PSU’s Global Diversity and Inclusion unit has added two new Assistant Vice President positions to provide leadership and expertise to the many services that GDI provides to ensure that Portland State is living up to its values of equity and racial justice for all students and employees.
Araceli Cruz, Assistant Vice President for Global Diversity and Inclusion, oversees the Native American and Student Community Center, the Veterans Resource Center and Student Legal Services. She also supports institutional efforts for equity and justice through collaboration, education, development and capacity building.
“I was attracted to PSU for its commitment to equity as it embraces its emerging identity as the largest majority BIPOC student institution in the state,” Cruz said. “I’m excited to contribute to a collaborative environment where all students, faculty and staff can flourish.”
Albert Roberson serves as Assistant Vice President for Equity and Compliance. In this role he acts as the university’s coordinator for the Americans with Disabilities Act and Title IX compliance. He oversees the investigation of bias claims and leads the Office of Equity and Compliance while steering strategies and initiatives to enhance institutional equity and accessibility.
“I was attracted to PSU’s vibrant community, inclusive ethos, and proactive stance on addressing discrimination,” said Roberson. “I believe in the transformative potential of education and I’m committed to advancing PSU beyond compliance toward proactive measures focused on prevention and inclusion.”
“These leaders bring passion, expertise and experience to our team in GDI at a crucial time for the institution,” said Ame Lambert, Vice President for Global Diversity and Inclusion. “Building on its deep commitment to creating a university community where students and employees from all backgrounds thrive, PSU is aiming to become the premier Minority Serving Institution in the Northwest. We are educating the diverse and talented students that will build Oregon’s future, so it’s important that we get this right.”
Cruz, who serves on the Oregon Department of Education Latinx Student Success Plan Advisory Board, the Borland Free Clinic Board and the statewide Hispanic Serving Institution Convening Committee, holds a master’s in student affairs administration from Lewis and Clark College and a B.A. in Sociology and Spanish from Linfield University.
Roberson, who joined PSU from Chapman University in Orange, Calfi., holds a LL.M. from Washington University School of Law in St. Louis, Missouri, an LL.B. from Kingston University School of Law in London, and a B.A. from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.