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Interested in contacting 凤凰体育直播's Division for Diversity and Innovative Community Engagement? Learn about the DICE's leadership and staff.

Rochelle Smith, M.S.

Vice President of the Division for Diversity and Innovative Community Engagement 

Headshot of Rochelle Smith, smiling while wearing a black blazer and white blouse.
Rochelle D. Smith, M.S.

Rochelle D. Smith, M.S., (she/her) is the second vice president of DICE. She is an accomplished diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practitioner and senior-level administrator in higher education, with more than 24 years of experience. Smith earned her Master of Science degree in health behavior research from Washington University School of Medicine, a bachelor鈥檚 degree in psychology from Chicago State University, and certification in executive leadership from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. 

Smith has devoted much of her career to tackling complex institutional challenges with a data-driven and research-based approach. Making campuses more welcoming for people from backgrounds historically underrepresented in higher education has been one of her priorities. Smith's previous position was the inaugural associate dean of diversity and inclusion and associate chief diversity officer at the Yale School of Medicine.

Prior to joining Yale, Rochelle worked for 20 years at Washington University here in St. Louis, where she had been assistant provost for diversity initiatives. Rochelle founded the Washington University Diversity Pipeline Consortium for STEM, and her experience also included co-designing two faculty-of-color retention programs at Washington University that resulted in a record number of these faculty receiving tenure. In addition, she led the M.D./Ph.D. diversity effort and founded three student affinity groups at the university.

At the Yale School of Medicine, Rochelle provided strategic direction to the Dean on diversity, equity and inclusion; equal opportunity; discrimination and harassment; and retaliation. She helped address inquiries and concerns on those same issues raised by Yale community members.

Areas of Expertise

  • Faculty-of-color retention programs
  • Founding affinity groups
  • Visionary strategic leadership
  • Diversity, equity, and inclusion in STEM

Fun Fact

Outside of her work, Rochelle enjoys submerging herself in the arts and spending time with her daughters. 

Janet Flach
Head and shoulders portrait of Janet Flach
 

Executive Assistant

janet.flach@health.slu.edu
314-977-7718
Dubourg Hall, 202

Janet Flach earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from 凤凰体育直播 in 1992 and has dedicated her career to higher education, working in various roles for over three decades. Since 2016, Janet has been with SLU鈥檚 Office of University Compliance and Ethics, where her role now expands to include responsibilities with the Division of Diversity and Innovative Community Engagement (DICE). Janet is excited to join the DICE team and contribute to the University鈥檚 commitment to an inclusive campus environment.

Janet has been married for nearly 40 years, has one adult daughter, and shares her home with a lab mix named Bob who affectionately runs the household. 

Fun Fact

In her free time, Janet loves to quilt and read!

Allison Brewer, M.A.T.
Allison Brewer, headshot. They are wearing a navy jacket over a blue and white striped top and glasses and smiling at the camera.
 

Assistant Vice President of Strategic Initiatives

allison.brewer@slu.edu
314-977-2690
Center for Global Citizenship, Suite 124

Allison Brewer, M.A.T., (they/them), is an advocate and expert in the field of special education, cross-categorical disabilities, and applied accessibility as a community-based practice. Brewer is an openly disabled administrator and identifies as autistic and has narcolepsy with cataplexy. It is the combined lived and professional expertise that led Allison to launch Voice(Is), a disability-led consulting business. As a public speaker and/or educational advocate, they鈥檝e led or attended ~1,500 IEPs and 504-related meetings, trained educators/support staff in 200 schools across 90 districts and 10 different states. Allison began their journey as a special educator across north St. Louis, where partnering with families to build education equity led to building a collective national network of self and community advocates. Gaining an M.A.T. in cross-categorical disabilities from Webster University helped ground them as an advocate when they needed it the most鈥攖hrough the protection of their own civil rights after facing disability discrimination in the workplace. As a leader in the field, Allison has served as an expert witness in a number of due process cases, working alongside families and civil rights attorneys holding our learning institutions accountable. 

