression: Philadelphia’s African Methodists and Southern Migrants, a study of the Great Migration (Temple University Press).

He was very fortunate to secure a position at аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊͶע in 1996 where he taught African-American history and contributed to the African American Studies Minor before becoming the Dean of Arts and Humanities in 2005. Prior to becoming dean, he unearthed the sources that showed that Richard аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²ÊͶע was indeed a slaveowner, and in recent years he has been at the forefront of efforts to respond to the misnaming of the university.

As Dean, he worked closely with David Roessel, who uncovered unpublished plays written by African American writers, and many were performed, opening the doors to many African-American students to go to Greece. Out of one such trip in which he performed in a Richard Wright dialogue, he was inspired to write the musical, Frogs, Reimagined, which took on issues relating to race, class, and gender in modern music. Under his leadership both ARHU and GENS have greatly increased minority recruitment among the faculty, and during his almost twenty years as a dean no faculty member that he hired has failed to secure tenure.