Last month, the YMCA of Greater Louisville recognized Wallace for her work teaching, along with Marian Vasser, UofL’s director of diversity education and inclusive excellence. The two women were honored as Black Achievers by the organization, along with 25 others in the community.

Wallace, who earned her master’s degree and PhD from Cornell University,  joined the Department of Political Science at UofL in 2006. She is the first and only African American woman to earn tenure and promotion to full professor in her department.

Among her many achievements, Wallace has been selected as a faculty favorite, as the recipient of the Anna Julia Cooper Teacher of the Year Award from the National Conference of Black Political Scientists, and the recipient of the Grawemeyer Award for Outstanding Instructional Design.

Wallace was recently selected to participate in the Council on Postsecondary ����ֱ�� and was one of 19 people selected to participate in the American Association of Blacks in Higher ����ֱ�� annual Leadership and Mentoring Institute.

Vasser joined UofL more than 25 years ago as a temp in HR and then worked her way through Physical Plant, the Controller’s Office, the Career Center, the UofL Football program and the James Graham Brown Cancer Center. She eventually chose to follow her passion and pursue a job in social justice, working as the diversity program coordinator in the College of Arts & Sciences.

Vasser went on to earn her master’s degree in Higher ����ֱ�� Administration in 2015 and, in July 2016, she was named to her current role. Since, she has conducted hundreds of diversity training workshops all over campus and throughout the community. Her training is used by JCPS, the Center for Women and Families, the Kentuckiana Prevention Network, UPS, Humana, Leadership Louisville and more.  

The YMCA of Greater Louisville’s Black Achievers program held its 40th annual celebration of achievement on Feb. 23. In addition to Wallace and Vasser, the ceremony also recognized high school seniors who have completed the program, as well as the Youth Achiever of the Year – Alyssia Leach, a senior at DuPont Manual – and the Adult Achiever of the Year – Dawne Gee, Wave 3 News anchor and UofL alum.

A friend recommended she seek employment at UofL to help offset the cost of attending school. Vasser pursued a job and was hired as a temp in HR. A short time later, she moved to Physical Plant, where she worked as a dispatcher.

That was about 24 years ago. Vasser continued her career at UofL, moving from Physical Plant to the Controller’s Office to the Career Center to the Football program and then to the James Graham Brown Cancer Center. She liked the Cancer Center job, but “needed to be around more people.” 

So, Vasser pursued a job following her passion for social justice, and was named diversity program coordinator in the College of Arts & Sciences. It was a good fit, as her supervisor, Department Chair and Professor David Owen, reiterated to her often that she was doing the work she needed to be doing.

“I remember David Owen getting me involved in conversations and talking about how they were underutilizing my skills. I always felt so surprised they would come to me, a staff employee, for my thoughts on these programs. Out of those conversations the Inclusion and Equity Internship program started and we had 42 students through its five years. I knew that was what I needed to be doing,” Vasser said.

Not only did Owen seek Vasser’s input on programming in the unit, A&S Dean Blaine Hudson also encouraged her to finish her degree, which she did in 2012.

“I really started to like it here. But I started a family and my degree fell on the back burner,” she said. “(Hudson) was the driving force behind me getting my degree. He was so wonderful to me. My father died when I was young, so he became a father figure and it was his hand I got to shake when I crossed that stage. He said ‘Great, now let’s get onto your master’s.’”

When Hudson died (2013), Vasser held onto that commitment and received her master’s degree in 2015 in Higher ����ֱ�� Administration.

“Family has always been a priority and somewhere along the lines, I tricked myself into thinking that I had a job, so I didn’t need a degree,” Vasser said. “Dean Hudson is the one who taught me otherwise and I wanted to keep my promise to him. I got my master’s for me and my family, but also for him.”

Vasser began to look for work away from campus. However, Brian Buford, assistant provost for diversity, and Mordean Taylor-Archer, vice provost for diversity and international affairs, wanted to retain her and, coincidentally, the 21^st Century Initiative sought to create a position focused on inclusivity, equity and diversity training. Vasser was named director of diversity education and inclusive excellence in July 2016.

Since then, Vasser has conducted nearly 300 workshops at units all over campus and throughout the community.

“What I’m finding is I am increasingly going into units/classrooms that have never had diversity training. So just the visibility of this position is making people think maybe we should do this as well,” she said. “This work helps people unpack what is going on.”

