Ivonne M. García named Wooster’s first chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer

Kenyon College faculty member Ivonne M. García has been named The College of Wooster’s first chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer, effective June 1. As a member of Wooster’s senior leadership team, García will work closely with President Sarah R. Bolton to build and enact a vision for a diverse, equitable and inclusive community.

“Ivonne García has been at the forefront of Kenyon’s efforts to promote diversity and inclusion,” said Provost Joseph L. Klesner. “The College of Wooster will benefit greatly from her experience and her passion. It has been my honor to work alongside her over the past several years.”

García holds the William P. Rice Professorship in English and Literature, which recognizes her extraordinary scholarship and outstanding contributions to Kenyon’s academic environment. She is director of the Latino/a Studies Concentration and serves as faculty co-director of the Kenyon Educational Enrichment Program (KEEP), an academic and leadership program for underrepresented incoming first-year students.

“I am very thankful to Kenyon, where I have grown as a teacher, scholar, administrator and advocate for these important issues,” said García. “Without the support of President Decatur and Provost Klesner and the confidence they placed in me, I would not have been able to obtain the experience that prepared me for this next, important step in my professional and personal development.”

García began teaching at Kenyon in 2006 and was awarded a Marilyn Yarbrough Dissertation/Teaching Fellowship the following year. She was appointed assistant professor of English in 2008, promoted to associate professor in 2014, and named as the inaugural associate provost for diversity, equity and inclusion the same year.

“For a generation, the defining experience of many Kenyon students was the mentorship of Ivonne García,” said President Sean Decatur. “Their lives are forever changed by her, as is this institution. I am grateful for her vision, her leadership and her partnership.”

In 2011, García received a Whiting Teaching Fellowship in recognition of her teaching excellence as well as Kenyon’s Trustee Teaching Excellence Award.

García earned her bachelor’s degree in the history and literature of Latin America from Harvard University, and a master’s in educational administration, planning and social policy from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She spent 10 years working as a journalist in Puerto Rico before returning to school to earn a master’s degree and doctorate in English from The Ohio State University.

García’s teaching and research interests focus on 19th century U.S. literature, the hemispheric Gothic, and post-colonial and Latinx studies, with an emphasis on issues of nation, race, gender, sexuality and ethnicity.

“Professor Ivonne García has brought tremendous energy, discernment and dedication to all of her work at Kenyon,” said Associate Professor and Department Chair of English Jené Schoenfeld. “Among her many accomplishments, her leadership with the Kenyon Educational Enrichment Program has been invaluable. The Kenyon English Department will miss her, but we wish her all the best in her future endeavors.”

Prepared by the Office of Communications
January 17, 2019