NEW YORK (February 1, 2023) – Members of the BIG EAST Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Working Group convened earlier this week in New York to discuss ongoing and future strategies to support the DE&I work of the conference office and campus athletics departments.
 
The working group, which was formed in 2019, was briefed on national developments in the DE&I realm and shared perspectives on wins, challenges and potential new initiatives to be undertaken at the conference and campus levels. Other topics covered at the meeting included hiring and pipeline development strategies, educational programs, and promotional activities designed to underscore the conference’s commitment to welcoming environments and greater representation of underrepresented groups within the college sports industry.
 
The meeting was led by BIG EAST Commissioner Val Ackerman and senior members of the conference office staff.  Invited guests who also participated in the meeting included:  Amy Wilson, NCAA Managing Director of Inclusion; Diahann Billings-Burford, CEO of RISE, the BIG EAST’s educational programming partner, who was joined by Andrew McIntosh, Jerrell Price and Corey Posey; and Ashland Johnson and Liam Miranda from The Inclusion Playbook, which is providing DE&I consulting services to the Conference during the current academic year. 
 
"We want to thank our DE&I Working Group for the ideas, energy and candor they brought to our sessions this week and will continue to rely on their expertise and guidance as we shape the future direction of our work in this critically important area," said Ackerman.
 
The BIG EAST DE&I working group is comprised of a broad cross-section of athletics department and university personnel from all 11 schools and includes the following:
 

• Sonya Hopkins, Associate Director of Academic Support, Butler University
• Kevin Freeman, Associate Director of Athletics/Executive Director of the National C Club, University of Connecticut
• Marcus Blossom, McCormick Endowed Athletic Director, Creighton University
• Dr. Sarah Walker, Vice President of the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Creighton University
• Stephanie Baugh, Associate Athletics Director for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, DePaul University
• Marissa Robinson, Executive Director for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Georgetown University
• Rosemary Kilkenny, Vice President, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer, Georgetown University
• Adrienne Ridgeway, Executive Associate AD for Academic Services and Student Programs, Marquette University
• Jill LaPoint, Deputy Athletics Director and Senior Woman Administrator, Providence College
• Dr. Nancy Kaplan, Vice Provost for Academic Engagement and Strategic Partnerships, St. John’s University
• Dr. Rachel Pereira, Vice President for Equity and Inclusion, St. John’s University
• Roberto Sasso, Associate Athletics Director for Student-Athlete Development and Leadership, Seton Hall University
• Leashia Lewis, Assistant Athletics Director, UNITAS, Villanova University
• Nate Lie, Women’s Soccer Head Coach, Xavier University

 
The working group also includes a representative from the BIG EAST Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.   St. John’s track and field student-athlete Samantha Morillo is currently serving in this role.
 
The BIG EAST continues to amplify its DE&I programming efforts through BE the Change, a conference-wide advocacy and communications platform that enables stakeholders to engage on a range of racial and social justice issues.   The platform includes Conversations for Change, a speaker series designed to encourage meaningful conversations around issues of DE&I on campuses and in local communities.   The BIG EAST has also renewed its partnership with The Black Fives Foundation, a non-profit organization whose mission is to research, showcase, teach and honor the contributions of African-American pioneers in the sport of basketball.   For the second year, all eleven member institutions will host a game during Black History Month to educate fans and generate awareness around this lost history.
 
The BIG EAST:
The BIG EAST Conference is an association of 11 nationally prominent colleges and universities that foster healthy athletic competition, community service and the pursuit of excellence in academic environments.  The BIG EAST-sponsored athletic programs of our institutions provide national-caliber participation opportunities for more than 3,800 student-athletes on over 200 men’s and women’s teams in 22 sports.  Established in 1979 and headquartered in New York City, the BIG EAST’s members are located in eight of the country’s top 36 largest media markets and include Butler University, University of Connecticut, Creighton University, DePaul University, Georgetown University, Marquette University, Providence College, St. John’s University, Seton Hall University, Villanova University and Xavier University.  For more information, visit www.bigeast.com.