Salem Academy and College has hired AJ Mazaris at its vice president for equity, diversity and inclusion, the organization said Thursday in a news release.
Mazaris, who uses the pronouns they and them, has served as the assistant vice president for equitable policy in the Office of Diversity and Inclusion at Wake Forest University, Salem Academy and College said. They were the founding director of the LGBTQ+ Center at Wake Forest and served as an assistant teaching professor in the Wake Forest Department of Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies.
“I am driven by a passionate belief in the power of higher education, and a deep understanding of the importance of building educational institutions that allow all of our constituents to thrive,” Mazaris said in a press release. “I look forward to working with Salem’s students, faculty and staff, in the academy and the college, to fully embrace equity, diversity and inclusive excellence as core values that are intrinsically linked to Salem’s mission.”
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Mazaris received a bachelor’s degree in English from Vassar College. Mazaris received a master’s degree in museum studies and American studies and a doctorate in American studies from Brown University.
During Mazaris’ leadership of the LGBTQ+ Center at Wake Forest, the center expanded its staffing and budget by 300%, becoming a part of the campus fabric, the Salem Academy and College said. The center has provided education, advocacy and support to thousands of students, faculty and staff.
As the assistant vice president for equitable policy at Wake Forest, Mazaris authored recommendations diversifying the student body for the President’s Commission on Race, Equity, and Community, and led the Committee on the Intersections of Bias, Expression, and the Code of Conduct in developing a Statement of Principles on Expression and Community Wellbeing.
“Recognizing the critical importance of equity, diversity and inclusion, Salem’s board of trustees has approved elevating the position to the vice-presidential level serving both the academy and college,” said Salem President Summer Johnson McGee. “I look forward to working closely with AJ on a wide range of equity, diversity and inclusion initiatives to strengthen the campus experience at Salem.”