Administrative Overview

Mailing Address:
The Office of Diversity and Community Engagement,
The University of Texas at Dallas,
800 W. Campbell Road, AD26,
Richardson, TX 75080

Physical Location:
Administration Building AD 3.207
Phone: (972) 883-4566
Fax: (972) 883-4565

Preparing students for tomorrow's challenges is one of the most important goals for any institution of higher learning. Of the many initiatives the UT Dallas leadership outlined in its Strategic Plan, perhaps none could have a greater impact than the decision to strongly support excellence and inclusion by creating the Office of Diversity and Community Engagement (ODCE) to recognize, enhance and celebrate diversity.

UT Dallas appointed noted technology innovator Dr. Magaly Spector, one of the most visible Hispanic women in the fields of science and engineering in the United States, vice president for Diversity and Community Engagement in January 2008.

In this capacity, Dr. Spector is responsible for the Galerstein Women's Center and the Multicultural Center. Her office also is charged with the development of new programs to attract, retain and promote a more diverse population of students, staff and faculty. It also serves in an advisory capacity for the development of activities.

To meet its goals, three new departments were created: Faculty Diversity, Community Engagement and Institutional Diversity Initiatives. The Community Engagement arm reaches beyond the campus into the community to forge a stronger working relationship with different constituencies, including highly underrepresented minority high schools, community colleges and corporations across the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The Faculty Diversity arm aims to provide leadership for achieving and sustaining faculty diversity as an indispensable element of academic excellence. The Institutional Diversity Initiatives arm develops grants, communications, and maintains and publishes a diversity scorecard.

Lilian Chu joined the Office of Diversity and Community Engagement in May 2011 as the Administrative Assistant III to Vice President, Dr. Magaly Spector. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from UT Dallas, a Master’s of Business Administration from UT Dallas, and a Master’s of Science in Mathematics with statistical emphasis from Texas Woman’s University.

Lilian's responsibilities include assisting the vice president with the day-to-day operational management of the ODCE. Lilian also provides support to the departments of Faculty Diversity, Community Engagement, Institutional Initiatives, the Multicultural Center and the Women’s Center.

The Office of Diversity and Community Engagement is located in the Multipurpose Building and was originally opened on September 8, 2008.