Brewer is new to higher education and is excited about applying their experience as a social innovator, advocate, and community organizer to the Jesuit mission of Saint Louis University. Their framework of operating is heavily influenced by the cross-racial disability-justice movement that developed under apartheid in South Africa after a student uprising in Soweto. Brewer hopes to bring the spirit of the disability-justice rally call to their work here at SLU: 鈥淣othing about us, without us.鈥

Job Description

As AVP of DICE, Brewer is tasked with bringing an innovative spirit to the work of structural transformation by employing strategies that introduce new ideas, methods, and practices required to move forward with transformative change, specifically for internal and external stakeholders, in an effort to help the university achieve inclusive excellence.鈥 They will help the university develop innovative and transformational work that centers those who have historically been marginalized and ensures that instruction, research, and services advance justice and equity for people of all races, genders, abilities, countries of origin, incomes, and other identities and backgrounds. The assistant vice president will help create a coordinated, equitable system for the university鈥檚 community engagement efforts in the St. Louis region, prioritizing healing and repairing past harms perpetuated by its staff, faculty and students in the city鈥檚 most vulnerable neighborhood.鈥

Areas of Expertise

  • Applied Accessibility as a Community-Based Practice
  • Cross Categorical Disabilities and  Special Education
  • Inclusive Instruction and Professional Development
  • Institutional Innovation & Social Impact

Fun Fact

You might find Brewer somewhere whittling with headphones on, say hello! They nerd out about liberatory frameworks found in comic books, through magic, beyond the stars, and in the future (aka: superheroes, fantasy, sci-fi, and dystopian future genres). They are an amateur oboist and enjoy aerial silks classes with their teen in their very limited free time. Go visit their family business and local coffee spot right down Grand, MoKaBe鈥檚 Coffeehouse!

Katie Heiden-Rootes, Ph.D., LMFT
Katie Heiden Rootes, headshot. She is looking at the camera while wearing a grey sweater and light blouse.
 

Assistant Vice President 

katie.heidenrootes@health.slu.edu
314-977-2690
Morrissey Hall, 1133

Katie Heiden-Rootes, Ph.D., (she/her) is a family scientist and mental health professional specializing in the advancement of systemic theory, training and research on health and healing with the LGBTQIA+ community and their families. Her scholarship is funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Missouri Foundation for Health, and the Association of Schools Advancing Health Professions. Heiden-Rootes founded and supervises in the Queer & Trans Wellness Clinic @ SLU in the Center for Counseling and Family Therapy, a community-facing and accessible resource for mental health services. In 2022, she was awarded the Norm White Award for Engaged Scholarship and Service by the Faculty Senate of 凤凰体育直播. 

In her academic home, the Medical Family Therapy program in the School of Medicine as an associate professor where she teaches courses and lectures on human sexuality and gender, cultural humility, and qualitative research. Her work today is marked by the celebration of difference, engaging in difficult dialogue, and becoming comfortable in discomfort.

Areas of Expertise

  • Institutional Research
  • Training & Consultation
  • Equity as Wellness
  • Advocacy
  • Cultural Transformation

Job Description

The assistant vice president champions initiatives designed to cultivate a climate of equity, trust, well-being, honesty, transparency, and integrity where all are valued and differences are deemed as assets. The role focuses on leading strategic initiatives around institutional research, compliance, reporting, policy, communication, and advocacy. There is a focus on meeting and exceeding civil rights compliance standards at the local, state, and federal levels. Activities include providing training, leadership, and programming for cultivating equitable and sustainable structural and cultural transformation that is data-informed, community-driven, culturally responsive, and rooted in our Jesuit Mission. 

The role is housed in the Division of Diversity and Innovative Community Engagement (DICE) and works closely with the vice president for DICE, the provost, the director of Institutional Equity and Diversity/Title IX coordinator, and collaborates with associate provosts, deans, faculty, staff, students, committees, and constituencies throughout the University to fulfill responsibilities.

Fun Fact

Katie is a mama obsessed with her two favorite humans (the JoBear and Emmettson). You will see them featured on her slide decks. She is a water enthusiast, spending vacation time on or near lakes and oceans. And, without prompting, she will show you her Peloton bike, quote her favorite trainer (Cody Rigsby), or talk about 90s music.

Michael Hankins, Ph.D.
Michael Hankins, headshot, wears a SLU polo shirt and smiles, standing in front of a brick wall.
 

