Contact

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Kimberly Williams Brown,Director of Engaged Pluralism

Hi! My name is Kim Williams Brown (she/her). I am in my eighth year at Vassar College. I am an associate professor in Education and also teach in the programs of Africana Studies, Women, feminist and Queer Studies, American Studies and Forced Migration. I am excited to serve as director of Engaged Pluralism because I believe in creating spaces that allow students, staff, administrators and faculty to dialogue across their differences, tell stories that humanize them and learn to build coalitions that create deeply connected communities. I am looking forward to working with all of you to realize engaged pluralism through restorative practices, inclusive pedagogies, Intergroup Dialogue and story telling. A fun fact about me is that I am the House Fellow in Raymond House! Go Rat Kings!

Email Kim

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Selena Hughes,Engaged Pluralism Program Administrator

Hi! My name is Selena (she, her, hers), and in 2023 I joined the Engaged Pluralism Team as the Program Administrator. Prior to coming to Vassar, I was an educator from 2013–2023. There I cultivated a passion for creating culturally sustaining classrooms and spaces in Dutchess County, Honduras, and Kansas City. In my spare time, I read sci-fi and fantasy novels, write stories, and LARP.

Email Selena

Interns

 

Becca Rodriguez ’26

I am a junior from Santa Barbara, California who plays on the women’s soccer team here. My favorite color is indigo and my favorite TV show of all time is Star Wars the Clones Wars.

Email Becca

 

Aryon Turner ’28

I am a first-year student from Texas interested in studying Biochemistry and Political Science! I like to watch movies and TV shows in my free time, with some personal favorites being Harry Potter and Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Email Aryon

 

Tianyu Xiong ’25

I’m a senior Economics and History double major, but I spend most of my time with music in Skinner with the orchestra and the student-run Camerata ensemble!.

Email Tianyu

Emeritae/i

Previous Directors

Jonathon Kahn
2020–2024

Candice Lowe Swift
Founding Director, 2015–2020

Previous Interns

Azure Malley-Porter ’25

Manoshi Hassan ’25

Tianyu Xiong ’25

Elle Mason ’26

Engaged Pluralism Coordinating Committee

Colin Aitken

Assistant Professor of Biology, Global Campus

Kim Williams-Brown

Director of Engaged Pluralism, Associate Professor of Education

Debra Bucher

Head of Collections & Discovery, Vassar College Library, Race and Racism in the Historical Collections

Alexia Ferracuti

Director of Inclusive Pedagogy

Peter Gil-Sheridan

Assistant Professor of Drama, Chair of Vassar and the Arts Working Group

Luis Inoa

Student ’24, Associate Dean of the College for Residential Life and Wellness, Life @ Vassar

Amy Laughlin

Senior Academic Computing Consultant, Inclusion and Belonging Through the Arts

Amanda Munroe

Director of Restorative Practices & Engaged Pluralism

Becca Rodriguez

Student ’26, Intern

Elizabeth Salmon

Social Sciences Librarian, Movement for Affordable Textbooks

Emma Santiago

Student ’25

Kerry Stamp

Assistant Dean for Global Partnerships and International Programs, Global Studies and Campus

Catherine Tan

Assistant Professor of Sociology, Movement for Affordable Textbooks

Aryon Turner

Student ’28, Intern

Pambanisha Whaley

Head of User Services, Vassar College Library, Movement for Affordable Textbooks

Tracy Wright-Mauer

Library Specialist, Vassar College Library

Tianyu Xiong

Student ’25, Intern

EP Collaborative Team

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Alexia Ferracuti (she/her), Director of Inclusive Pedagogy

Hi everyone! I’m Alexia Ferracuti (she/her/hers), the new Director of Inclusive Pedagogy at Vassar. In my role, I put together programming and resources related to inclusive teaching and learning, and also offer confidential one-on-one consultations to support anyone who is currently teaching. I also help collaboratively oversee the collective activities of Engaged Pluralism, and help direct the Student Teacher Engaged Pedagogical Partnership (STEPP) program. A fun fact about me is that I grew up speaking Italian and also have a PhD in Italian literature and theatre, focusing on gender and comedy in the Renaissance. Please reach out (aferracuti@vassar.edu) if you’d like to discuss anything related to teaching at Vassar, or have an idea for something we might be able to collaborate on together related to inclusive pedagogy!

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Amanda Munroe (she/they), Director of Restorative Practices for Engaged Pluralism

Warm fall greetings, everyone! Amanda Munroe here, she/they, on campus since late July. In my role as Director of Restorative Practices, I work to promote engaged pluralism by empowering the Vassar community to constructively navigate differences and respond to harm in restorative ways. I facilitate restorative practices like circle practice, affinity spaces, restorative conferences, consensus-based decision-making, nonviolent communication, de-escalation, active listening, and more. I also train and support people in how to practice these strategies themselves. As a private resource on campus, I offer consultations for anyone who wants to talk about a challenging situation. A fun fact about me is that I love to sing and am looking for a choir to join! If you’d like to collaborate, learn more about restorative practices, or invite me to your choir (or anything else), please drop me a line at amunroe@vassar.edu or drop by my office on the third floor of the college center across from WVKR.