The Advance Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ADEI) Network Team develops strategies for addressing issues of concern, as well as initiating and sustaining collaborations to support an environment of transparency and open communication.
View the Advancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Team charge.
View the Member Profiles on this page to learn more.
In 2023, Recommended Actions to Address Staff of Color Experience (RAASCE), a subcommittee on the Advance Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ADEI) team supported DEI 2.0 events. This included presenting a panel discussion webinar during the October DEI Summit. The webinar was titled "This is Our Story: Staff of Color Experiences at U-M." It was designed, in collaboration with ODEI and The Coalition, to share findings from a research study of the same name. The study revealed various ways in which staff of color experience pervasive white cultural norms and marginalization in the workplace.
The team is currently working with ODEI and partners to connect these research findings with existing DEI 2.0 Campus Action Items (CAIs) and to develop recommended actions to address the specific needs of staff of color.
To learn more about the ADEI team, see their 2024 project poster.
Laura Renaud (she/her) is a Research Area Specialist in the Michigan Medicine Department of Psychiatry Child Services. She serves as the Study Coordinator and a Therapist/Interventionist on a study aimed at improving mental health outcomes for teens. She holds a BA in Psychology from Wayne State University and a Master’s in Social Work from the University of Michigan. Laura is passionate about working to provide equal access to excellent care to everyone, and advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout the university environment. Outside of work, she enjoys spending quality time with her family and friends, caring for her rescue pets, reading, and hiking.
Luciana Nemtanu serves as Director of Student Experience at the LSA Opportunity Hub. Before this role, she was the Associate Director of Mentorship at the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program and has also worked in the MLibrary and at Rackham Graduate School. Her research has focused on how community members activate their social capital to strengthen their identity and recover after local economic and industrial collapse. She holds a BA in History, a PhD in Anthropology and History and a graduate certificate in Museum Studies, all from University of Michigan. For the past several years, she has served as a volunteer DEI workshop facilitator for U-M Organizational Learning which has been an incredibly rewarding experience.
Mariam Negaran (she/her) is a facilitator of the Voices of the Staff Advance Diversity Equity and Inclusion team. Mariam started her career at U-M as a temp working in the Office of Admissions at the School of Dentistry in 2008. She currently serves as an Administrative Coordinator for the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, where she supports the Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy. Outside U-M, Mariam enjoys traveling, music, walking in nature, cultural experiences, reading, watching shows and movies, spending time with friends and family, and exploring as many new coffee shops and ethnic eateries as possible.
Michele Santillan (she/her) is communications manager for Biomedical Engineering, having recently moved from a similar role in the department of Civil & Environmental Engineering. She has been with U-M since 2021. Michele and her husband, Dennis, have one daughter, Juliana, who is a U-M computer science engineering major. In her spare time, Michele enjoys reading and watching documentaries, along with spending time with her family.
Monica Hickson, MA currently works for the ITS as an Instructional Designer and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion facilitator. She received her bachelor’s degree in Journalism from Wayne State University and later a Master’s in Education from Central Michigan University. She has also received a DEI certificate in 2021. She is the author of The Covid Diaries which discusses the loss of her fiance to COVID and the healing journey that she took as well as a follow-up story which are both in several bookstores in the Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti area(s). Monica is a WCTF executive board member and Women in Technology and a Facilitators Engagement (FEP) member for more than six years where she teaches DEI courses throughout campus and Michigan Medicine.
Moon S. Woo (she/her/hers) is a research laboratory specialist and lab manager in the Department of Internal Medicine, Division of MEND (Metabolism, Endocrinology, and Diabetes), working on muscle dysfunction in obesity. She joined the University of Michigan in 2016 as a post-doctoral fellow and has pursued a transition to the next career goal, the pharmacy profession, since 2019. This is one of her lifelong projects, together with participating in the ADEI team as a member, to broaden her perception of the community and extend her contribution and influence. Moon enjoys playing piano, cooking, reading, swimming, and spending time with friends. Moreover, she plans to ride a bicycle at a park shortly.
