Dr. Deneca Winfrey Avant
Interim Assistant Vice President for Faculty Development, Diversity, and Learning
Office of the Provost
Biography
Dr. Avant is the Interim Assistant Vice President for Faculty Development, Diversity, and Learning. She supervises the two directors of the Center for Integrated Professional Development, providing guidance, oversight, and liaising with the other leaders in Academic Affairs.
As the Interim Assistant Vice President for Faculty Development, Diversity, and Learning, Avant is responsible for leading, expanding, and enhancing on-campus professional development programming for faculty and staff within Academic Affairs, bringing a diversity-equity-inclusion lens to this work. This position is also tasked with developing systems of support for faculty and building inclusive and collaborative faculty communities. In addition to her oversight responsibility for the Center, she leads the GROWTH Change Team, a university-wide structure for college-specific professional development programming, and also manages ISU's Institutional Membership to the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity (NCFDD).
This position also provides support to the Associate Vice President for Academic Administration in the areas of policy development and implementation, as well as support for administrator’s professional development. The Assistant Vice President for Faculty Development, Diversity, and Learning supports the Provost and other members of the Academic Affairs leadership team in efforts to enhance diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Before joining the Provost’s Office, Avant served as the interim director of the School of Social Work.