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Dear Members of the Sarah Lawrence Community,
I am delighted to announce that Fatiah Touray, Esq. will join Sarah Lawrence College as Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and Special Assistant to the President, beginning on September 16, 2019. In Fatiah, we were fortunate to identify the ideal candidate for this position: she brings extensive leadership experience in higher education, complemented by her non-profit work and training as a lawyer and classroom teacher.
Fatiah, a born and raised New Yorker and first-generation college graduate, comes to Sarah Lawrence from positions of increasing responsibility at New York University, where she currently serves as Assistant Dean for Diversity and International Students. As the senior diversity officer for 7,500 students in NYU’s College of Arts and Science, she led initiatives to increase underrepresented student retention as well as participation in research opportunities. She has had exceptional success working directly with students as well as across institutions to create systems and programs to support all members of the community in reaching their full potential. Under her leadership, underrepresented student enrollment tripled within NYU’s Academic Achievement Program and their participation in research grants, travel, and projects grew by 55%. In addition to her programmatic leadership, she advised more than 200 students, guiding them in major selection and helping to connect their passions with their aspirations for the future. Fatiah has also been an ardent supporter and partner for faculty. At NYU she served on the Faculty of Arts and Science Faculty Diversity Initiative and authored the college’s “Pedagogies of Inclusion” faculty modules, which were implemented across academic departments.
Fatiah’s focus on mentorship and direct engagement with students has been on display at every turn in her career. While in law school at Howard University, she founded Girls II Women, which connected women in law school with girls in junior high school for one-on-one mentorship, tutoring, and even a mock trial program. After law school, she clerked for The Honorable James L. Jackson in the New Jersey Superior Court family division.
Under Fatiah’s leadership, Sarah Lawrence will continue to invest significant effort and resources to foster a welcoming and inclusive environment for all students, faculty, and staff from every background and identity. She noted that she’s “excited to join an institution that is truly committed to fostering diversity, inclusion, and belonging.”
A strategic thinker, Fatiah will spend time getting to know Sarah Lawrence and will work with every part of the community to advance our current programming and initiatives as well as to identify new opportunities.
Please join me in thanking the members of the search committee, which was comprised of students, faculty, and staff: Kanwal Singh, Luisa Heredia, Linwood Lewis, Beverly Fox, Nick Salinas, Polly Waldman, Alfonso Navarrete-Mojica, Amy Fallaw, Danielle Coscia, and Tom Blum. I would also like to thank all of the members of our community who took part in this search and shared their insights with the committee. And please join me in welcoming Fatiah Touray to Sarah Lawrence. I look forward to her insight as she becomes a member of our community and helps move forward our shared value of inclusive excellence.
Yours,
Cristle Collins Judd
President