Special Assistant to the Vice President for Recruitment in STEM

michael.hankins@slu.edu
314-977-2808
CV

(he/him)

Michael Hankins, Ph.D., is an assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry and a special assistant to the vice president for recruitment in STEM. Hankins鈥 work as a special assistant is focused on supporting, creating, and assessing scholarly efforts on campus to increase the diversity of students in STEM disciplines. To date, he co-founded DICE鈥檚 Black in STEM awards as a signature event highlighting the contributions of Black students, faculty, and regional community partners in STEM, which received the INSIGHT Into Diversity Magazine鈥檚 2023 Inspiring Programs in STEM award. His scholarship is focused on cultivating STEM academic career pathways for underrepresented students through cultural change and excellent mentoring opportunities in academic and STEM environments. In his academic home, he teaches undergraduate courses and mentors students to become excited and intrigued about STEM. He is also a SLU alumnus (B.S. Chemistry 2009, Ph.D. Integrated and Applied Sciences 2017). 

Job Description

The special assistant to the vice president for recruitment in STEM creates, implements, supports, and assesses programming efforts to recruit STEM students to the university with emphasis on those students from marginalized and under-represented communities in the Division of Diversity and Innovative Community Engagement.

  • Areas of Work and Expertise
  • Chemistry faculty (Assistant Professor, NTT)
  • Recruitment (first-time full-time freshmen, transfer students, non-traditional students)
  • Community Engagement (creating partnerships to support recruiting pipelines)
  • Assist student organizations that increase a sense of belonging and support for STEM students 

Awards and Accomplishments

  • SLU Student Development鈥檚 Campus Partner Award  
  • Hidden Figures Social Change Award in STEM 2023
  • Panelist for American Chemical Society Spring National Meeting (2024) 

Fun Fact

Michael is a former SLU student who enjoys playing video games, watching sports and anime.

Aubra Ladd, M.A.
Aubra Ladd, headshot, stands in front of a brick wall and smiles. She is wearing a tan and white plaid shirt over a brown top.
 

Program Coordinator - Center for Social Action

aubra.ladd@slu.edu
314-977-5790
Center for Global Citizenship, Suite 134

(she/her)

CV

Aubra Ladd joined 凤凰体育直播 in December 2021, as the program coordinator for the Division of Diversity and Innovative Community Engagement. Born and raised in Chicago, Aubra moved to St. Louis to attend 凤凰体育直播 for both her bachelor鈥檚 degree and master's degree in communication (2021, 2023). While a student at SLU, Aubra served as a leader in several positions such as a resident advisor and the president of Lambda Pi Eta Honor Society. She hopes to draw from her experience as a student and working with others to coordinate programming for DICE. As a student on SLU鈥檚 campus, Aubra hopes to use her experience to identify undergraduate and graduate needs and work within the Jesuit Mission of creating a sense of community that facilitates the development of all.

Job Description

The program coordinator in the Division of Diversity and Innovative Community Engagement works to coordinate volunteers for community events and community organizations. On the DICE team, Aubra specializes in helping to coordinate university-wide programming, workshops and training. 

Areas of Work and Expertise

  • Programming (#OccupySLU Programming, DICE Open House, 1818 Grant, Graduate Wellness Series)
  • Community building
  • Intercultural communication, copywriting and editing 

Fun Fact

Aubra is obsessed with pop-culture vampires (she's looking at you, David!) and is a Scooby-Doo mega fan. And yes, she thinks Scooby-Doo Mystery Incorporated! is the best.

Richard B. Marks Jr., Ed.D
Richard Marks, wearing a pink suit, maroon tie and white shirt, stands in front of a brick wall and smiles
 

Assistant Vice President
Director of the Cross-Cultural Center for Global Citizenship


richard.marks@slu.edu
314-977-2567
Center for Global Citizenship, Suite 124M

Richard B. Marks, Jr., Ed.D, (he/him) is the executive director of the Cross-Cultural Center for Global Citizenship at 凤凰体育直播. He is a graduate of Indiana University, Bloomington, with both a bachelor's in African American Studies/sociology and a master's in higher education administration in student affairs. He earned his doctorate in educational leadership from Rossier School of Education at the University of Southern California. Richard's dissertation "As the World Turns: Being Black and Gay on Campus in the 21st Century" explores factors contributing to the Black gay men at a predominately White institution (PWI) in southern California using the intersection of race, sexual identity and social capital-institutional agents. The themes emerged: self-identity, coming-out, racial & cultural dissonance, (toxic) masculinity, religion/spirituality, institutional support, and family affairs. 

