IChange Team
Montana State University has been selected to participate in a new national initiative designed to increase the diversity and inclusivity of our faculty. Please review the draft of our Faculty Diversity Plan and provide feedback.
Fifteen public research universities were selected to participate in the inaugural three-year effort to help those schools reform their recruitment, hiring and retention practices. The Aspire Alliance’s Institutional Change (IChange) network aims to ultimately increase the participation and success of undergraduate STEM students from underrepresented groups. Aspire is funded by the National Science Foundation. It is led by the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities and the Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning at the University of Wisconsin–Madison with the involvement of several additional universities.
MSU's IChange Team is led by a diverse group of faculty members and administrators. Members of the IChange Team are listed below.
Abbie Richards | Associate Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering; past chair of Faculty Senate |
Ariel Donohue | Senior Diversity and Inclusion Officer |
Becca Belou | Senior Data Scientist, Office of Planning and Analysis |
Brett Gunnink | Dean of the Norm Asbjornson College of Engineering |
Chris Fastnow | Director, Office of Planning and Analysis |
Connie Chang | Assistant Professor, Chemical and Biological Engineering |
Craig Ogilvie | Dean of the Graduate School |
David Claudio | Associate Professor of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering |
Dean Adams | Director, Center for Faculty Excellence |
Diane Debinski | Department Head, Ecology |
Jeannette Grey Gilbert (represented by Gerre Maillet) | Chief Human Resources Officer |
Mary Cloninger | Professor, Chemistry and Biochemistry |
Michael Babcock | Department Head, Earth Science and Professor, Psychology |
Nicol Rae | Dean of the College of Letters and Science |
Nika Stoop | Grant Training Coordinator, Center for Faculty Excellence |
Robert Mokwa | Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost |
Sreekala Bajwa (represented by Tracy Dougher) | Vice President and Dean of Agriculture |
Tami Eitle | Vice Provost for Curriculum, Accreditation and Assessment |
Vanessa Simonds | Associate Professor, Health and Human Development |
To learn more about the IChange initiative, visit
MSU Selected to Participate in National Effort to Develop More Inclusive and Diverse STEM Faculty