FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - The University of Arkansas has announced that Carmen Coustaut, an associate professor in the department of theatre at the University of Maryland, College Park, has been named associate vice chancellor for Institutional Diversity and Education, effective Jan. 1, 2005. Her salary will be $115,000. In addition to her duties as associate vice chancellor, she will hold an appointment on the UA faculty as an associate professor with tenure in journalism.

"Carmen proved to be the ideal candidate to serve as the university's first associate vice chancellor for Institutional Diversity and Education," said Bob Smith, provost and vice chancellor for Academic Affairs. "Her scholarly, teaching and service records are outstanding, and I believe she possesses the vision and energy to shepherd our diversity aspirations among faculty, students and staff."

Prior to joining the university, professor Coustaut served on the faculty in the departments of theatre and radio-television-film at the University of Maryland, College Park since 1989. She also worked on faculty in the department of radio, television and film at Howard University from 1985 until 1989 and taught English from 1973 until 1977 at Fremont High School in the Los Angeles Unified School District.

She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1971, her Master of Arts in education from Harvard University in 1972 and her Master of Fine Arts in cinema production from the University of Southern California in 1982.

"It is with great enthusiasm that I look forward to joining the University of Arkansas community, and I look forward to assisting in the realization of the goal of diversity and inclusion," she said.

Her expertise includes screenwriting, film production and African-American cinema. She has developed three films, including her most recent, a seven-minute film entitled "Jolie." She is currently working on a fictional memoir entitled "My Father's Daughter."

"Jolie" examines images of working-class African-American women in cinema while questioning the overemphasis of beauty and its effects on young girls and women. "My Father's Daughter" presents a story of resilience, growth, and the faith of an African-American woman in spite of family conflicts.

The position of associate vice chancellor, a senior administrator and scholar, will report to the provost and vice chancellor for Academic Affairs, and the vice chancellor for Student Affairs. Responsibilities for the position include: conducting scholarly work relevant to diversity and multicultural issues in order to achieve national visibility and recognition individually and institutionally; providing guidance on matters related to the curriculum and its reflection of diversity and multicultural issues; working with academic units to develop diversity plans for each college; articulating a vision and providing overall leadership and direction to the implementation of the university's diversity plan; and providing visionary leadership to the Multicultural Center and Multicultural Student Services.

"I am so excited to know that Carmen will be joining the university as we begin the spring 2005 semester," said Johnetta Cross Brazzell, vice chancellor for Student Affairs. "She will create an approach to multicultural/diversity issues that is futuristic in its thinking, and that will have the potential to place the University of Arkansas at the national forefront in these areas."