UMD-Smith Launches Office of Diversity Initiatives

College Park, Md. – February 2, 2017 – This month, the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business officially launches the Office of Diversity Initiatives to advance a culture of diversity throughout the Smith community. The office was established to provide advising, programming, coaching and services for students, faculty and staff to ensure inclusion for underrepresented minorities, women, active military and veterans, LGBTQ+ individuals, international populations, and people with disabilities.

Terrill L. Drake oversees the Office of Diversity Initiatives as executive director. He leads a team focused on creating a more inclusive community inside and outside the classroom.

“I am honored to take on this new role at the Smith School and I am passionate about the mission of this office,” said Drake, a 2012 executive MBA graduate who has been leading Smith’s Office of Programs and Events since 2007. “We already have such a strong community and these efforts will only enhance that by inviting increased participation from more diverse viewpoints.”

Drake’s team is charged with:

• Seeking more applications from students of diverse backgrounds
• Creating initiatives to hire more diverse candidates for faculty and staff positions
• Providing programs and services to support diverse student populations, in conjunction with the Master’s Programs Office and the Undergraduate Studies Office
• Supporting student clubs that cater to diverse populations
• Helping to assess and improve in-classroom inclusion and diversity practices
• Developing future courses, certificate programs, leadership development opportunities and conferences

The office’s kickoff event is the Diversity Fireside Chat, Feb. 27, 2017, a candid discussion with Bloomberg’s head of Diversity & Inclusion, Erika Irish Brown, about advancing diversity in the workplace.

The Office of Diversity Initiatives will also spearhead the Smith School’s month-long celebration of Women’s History Month in March, culminating on March 30 with the sixth annual Women Leading Women event that celebrates the professional accomplishments of a female alumna. This year’s honoree is Marguerita Cheng, a 1993 graduate and founder and CEO of Blue Ocean Global Wealth.

The office rounds out the spring semester by hosting the 23rd annual Bradford Banquet, April 19, celebrating students and faculty who have made noteworthy contributions to Smith’s black and Latin communities.