After six-month search process, Bernadette Brown has been named the new director of the Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity.
After former-director Jamie Long was named associate vice provost for undergraduate education in May, a six-person search committee, including faculty, students and staff from the LGBT Task Force selected two potential candidates from a large pool of applications. These two recommendations were sent to Zoila Airall, assistant vice president of student affairs for campus life, who made the final decision to hire Brown.
The decision was based on Brown's previous leadership and youth-oriented experiences, said Damon Seils, a researcher at the Duke School of Medicine, co-chair of the campus LGBT task force and chair of the search committee.
“We selected Brown in part because she was able to speak with knowledge and experience about LGBTQ issues and has experience with young people," Seils said. "She also felt strongly about her role being one of advocacy."
He said that Brown possessed many of the qualities the committee desired in a director.
Brown comes to Duke from the National Council on Crime and Delinquency, where she focused on LGBT youth within the juvenile justice system.
“We wanted someone with leadership experience who could come into the role with confidence and begin leading from day one,” Seils said.
Senior Daniel Kort, the president of Blue Devils United, believes that Brown will positively impact the LGBTQ community at Duke.
“I am confident that Brown will build on the legacy of the CSGD and LGBTQ life at Duke by expanding our campus presence to areas that are not as inclusive as they can be,” he said.
However, Seils believes one of Brown’s challenges will be adjusting to the Duke culture and students who will have different backgrounds compared to the students she has previously worked with.
Seils said that Brown’s unusual background as an attorney set her apart from the other applicants. Brown has a bachelor’s degree in anthropology from Columbia University and a a degree in law from Boston University.
“We really wanted someone who will get along well with students, and we saw that in her campus visit during the hiring process,” Seils explained.
The hiring process was originally predicted to be over by September, but several factors resulted in a delay.
“The process took longer than expected because it began during summer break when many people are out of the office,” Seils said.
He also said that the committee wanted to acquire a large pool of applicants before they made their decisions, which took longer than they thought. Nonetheless, he said he is excited for Brown to begin and looks forward to seeing the CSGD continue to do well.
“I am very excited for Bernadette Brown to arrive and kick off a new chapter in LGBTQ and ally life on campus,” Kort said.
During her time as director, Long headed the effort to change the name of the LGBT Center to the Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity and assisted its move to the entrance of Bryan Center.
Brown is scheduled to begin work at Duke on Jan. 5, 2015.
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