Vasser’s training is used by JCPS, where she conducts professional development workshops with faculty and staff, as well as some classroom training and curriculum. She also works with the Center for Women and Families, the Kentuckiana Prevention Network, UPS, Humana, Leadership Louisville and more.

Vasser’s work extends beyond training and workshops. Two years ago, she started a social justice camp on campus. 

When asked how she balances being a single parent of three boys with a busy career on and off campus, Vasser credits her mother.

“I don’t remember her stopping. I don’t remember her giving up or making a lot of excuses. Is it hard sometimes? Absolutely. But at the end of the day, I know that this world is not designed to benefit my boys, so I do what I have to do to close that gap as much as I can,” Vasser said. “I cannot stop and I cannot give up. The beautiful thing is I love the work that I’m doing. If I didn’t, this narrative would be different.”

Quick fire questions with Marian Vasser

UofL News: How do you spend your free time?

Vasser: I’ve learned how to practice self care. I love road trips. I sing in my church and enjoy Bible study. The most pleasurable experiences I have are with my kids. I love being a mother. (Vasser has 14-year-old twins and a 23 year old).

UofL News: What is your favorite thing about UofL?

Vasser: There are some really, really good people that work here. I have met more people who are dedicated to their jobs, who love their jobs, even underpaid and overworked. I very rarely run into people who hate what they do.

UofL News: What is your favorite spot on campus?

Vasser: Parrish Court, where Dean Hudson’s tribute is. That is my peaceful spot.

UofL News: What is your favorite UofL sport?

Vasser: Basketball.

UofL News: What is your favorite off-campus work to do?

Vasser: My work with JCPS. It’s our future. My generation and older will listen to kids before they listen to me. They’re able to change the climate with their peers. That’s huge.

UofL News: What are your goals, both personal and professional?

Vasser: My goal is to get my PhD, which I am exploring now. I am trying to figure out which program to pursue.

My big goal with this work is not obtainable. But if I had it my way, this climate would be such that this position isn’t necessary. I love doing this work, but I will not be satisfied until the need for doing this work is over. And unfortunately we are long way from that.

Programming kicked off in October with the first part of the Difficult Dialogue Series, featuring Dr. Frances Kendall. Kendall is an expert on diversity and organizational change, and is the author of “Understanding White Privilege and Diversity in the Classroom.”

During her presentation, Kendall, who is white, discussed how her Southern heritage hinders necessary conversations, particularly between those of different races and classes.

“We who are white and raised in the South are raised not to say too much. We are taught clearly what we can and cannot say. Some of this is cloaked in ‘manners,’” she said. “But until we begin to talk across races, we will never be able to fix the messes we’re in today. If I don’t know what other people experience, I have no way to connect with them personally.”

The two-hour program continued with those in attendance participating in “authentic” conversations that were meant to be difficult. The objective was to “better understand each other.”

This correlates with Vasser’s overall objectives with the Diversity ����ֱ�� and Inclusive Excellence program. As part of her work, she will continue to develop and deliver diversity and inclusion training opportunities and workshops.

She will also work with various partners to develop leadership and training opportunities for students, staff and faculty. Currently, there are 27 campus partners being trained as facilitators for the Difficult Dialogue Series. Cultivating such partnerships help advance the goal of creating more inclusive and equitable climates, Vasser said.

Nearly 50 diversity workshops and/or training sessions reaching close to 3,500 participants had been conducted as of Oct. 31. The majority of those sessions focused on implicit bias awareness and tools for interrupting bias.

Following a passion

Prior to this role, Vasser was the coordinator for Diversity Programs for the College of Arts and Sciences Dean’s Office for International, Diversity, and Engagement Programs. In her new position, she is able to continue her passion, which lies with social justice.

“I work tirelessly to engage others in the work of creating environments that are more inclusive and equitable for all. It is a blessing to have my personal and professional passion align perfectly. It is also exciting being in a unit where this work is fully supported and modeled,” she said.

That’s not to say Vasser doesn’t expect some challenges.

“Although there will always be those who are resistance to this critical work, those numbers pale in comparison to those who desire to engage,” she said.

Vasser said she has already received several emails and anecdotal comments from the program’s participants demonstrating how they were able to use information obtained in a session to acknowledge and interrupt harmful effects of a particular bias.

“(One) participant shared how they are becoming more aware of their areas of privilege and sent a picture of a ramp that was blocked near a construction site. This individual articulated this barrier with inspiring passion as an able-bodied person,” Vasser said. “Stories like those are perfect examples that this work is needed and is also effective.”