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Dr. Kristin Nicole Dukes has been named the dean for Institutional Diversity at Allegheny College, effective July 1, 2018. Dukes, who has more than a decade of experience working in higher education and institutional diversity, currently serves as an associate professor of psychology at Simmons College in Boston, Massachusetts.

“We are pleased to welcome Kristin to the Allegheny College community,” said Dr. Ron Cole, provost and dean of the College. “Her extensive research on diversity, equity and inclusion, along with her passion for fostering an inclusive community, will help Allegheny continue on our path to be an institution of higher learning that promotes access and inclusive excellence.”

While at Simmons, Dukes has been a member of the school’s Diversity and Inclusion Action Council, which plays a substantial role in determining that college’s priorities and policies regarding equity and inclusion. Also at Simmons — which is a private women’s undergraduate college and co-educational graduate school with a blend of liberal arts and professional programs — she has been involved in curriculum design and implementation, and diversity and inclusion workshop facilitation

“I remain committed to the core values of a liberal arts education,” Dukes said, “yet I also know it is essential to evolve with new trends in student demographics, technological advancements and the higher education marketplace.”

“I recognize the positive influence that welcoming and affirming environments can have on marginalized and majority group members alike. Embracing an inclusive excellence framework is key to creating and sustaining these spaces,” she said.

Dukes earned her master’s and doctoral degrees in social psychology from Tufts University with a research focus on stereotyping, prejudice and discrimination. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Rice University.

Prior to her tenure at Simmons, she worked with the Office of Multicultural Affairs at Rice University and served as a consultant in the Africana Center and the Office of Institutional Diversity at Tufts. While at Tufts, she was involved in recruitment and retention of students from historically underrepresented groups.