Marks has worked in higher education for over 20 years. He has worked in housing and residence life, student activities, Greek life, student conduct, and diversity education. He has facilitated and presented several topics, including race in higher education, LGBTQ, toxic masculinity, gender roles and expressions, Greek life, various diversity training, team building, leadership, intersectionality, and identity. In addition, he has been the keynote speaker for numerous events. More recently, that includes Chapman University's Black Graduation (2015), Youngstown State University Men of Color Conference (2020), and Midwest Association of Colleges and Universities Residence Halls (2019).

Marks is a past chair of the Pan African Network in Association of College Personnel Association [ACPA], an active member of 100 Black Men of Metropolitan of St. Louis, board member of YMCA 鈥 Monsanto in Saint Louis, past vice president/charter member of National Panhellenic Council of Orange County, and a lifetime member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. He is also the president of a diversity consulting company called RBM Diversity Consulting, LLC. 

Job Description

As the executive director of the Cross-Cultural Center for Global Citizenship, Richard works closely in a highly collaborative and creative environment. He facilitates training and workshops throughout the institution among faculty, staff, students and the community at large around diversity, equity, and inclusion. 

Areas of Work and Expertise

  • DEI trainings and workshops
  • Black male persistence
  • LGBTQAI+
  • Black male college students and mental health

Fun Fact

Richard is a reality TV junkie, loves to cook, enjoys traveling, and is vocally talented. Family is very important to him. He enjoys spending time with his family and friends.

Luella D. Loseille, M.Ed.
Luella D. Loseille
 

Assistant Director for Diversity and Inclusion, Cross Cultural Center for Global Citizenship

She | Her

luella.loseille@slu.edu 
314-977-3576
Center for Global Citizenship, Suite 124G

Luella Loseille is the assistant director for diversity and inclusion in the Cross Cultural Center for Global Citizenship and the Atlas program coordinator. Born and raised in St. Louis from a Haitian family background, Luella attended Saint Louis University for both her undergraduate degree (anthropology, 2017) and graduate degree (student personnel administration, 2019). While a student at SLU, Luella was engaged in a myriad of leadership positions (including being inducted into the SLU Student Hall of Fame Class of 2017) and draws from these experiences to better enrich the student experience at 凤凰体育直播 within her role as assistant director for diversity and inclusion.

After graduating with her bachelor's in 2017, Luella served as an AmeriCorp VISTA for one year where she strengthened community partnerships between SLU and community organizations with a social-justice focus on race equity. She also assisted in the creation and implementation of programming relating to anti-bias and anti-racism initiatives including the Stand Against Racism campaign in partnership with YWCA Metro St. Louis. After completing her service year with AmeriCorps, Luella worked as the Atlas program coordinator within the Cross Cultural Center until she became assistant director in 2020. With a strong passion in equity and social-justice work, Luella fervently works to cultivate and maintain an environment in which every member of the SLU community may be their truest and most authentic self. Luella is also an instructor for Cura Personalis 1 and the adviser to student organization OASIS.

Job Description

The assistant director for diversity and inclusion plans and leads diversity, equity and inclusion programs for students, faculty, and staff, and assists in the development and implementation of programming initiatives for the campus community that contributes to the recruitment and retention of underrepresented, minoritized, and/or marginalized populations. Additionally, the assistant director for diversity and inclusion actively participates in the coordination of related awareness, training, and educational programs in conjunction with student organizations, other university departments, and community partners while assisting in the overall daily operations of the Cross Cultural Center for Global Citizenship.

Areas of Work

  • Atlas Week
  • International Education Week
  • Diversity Movie Series
  • Cultural Heritage/Awareness Months
  • Multiple Cultural Fluency
  • Audre Lorde Scholars
  • Safe Zone 

Area of Expertise

  • Multiple Cultural Fluency
  • Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice
  • Intergroup Dialogue
  • Global Diversity Education
  • Student Personnel Administration and Support

Fun Fact

Luella is an avid anime, manga, video game, and K-Pop fan and enjoys reading fantasy