Speaker
LaVar J. Charleston
Vice Chancellor for Inclusive Excellence, UW–Madison
LaVar J. Charleston, PhD, is the vice chancellor for inclusive excellence at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He also serves as the Elzie Higginbottom director of the Division of Diversity, Equity & Educational Achievement (DDEEA).
In his role as vice chancellor for inclusive excellence, Charleston provides overall leadership for the university’s efforts to create inclusive learning and working environments for all students, staff, faculty, alumni, and campus partners. Charleston collaborates with leadership across the university’s schools, colleges and divisions, as well as shared governance groups, to promote pluralism and inclusive excellence while fostering a sense of belonging within the UW–Madison community.
As director of the DDEEA, Charleston oversees transformative data-informed programs and services designed to empower students, faculty, and staff to flourish in a diverse and ever-changing world.
A first-generation college graduate and Badger alumnus from Detroit, Dr. Charleston earned his master’s and doctoral degrees from the UW–Madison School of Education in 2007 and 2010.
Speaking in
Day One Welcome
Vice Chancellor for Inclusive Excellence, LaVar J. Charleston, and Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin will open Diversity Forum.
Closing Remarks
Vice Chancellor for Inclusive Excellence, LaVar J. Charleston, wraps up Diversity Forum Day One with key takeaways.
Day Two Welcome
Vice Chancellor for Inclusive Excellence, LaVar J. Charleston, welcomes attendees to Day Two of the Diversity Forum conference. Director of Tribal Relations, Carla Vigue will be providing the native tribute.
Outstanding Women of Color & Alexander Bouchet Graduate Honor Society Announcement
Each year, UW–Madison is proud to recognize honorees whose advocacy, activism, and/or scholarship have positively transformed their organizations or communities and whose efforts advance equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging for marginalized populations. The seventeenth cohort of Outstanding Women of Color Award recipients will be announced on Day Two of the 2024 Diversity Forum and honored at a reception on Tuesday, February 25, 2025, from 5–7:30 p.m. in Varsity Hall at Union South, 1308 W Dayton Street. The reception to celebrate honorees is open to the campus and community.
The Edward Alexander Bouchet Graduate Honor Society commemorates the first African American to earn a doctorate degree from an American university (Physics, Yale University, 1876). The Bouchet Society seeks to develop a network of scholars who exemplify academic and personal excellence, foster environments of support, and serve as examples of scholarship, leadership, character, service, and advocacy for students who have been traditionally underrepresented in the academy—exemplifying the spirit and example of Dr. Bouchet. The 2025 inductees to the Bouchet society will be announced on Day Two of the 2024 Diversity Forum.
Award Announcements
Closing Remarks
Vice Chancellor for Inclusive Excellence, LaVar J. Charleston, wraps up Diversity Forum with key takeaways.