Dear Colleagues,

After a nationwide search, we are pleased to announce that Tutangeni DaSheek Akwenye has accepted the position of Chief Inclusion and Diversity Officer (CIDO) at Utah Valley University beginning March 1, 2022. We are also pleased to announce that Dr. Rasha Qudisat will be joining DaSheek as the Program Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

As CIDO, DaSheek will provide leadership in areas that promote inclusion, diversity, equity, access, and opportunity, working across campus to build on UVU's nationally recognized strategic Inclusion and Diversity Plan and efforts. He will sit on all UVU executive committees, including the President’s Cabinet, President’s Council, and University Executive Council, and will oversee the university’s Inclusion Committee. DaSheek will report to Vice President of People and Culture Marilyn Meyer, with regular reports to President Tuminez.

Rasha will focus on assessments, analytics, and university-wide justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) projects in the Office of Inclusion. Her data collection and analysis skills will help the university move forward in this critical work.

As a UVU alumnus, DaSheek’s connection with UVU began as an international student-athlete 20 years ago. After finishing his master's degree in exercise science from Utah State University, he returned to UVU in 2014 as the Director of Campus Recreation and Wellness and is currently the Senior Director of Campus Recreation and Wellness.

In 2019, DaSheek received the Champion of Inclusion Award for his commitment to inclusion and diversity at UVU. While at UVU, he has provided meaningful and substantive inclusion advocacy work and has served on many committees, including the Executive Inclusion, African Diaspora Executive, First Generation Mentor, and Police Academy Bias Education Training Committees. He was also invited to be UVU’s first Juneteenth speaker.

His personal experiences, inclusive lens, leadership ability, and his supervisory and administrative management background have given him unique skills, methodologies, and an immense foundational understanding of how to successfully promote, develop, coordinate, and implement diversity, equity, and inclusion work.

Rasha has a Ph.D. from Brigham Young University in education, inquiry, measurement, and evaluation. As a consultant for UVU for the past several years, she has worked on many engaged learning, National Science Foundation funded, and business management department projects.

Please join us in congratulating DaSheek and Rasha as they begin their new positions on March 1, 2022.

Warm Regards,

Dr. Astrid S. Tuminez
President
Utah Valley University

Marilyn S. Meyer
Vice President of People and Culture