Contact

The Engaged Pluralism office is located in 223 Main Building.

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Kimberly Williams Brown,Director of Engaged Pluralism

Hi! My name is Kim Williams Brown (she/her). I am in my eighth year at Vassar College. I am an associate professor in Education and also teach in the programs of Africana Studies, Women, feminist and Queer Studies, American Studies and Forced Migration. I am excited to serve as director of Engaged Pluralism because I believe in creating spaces that allow students, staff, administrators and faculty to dialogue across their differences, tell stories that humanize them and learn to build coalitions that create deeply connected communities. I am looking forward to working with all of you to realize engaged pluralism through restorative practices, inclusive pedagogies, Intergroup Dialogue and story telling. A fun fact about me is that I am the House Fellow in Raymond House! Go Rat Kings!

Email Kim

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Selena Hughes,Engaged Pluralism Program Administrator

Hi! My name is Selena (she, her, hers), and in 2023 I joined the Engaged Pluralism Team as the Program Administrator. Prior to coming to Vassar, I was an educator from 2013–2023. There I cultivated a passion for creating culturally sustaining classrooms and spaces in Dutchess County, Honduras, and Kansas City. In my spare time, I read sci-fi and fantasy novels, write stories, and LARP.

Email Selena

Interns

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Andrew Chu ’27

English and Media Studies Double Major.

Email Andrew

A photo of Alyssa Smith. They are outdoors in front of a brick building, smiling with hands posed under their chin. They wear a light-colored top and cardigan, with trees and grass in the background.

Alyssa Smith ’26

International Studies Major with Russian Correlate.

Email Alyssa

A photo of Aryon Turner, standing on a stone walkway at a mountain viewpoint, smiling toward the camera. A large structure with antennas and domes sits atop the rocky peak in the background under a cloudy sky.

Aryon Turner ’28

Biochemistry and Chinese Double Major.

Email Aryon

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Misha Wichita ’29

Undecided.

Email Misha

Emeritae/i

Previous Directors

Jonathon Kahn
2020–2024

Candice Lowe Swift
Founding Director, 2015–2020

Previous Interns

Manoshi Hassan ’25

Elle Mason ’26

Azure Malley-Porter ’25

Becca Rodriguez ’26

Tianyu Xiong ’25

Engaged Pluralism Coordinating Committee

Kimberly Williams Brown

Director of Engaged Pluralism, Associate Professor of Education

Selena Hughes

Engaged Pluralism Program Administrator

Amanda Munroe

Director of Restorative Practices for Engaged Pluralism

Alexia Ferracuti

Director of Inclusive Pedagogy

Fresia Martinez Olivera

Associate Director of Organizational Development and Employee Equity at Vassar

Aryon Turner

Student ’28, Intern

Andrew Chu

Student ’27, Intern

Alyssa Smith

Student ’28, Intern

Misha Wichita

Student ’29, Intern

Elizabeth Salmon

Social Sciences Librarian, Movement for Affordable Textbooks

Pambanisha Whaley

Head of User Services, Vassar College Library, Movement for Affordable Textbooks

Amy Laughlin

Interim Director, Academic Computing; Inclusion and Belonging Through the Arts

Baynard Bailey

Assistant Director, Academic Computing; Inclusion & Belonging Through the Arts

Debra Bucher

Head of Collections & Discovery, Vassar College Library; Race and Racism in the Historical Collections

Emma Gronbeck

College Archivist, Library; Race and Racism in the Historical Collections

Tracy Wright-Mauer

Library Specialist, Library; Bridging Campus and Local Community

Jake Lefort

Student ’27, Bridging Campus and Local Community

Colin Aitken

Associate Professor of Biology, Global Campus

Luis Inoa

Associate Dean of the College for Residential Life and Wellness, Restorative Justice

EP Collaborative Team

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Alexia Ferracuti (she/her), Director of Inclusive Pedagogy

Hi everyone! I’m Alexia Ferracuti (she/her/hers), the new Director of Inclusive Pedagogy at Vassar. In my role, I put together programming and resources related to inclusive teaching and learning, and also offer confidential one-on-one consultations to support anyone who is currently teaching. I also help collaboratively oversee the collective activities of Engaged Pluralism, and help direct the Student Teacher Engaged Pedagogical Partnership (STEPP) program. A fun fact about me is that I grew up speaking Italian and also have a PhD in Italian literature and theatre, focusing on gender and comedy in the Renaissance. Please reach out (aferracuti@vassar.edu) if you’d like to discuss anything related to teaching at Vassar, or have an idea for something we might be able to collaborate on together related to inclusive pedagogy!

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Amanda Munroe (she/they), Director of Restorative Practices for Engaged Pluralism

Warm fall greetings, everyone! Amanda Munroe here, she/they, on campus since late July. In my role as Director of Restorative Practices, I work to promote engaged pluralism by empowering the Vassar community to constructively navigate differences and respond to harm in restorative ways. I facilitate restorative practices like circle practice, affinity spaces, restorative conferences, consensus-based decision-making, nonviolent communication, de-escalation, active listening, and more. I also train and support people in how to practice these strategies themselves. As a private resource on campus, I offer consultations for anyone who wants to talk about a challenging situation. A fun fact about me is that I love to sing and am looking for a choir to join! If you’d like to collaborate, learn more about restorative practices, or invite me to your choir (or anything else), please drop me a line at amunroe@vassar.edu or drop by my office on the third floor of the College Center across from WVKR.

A portrait of Fresia Martinez Olivera, a person with short brown hair and a black shirt.

Fresia Martinez Olivera (she/they), Associate Director of Organizational Development and Employee Equity at Vassar

In this role, Fresia is excited to manage projects and initiatives aimed at nurturing a culture of inclusion and belonging, with a specific focus on the employee community and their experience. This includes developing trainings that promote inclusivity, participating on the Engaged Pluralism Team, and designing programs and procedures that increase transparency and equity. A fun fact about Fresia is that they hold degrees in creative writing and English education, and are passionate about using stories as an avenue to reflect on and explore humanity, societies, and cultures. As someone who believes community, values, and relationship building are at the heart of this work, Fresia is looking forward to meeting everyone around campus. Please feel free to reach out to them at fmartinezolivera@vassar.edu to introduce yourself, discuss ideas related to employee equity, or any collaborative opportunities!