Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Penn State University Police and Public Safety (UPPS) has appointed Iris Richardson as the department’s first director of diversity, equity and inclusion, following a national search that began in 2019.

In this newly added position, Richardson will be committed to developing overall diversity, equity and inclusion programming for UPPS while also serving the Penn State community. Her office is located at the department’s headquarters at University Park and she will serve the department’s employees and Penn State community at 22 campuses across the commonwealth.

Richardson’s responsibilities include:

• Providing overall direction and guidance, planning, policy input, strategic communication, and technical and internal support for University Police and Public Safety around diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. 
• Serving on internal University committees, including the Finance and Business Strategic Priority Team on Advancing Diversity and Inclusion.
• Representing UPPS on external committees in the community such as Community & Campus in Unity. 
• Acting as the liaison between UPPS and concerned public or committees.
• Identifying training needs around diversity, equity and inclusion for police officers, staff members and UPPS leadership across the commonwealth.
• Developing and implementing communications, programming and training strategies to support the University’s overarching commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.
• Engaging with employees to positively impact the campuses and communities they serve across the commonwealth.