Marco Barker, the second of four finalists selected in the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s search for a vice chancellor of diversity and inclusion, will deliver a public presentation at 3:30 p.m. Oct. 9 in the Willa Cather Dining Complex, Red Cloud A.

Barker currently serves as the inaugural associate vice president for diversity, equity and inclusion at Westminster College. He provides leadership for campus initiatives focused on strengthening diversity and inclusion programming and capacity for change, coordinating inclusive excellence efforts, building community relations with affinity groups and agencies, and leading diversity strategic planning.

Prior to Westminster, Barker served as senior director for education, operations and initiatives for diversity and multicultural affairs at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He oversaw the unit’s administrative operations, professional development, communications, fundraising and strategic planning. He also provided leadership for Carolina Millennial Scholars for minority male engagement and Carolina Latinx Collaborative programs.

His research, publications and presentations address cross-race mentoring and advising relationships, doctoral education, diversity and leadership in higher education and often utilizes critical race theory and double consciousness as frameworks.

Barker holds a Bachelor of Science in industrial engineering from the University of Arkansas and a Master of Business Administration from Webster University. His doctorate in educational leadership and research is from Louisiana State University.

All candidates, selected through a national search, will participate in multiple-day interviews, including public presentations and receptions. Each public presentation is at 3:30 p.m. in the Willa Cather Dining Complex.

Eloísa Gordon-Mora, dean, School of Social Science and Humanities, and associate professor, Universidad del Este in Carolina, Puerto Rico, opened the presentations Oct. 8.

Remaining candidates and their public presentations are:

Oct. 11 — Dwight Hamilton, associate vice president for diversity and inclusion, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science in Chicago. His presentation is in the Willa Cather Dining Complex, Red Cloud A.

Oct. 18 — Lisa Jones, associate provost for strategy, special assistant to the president and professor of educational leadership and higher education, University of Central Florida in Orlando, Florida. Her presentation is in the Willa Cather Dining Complex, Pioneers Suite.

Additional candidate information, including complete bios, is available on the vice chancellor for diversity and inclusion search website.

As the campus diversity officer, the vice chancellor of diversity and inclusion provides intellectual, strategic and visionary leadership for the university’s goals surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion. The vice chancellor collaboratively leads and develops initiatives to position diversity and inclusion as one of Nebraska’s key competitive advantages, to center such work in the mission of the university, and to capitalize on the varied ways diversity, equity, and inclusion can be embedded in the university’s curriculum, infrastructure, policies, and programs in support of a welcoming campus.

The vice chancellor reports to the executive vice chancellor/chief academic officer and serves on the chancellor’s cabinet, reporting progress on annual metrics on diversity and inclusion to the chancellor.