
Following is an early listing of DEI-related events throughout April. Please check the DEI site throughout the month, as well as the Daily Flyer, for additions or changes to the listing below.
Monday, April 4 - Thursday, April 7
Multicultural Awareness Week
The Loudoun campus is celebrating Multicultural Awareness Week with a number of events and presentations, including a discussion of the cultural context of the Ukraine and Russia conflict, a Fast-A-Thon, a presentation from NOVA's Diverse Business Alumni, and Native Dress for a Day. If you need accommodations to attend, please contact Nicholas Zefran at nzefran@nvcc.edu.
Location: Loudoun Campus
Friday, April 8
12:00 - 1:00 p.m.
Office of DEI Spotlight Event featuring Andrew Rich: "Making Healthcare Inclusive: Expansive and Affirming Care for Queer and Trans Patients"
Andrew Rich (he/him and they/them) is a trans non-binary human, parent, and post-bac pre-med student at the University of Louisville, as well as a graduate student in healthcare ethics. He previously worked as a doula and lactation educator and hopes to one day become an OBGYN focusing on sexual, reproductive, and gender health for queer, trans, and gender diverse people. Andrew also has experience as a patient care associate and patient access coordinator and is passionate about improving healthcare outcomes and experiences for LGBTQIA+ people, families, and communities at every level—from paperwork and registration, to clinic and hospital assessment and triage, to medical diagnosis and treatment.
For more information, or if you need accommodations to attend, please contact Sherrene DeLong at sdelong@nvcc.edu.
Location: This event will be virtual, but students are invited to watch and ask questions at classroom 354, at the MEC.Please click here to register.
Wednesday, April 13
1:00 - 2:00 p.m.
Office of DEI Spotlight Event featuring Dr. Alexander Jun: "Model Minority or Perpetual Foreigner? A Conversation on Equity Beyond the Binary"
Alexander Jun, Ph.D., is an educational researcher and equity scholar who has published extensively on issues of postsecondary education. He is author of a number of publications, including From Here to University: Access, Mobility, & Resilience Among Latino Youth, as well as three books in a series examining white supremacy, and served as Managing Editor for the Journal of Behavioral and Social Sciences. Dr. Jun is also a former TEDx speaker and a former Global Fellow with the Center for Khmer Studies (CKS); he was an International Research Fellow with the National Centre of Student Equity in Higher Education (NCSEHE) at Curtin University, and Scholar in Residence at Belmont University in 2018. He holds a Ph.D. in education policy from the Rossier School of Education at the University of Southern California. He is currently Professor of Higher Education in the Department of Higher Education at Azusa Pacific University’s School of Behavior and Applied Sciences. He joined APU’s faculty after 15 years of service as a faculty member and administrator at the University of Southern California. Click here to view a recording of Dr. Jun’s story slam, “On Eating DIScomfort Food.”
Click here to register for this event. And for more information, or if you need accommodations to attend, please contact Sherrene DeLong at sdelong@nvcc.edu.
Location: MC-226, Manassas Campus
Thursday, April 14
2:00 - 3:00 p.m.
A Discussion of Ramadan
The Annandale Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee invites you to a discussion on the Muslim practice of Ramadan, an annual fast in which believers abstain from food and drink between sunrise and sunset for a full month. Come learn about Ramadan, how it’s practiced and celebrated in Muslim communities, and hear some personal perspectives from believers about what this tradition means to them. A panel of speakers will each give a short talk, with a Q&A session to follow.
Location: CA-302, Annandale Campus
Friday, April 15
4:00 - 5:00 p.m.
The History of Ukraine, April 14
On April 14, from 4 p.m. until 5 p.m., the LASS Division of the Alexandria Campus will host a Zoom presentation on the history of Ukraine, presented by History Professor Dr. Kathleen Fichtel.
Dr. Fichtel will provide a brief overview and discussion of the history of Ukraine that informs today’s conflict. To learn more about this event, please contact Nicole Munday. And please click here to register.