Nikki Greet (she/her/hers) is a Senior Project Manager with the Office of Patient Experience since January 2023. She has been with the University of Michigan since October of 2004 and spent the first 18.5 years working for the Division of Public Safety and Security at Michigan Medicine. Her experience working within the University and specifically within Michigan Medicine has given her a unique perspective on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion and how it relates to patients, families, staff, faculty, and learners. She has four fur babies, including a German Shepherd, Kirsche and three cats, Tika, Bowie and Blaze. For fun, she loves to travel and spend time with her niece and nephew!
Pat Steffes (they/them) is a Software Programmer Analyst with ITS Identity and Access Management. Alongside building and architecting software, Pat is an advocate for inclusive and privacy-protecting technology. They are also an active member in the ITS DEI subcommittee where they work to both utilize inclusive technology more effectively and create a more safe and inclusive community. Pat is passionate about human rights, mental health, and intersectionality. In their free time, Pat and their partner cuddle their 6 cats and support queer and feminist artists in the Metro-Detroit area.
Quinci Alexander started at U-M in kitchen prep at South Quad in 2008. Here is where he discovered his love for cooking. After leaving the university for a time, he returned as a parking attendant in 2012. In 2018, Quinci was promoted to Intermediate Customer Service Representative, managing the flow of traffic as well as other duties within his department. He also helps with special project launches related to parking changes. He is a member of the Voices of the Staff and the Diversity Equity and Inclusion Committee. He also serves as an MHealthy Champion for his department. Quinci graduated from ITT Technical Institute in 2008 with an Associate’s Degree in Applied Sciences of Computer Aided Drafting. He is also certified in Mental Health First Aid.
Sarah Herwick (she/her) joined the University of Michigan Investment Office in November of 2021. There she provides administrative support to the teams that manage the endowment's investments in alternative assets. She also works as an investment office representative for the Business and Finance Diversity Working Group which assists unit leadership in the development of their prospective DEI policies and practices. Before joining the Investment Team, Sarah aided local organizations in crafting support structures and aiding in the development of programming for the neurodiverse community, their caregivers, and other marginalized groups who may have previously felt unwelcome in traditional spaces.
Steve Vinson has been leading Ambulatory Care’s DEI Committee since March of 2017. Due to his efforts leading DEI initiatives, Steve was the recipient of the Office of Health, Equity, and Inclusion’s inaugural DEI Advocate Award. Steve leads his Department’s DEI Driver Program which has 125 DEI Leads at 120 Michigan Medicine outpatient clinics. Steve has created and shared content throughout the U-M campus including: COVID-19 Disparities-Underlying Causes, Intersection between DEI and Wellness, and Leading from the Middle-Creating a Culture of Belonging. Steve is also a member of the University of Michigan Voices of the Staff – Advancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Team, receiving the Voices Champion Award in 2019. He led the Voices-ADEI team projects for the University’s Diversity Summit in 2018 and 2019. Steve has represented University of Michigan staff on the Workplace Innovation Staff Experience Committee (2021) and served as Co-Chair of Michigan Medicine’s Anti-Racism Oversight Committee from 2021-2022. Steve has moderated wellness and housing discrimination sessions at the WCTF’s 2022 and 2023 Juneteenth celebrations. In his spare time, Steve enjoys boot camp classes, yoga, ballroom dancing and Steelers football games.
Todd Ziegler (he/him) is a U-M alumni and facilitator of the Voices of the Staff Advance Diversity Equity and Inclusion team. At U-M, Todd serves as a Project Coordinator in LSA Sociology where he manages the Racial Inequality, Culture, and Knowledge Laboratory (RICKLab) and the Scholars Network on Masculinity and the Well-being of African American Men. Todd is also a member of the University Staff United organizing committee and serves as a co-facilitator of the LSA Men & Fathers Affinity Group. Outside U-M, Todd enjoys traveling, reading, music, puzzles, staying active, getting outdoors, and spending time with friends, family, and community.