Mosley Named Bumpers College Assistant Dean for DEI; Wood to Lead Student Services

Photo submitted; University Relations

Jacquelyn Dee Mosley (left) and Lisa Wood

Jacquelyn Dee Mosley has been named assistant dean for diversity, equity and inclusion, and assistant dean Lisa Wood is adding new responsibilities in U of A's Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences.

Mosley, a human development and family sciences professor in the college's School of Human Environmental Sciences, will lead the college's DEI efforts. Wood, a clinical associate professor in the Department of Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences, leads the college's honors and international programs efforts, and is now also managing the Student Services team.

Both announcements were made by interim Dean Jean-Francois Meullenet and are as of Dec. 1.

Mosley is known across campus and by major employers for her skills and abilities as a trained administrator in the Intercultural Development Inventory. This fall, she became the first U of A faculty member to earn a national teaching award from the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities, winning the U.S. Department of Agriculture Excellence in College and University Teaching Awards for Food and Agricultural Sciences. She teaches multicultural families and introduction to cultural competence courses. Her research focuses on interpersonal violence, cultural competence and educational equity. She has published over 50 articles and received over $2.2 million in grants from the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation and U.S. Department of Agriculture.

She is adviser to U of A's chapter of Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences. MANRRS is a university-wide student organization housed in Bumpers College. The club's purpose is to promote inclusion and advancement of members of ethnic/cultural groups under-represented in agricultural and natural sciences, and related fields, in career preparation and participation.

"Diversity, equity and inclusion have been a priority for Bumpers College for some time, and we have been wanting to have one person coordinate those efforts," Meullenet said. "Jackie is an excellent fit for this position. We've made progress, but I'm looking forward to seeing how much more we can do now under her leadership. We want all students, those already here and future students, to know we want them here and to see them do well."

Mosley plans to focus her scholarship activity on the recruitment and retention of underrepresented students to Bumpers College, partnering with Katie Dilley, coordinator of undergraduate student recruitment; Wendell Scales, deputy director of innovation with Arkansas Lighthouse Charter Schools; MANRRS student officers Terrius Bruce, Jimena Rodriguez and Tatum Simms; Ayanna Bledsoe and Chelta Wray with Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art; and representatives with Tyson Foods, Inc., to create a pathway program for the state of Arkansas.

Other initiatives will include leading the Bumpers DEI Committee and helping faculty representatives with DEI plans for each unit, and collaborating with the Division's Cultural Competence Committee with Dr. Ron Rainey, assistant vice president with the U of A System Division of Agriculture.

"I'm excited to elevate the work around diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging to a strategic level for the college by cultivating an inclusive environment for our students, faculty and staff," Mosley said. "At its core, DEI is based on the principals of the land-grant mission of teaching and education, conducting research and providing service and outreach to individuals and communities. That's why the U of A and Bumpers College are here, and we want to connect with everyone to be sure they know they have a place with us."

Wood, a U of A faculty member since 2012, began managing international programs in 2018 and the honors program in 2019, and was named assistant dean in 2020.

Student Services is housed in the Waldrip Student Center in the Agriculture Building. The group includes director of student records Jody Davis, senior adviser/student experience coordinator Lucas Simmons and academic advisers Melinda Dunlap, Cathy Hamilton and Abbie Tanner. Student Services also includes Catherine Beasley, director of employer relations, and Janet Collins, career counselor. They all regularly meet and visit with students regarding advising, changing majors, career services, scholarships, personal matters and more.

"We are fortunate to have the Waldrip Student Center as a gathering place for students and our Student Services team there to meet and visit with them." Meullenet said. "That group interacts with our students on a regular basis, and Lisa will do a great job coordinating their efforts. She is continuously recognized within Bumpers College and across campus for her teaching and work with students, and we will continue to serve our students and put their needs first."

Wood was named winner of the U of A John and Lois Imhoff Award for Outstanding Teaching and Student Mentorship earlier this fall and was one of three recipients of the U of A Hoyt H. Purvis Award for Service in International Education in 2021.

"I am excited to be given the opportunity to work with our Student Services team to increase the visibility of the Waldrip Student Center to faculty, staff and students across Bumpers College, to continue to grow our advising and retention efforts, and to accentuate the student experience by joining our Bumpers honors and international programs with student services," Wood said. "Promoting the family atmosphere of Bumpers College and ensuring our students have meaningful opportunities to belong and be successful are key priorities for Student Services."

She was named winner of the U of A System Division of Agriculture/Bumpers College's John W. White Outstanding Teaching Award in 2019, was inducted into the U of A Teaching Academy in 2018 and earned the Gamma Sigma Delta Outstanding Teacher award in 2017.

"I want to thank Associate Dean Lona Robertson for leading the Student Services team in the past," Meullenet said. "She did a great job, and our students benefitted. She will be able to focus more on other areas, including student recruiting, as we move forward. I also want to think Isabel Whitehead, who has been a member of the Dean's Office staff for several years, for her continued assistance with DEI and her role with Lisa and our honors program."

About the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences: Bumpers College provides life-changing opportunities to position and prepare graduates who will be leaders in the businesses associated with foods, family, the environment, agriculture, sustainability and human quality of life; and who will be first-choice candidates of employers looking for leaders, innovators, policy makers and entrepreneurs. The college is named for Dale Bumpers, former Arkansas governor and longtime U.S. senator who made the state prominent in national and international agriculture. For more information about Bumpers College, visit our website, and follow us on Twitter at @BumpersCollege and Instagram at BumpersCollege.

About the University of Arkansas: As Arkansas' flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $2.2 billion to Arkansas' economy through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the top 3% of U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research News.