Location: Zoom presentation, Alexandria Campus
Friday, April 15
1:00 - 2:00 p.m.
Clan in the Front: How Wu-Tang Transcended the Rap Game to Become Cultural Icons
Acclaimed author S.H. Fernando, Jr., discusses his biography of the Wu-Tang Clan, which chronicles their beginnings and rise to prominence in both music and hip-hop culture. Mr. Fernando, a graduate of Harvard and Columbia University’s School of Journalism, has had his work published in the New York Times, Rolling Stone, Vibe, and other publications. He also founded his own music label, WordSound Recordings; has written, produced, and directed several movies; and has authored other books, including Rice & Curry, a New York Times notable cookbook about the cuisine from his homeland of Sri Lanka.
Refreshments will be provided. Contact information, regarding event info and accommodations, to come.
Location: CE Forum, Annandale Campus
Monday, April 18
12:30 - 1:30 p.m.
Let's Chat
The Alexandria DEI Committee will host Let's Chat, a casual conversation about intersectionality.
Open to all NOVA Faculty, staff, and students, the gathering will feature excerpts from our recorded interview with Dr. Sara Kaplan, Executive Director of American University's Antiracist Research and Policy Center. Light refreshments will be served.
Location: Bisdorf AA158, Alexandria Campus
Friday, April 22
8:45 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
CCAMPIS Student Parent Conference
Research supports a parent’s level of education as the number one indicator of primary school children’s success. Student-parents are now one of the fastest growing college populations, yet balancing family and school can be a challenge for many. This conference will help you to gain skills on navigating your own educational journey, while connecting and supporting your peers.
Community colleges are seeing higher numbers of pregnant and parenting students attend their institutions, but do we know how to serve them? Studies show that when we support student-parents and acknowledge their presence, they are more likely to succeed. This conference will give you an insight into the lives of pregnant and parenting students, and how to better support this growing population.
If you need accommodations to attend, please contact Diana Yacob at dyacob@nvcc.edu.
Location: Virtual. Please click here for more information or to register.
Tuesday, April 26
2:00 - 3:00 p.m.
NOVA Foodways: Global Cuisine, Third Spaces and Community
The Alexandria DEI Committee is kicking off its NOVA Foodways: Global Cuisine, Third Spaces and Community project by hosting Richard Morris, Co-Executive Director of Farm and Foodroots at Cultivate Charlottesville.
Cultivate Charlottesville engages youth and community in building an equitable, sustainable food system through garden-based experiential learning, growing, and sharing healthy food, amplifying community leaders, and advocating for food justice.
NOVA Foodways will present a pop-up exhibit exploring multicultural foodways and identity on Alexandria’s campus in October 2022.
Contact Susan Monroe (Smonroe@nvcc.edu) or Laura Garcia Moreyra (Lgarciamoreyra@nvcc.edu) for more information.
Location: Alexandria campus
Thursday, April 28
12:00 - 1:00 p.m.
Archiving and Preserving the Legacy of the Southeast Asian Diaspora in North America
Professor Tammy Tran leads a discussion celebrating and highlighting today’s Southeast Asian American artists, writers, and poets – who have been sharing their families’ experiences of war, immigration, and refugee asylums. Professor Tran shares how, from intergenerational traumas, the artists have created wonderful storytelling platforms. For information about this event, or if you need accommodations to attend, contact Saleha Bholat at sbholat@nvcc.edu.
Location: LC-313, Loudoun Campus. This event is also available for viewing via Zoom.
Other Events Throughout the Month
- April 2
- World Autism Awareness Day
- Ramadan (through May 1)
- April 14
- The History of Ukraine
- April 15
- Mahavir Jayanti
- Passover (through April 22)
- April 17
- Easter
- April 21
- Gathering of Nations (through April 23)
- April 22
- Earth Day