Larisa Hamada was named Cal State Long Beach’s new director of equity and diversity last Wednesday after a nationwide search and an estimated 40 applications.
In an email sent to campus community members, President F. King Alexander announced Hamada’s appointment and touted her qualifications.
“Larisa possesses a broad set of skills and talents that will serve our campus community well as she assumes the role of director of equity and diversity,” Alexander said. “We are very pleased that she will be joining our Beach family.”
At CSULB, the director of equity and diversity is a full-time staff member who reports directly to the president and has an advertised salary of $105,000 per year, depending on experience and qualifications, according to the job posting.
The Office of Equity and Diversity oversees compliance with vast areas of federal, state and CSU-wide civil rights and nondiscrimination policy and law.
The office also investigates allegations of sexual harassment involving university employees, monitors campus policy related to the Americans with Disabilities Act and serves as policy counsel on numerous committees.
At an open forum meeting on Aug. 10, Hamada discussed her background and philosophies before her formal appointment
She said she received her bachelor’s in communication studies from Westmont College in Santa Barbara and then received dual master’s degrees in education and divinity at the Princeton Theological Seminary (PTS).
It was at PTS that Hamada began working in the Office of Religious Life, developing student life programs and partnerships with the community to build educational and diversity initiatives.
Hamada comes to Cal State Long Beach from Pepperdine University where she held a similar position since 2006.
She cited her work at Pepperdine initiating a campus climate survey specifically related to the area of diversity and other diversity-related programs.
At the open forum, Hamada defined diversity it in two parts: identity and cognitive components.
Hamada said that identity referred to protected categories such as race, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, ability and also expanded it to include intersectional identities.
“I think sometimes traditional views of diversity, perhaps because it is more covered on television or in the newspapers, is strictly related to race,” Hamada said. “I think race is extremely important, but also engaging and understanding. Those all come into play when we come to the table to solve a problem.”
Hamada also said that diversity should encompass different viewpoints and learning styles.
“Cognitive also means engaging in a level where all perspectives are being addressed,” she said. “There’s a myriad of ways in which students are learning, it’s not just the traditional lecture format, they’re out in the fields working.”
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