President's Bulletin
Message from President Anne Kress: Real Change is More Than a March, Taskforce or Committee
DEI News and Updates

NOVA Community Discuss Deaf Awareness Month
"Deafness doesn't have one look!" (Kyndall Evans – NOVA Student). Like any culture, Deaf Culture is one filled with people who have different perspectives, are from different lived experiences, and use the beauty and artistry of American Sign Language (ASL) in different ways.

Free Latin Dance Lesson on Wednesday, October 4th from 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. at the Alexandria campus AFA - Basketball Court! Featuring the Azucar, Latin Dance Club from George Mason University.

Where is Home? A workshop with Alejandro Jimenez on Thursday, September 28, 2023.
Join spoken word artist Alejandro Jimenez for a workshop that will explore the concept of home and what it means to yearn for 'home' in a place that may be foreign to us. How do we seek 'home', how do we find 'home', how do we build 'home' in a country that constantly reminds us we do not belong?
Zoom Link: https://vccs.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcuf-CspjsvH9RgOjV9b2l93QFdMT8fMUgE#/registration
Contact Octavia Young - Coordinator of Student LIfe, SGA Advisor for more information at oyoung@nvcc.edu.

2nd Annual Hispanic Heritage Fiesta.
Please join us on Wednesday, September 20th between 11:00 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. outside in our Quad area in front of CF Building! NOVA Annandale is hosting the 2nd Annual Hispanic Heritage Fiesta, celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month, and we would like to invite you to attend. This event is a celebration, and we believe it will be a wonderful opportunity for our students, faculty, and staff to learn more about the rich heritage and many contributions of the Latin community in a festive setting. We will have live music, fun, games and vendors and Latin Cuisine Food Trucks selling food! Food Trucks will be located near the Parking Garage.

NOVA Celebrates Pride Month with a DEI Spotlight Event: Weathering the Media Storm (The Connection between Media Representation and the LGBTQIA+ Community).
A Micron Sponsored Event.
On June 8, 2023, for Pride Month, the Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion held a virtual event entitled "Weathering the Media Storm" with Nexus, an excellent moderator who is a Black and Filipino American, queer cisgender man. There were a wide array of participants, including faculty, staff, and students, in attendance for the virtual workshop conversation on understanding the impact of media consumption in our lives. Discussion centered around how to purposefully consume media in a way that contributes to our well-being, with a lens towards caring for the LGBTQIA+ community.
Participants provided the following takeaways from this helpful and informative workshop:
“(I)… learned about the different communication theories and being more mindful about media choices.”
“It was a thought-provoking event.”
The video of this virtual interactive workshop is now available for NOVA students, faculty, and staff, along with recordings of past DEI Spotlight Events. To access recordings with captioning, please click the below link:
- Panopto Video-On-Demand.
Click "Panopto," and then log in with your MyNOVA account. Next, search "DEI.”

If you’ve ever wondered what’s possible for a NOVA student, prepare to hear the inspirational story of Kellie Blair Hardt. Kellie’s childhood was wrought with homelessness, separation from her mother at two, an alcoholic father, and getting thrown out of school.
On March 22 at the Colgan Theater, Kellie returned to the Manassas Campus, where she shared with her audience the rawness of her story. This March DEI event saw unforgettably emotional reunions and extraordinary, touching moments.

Black History Month is a national recognition of the history of Black Americans.
February 1-28, 2023

November is traditionally Indigenous or Native American Heritage Month. During this month, we have the opportunity to pay special attention to the history and contributions of Native American people and communities across this country.
November 1-30, 2022

NOVA's Alexandria campus will host a pop-up exhibit: NOVA Foodways: Global Cuisine, Third Culture and Community from October 10TH -21ST. Foodways refers to the many ways people produce, prepare, and consume food.
The exhibit explores foodways from the perspective of cultural identity, that is, the foodways chosen for us because we are born in a specific cultural group and the foodways we choose for ourselves outside of that group. The term "third culture" is used to address fusion, authenticity, migration, and the blending of ingredients, methods, and cultures out of necessity and creativity.
The exhibit will be part informational and part hands-on. Related events include an Ethiopian coffee ceremony and a World Cup viewing party featuring foods with an international flair!
Everyone can take part by sharing food memories, recipes or reflections that will be shared during the exhibit.
For more information, contact Susan Monroe or Laura Garcia-Moreyra, and see this flyer(PDF).
October 10 - 21, 2022

As we wrap up Minority Mental Health Awareness Month (July), we would like to introduce you to Yolanda Castillo, a criminal justice student at NOVA who has utilized the many experiences of her upbringing to help lift those around her.....
July 28, 2022

National Minority Mental Health Month has been observed every July since 2008 and is intended to "bring awareness to the unique struggles that racial and ethnic minority communities face regarding mental illness in the United States."...
July 5, 2022

Yalda Royan, the Office of DEI's coordinator for community engagement, addressed the United Nations Security Council on Thursday, June 23,...
July 5, 2022

Last Thursday, June 23, marked the 50th Anniversary of the passing of Title IX. Title IX offers protection for people from discrimination based on sex in education programs or activities that receive federal financial assistance...
July 5, 2022

Annandale Campus English Professor, and member of NOVA's AANAPISI Grant Team, Yuemin He has contributed an essay to Teaching Asian North American Texts...
June 23, 2022

Dr. Felicia D. Blakeney was inducted into the Mount Rose, Maryland, Chapter of The Links, Incorporated on June 4. The Links, Incorporated is an international not-for-profit established in 1946...
June 21, 2022

Anum Khan is an engineering student who wants to travel the world with 'Engineers Without Borders' to help provide safe drinking water for populations at risk...
June 9, 2022

Career Up is excited to share a Summer Institute for first-generation students!...
June 2, 2022

Starting on June 20, an exhibit titled Determined in Alexandria featuring portraits by NOVA students from the Alexandria Campus will be on display at the Freedom House Museum...
June 2, 2022

Dr. Tauheeda Yasin (AL-LASS) has been awarded an ACLS Emerging Voices Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Texas-Austin...
June 2, 2022

The first year of our College's formal commitment to promoting inclusive excellence brought with it many important achievements, celebrations, acknowledgments and helpful programs...
May 18, 2022

Every student at NOVA brings a different story and perspective on student success and achievement. Commencement brings to life their accomplishments...
May 13, 2022

Do you have questions about Open Educational Resources, Open Pedagogy, and Inclusive Excellence? If so, we have answers!...
April 28, 2022

In 2021, NOVA was awarded a five-year $1.3 million grant from the Department of Education to support Asian American Native American Pacific Islander (AANAPI) students. As part of the grant activities, NOVA will launch a peer mentoring program...
April 18, 2022

The Manassas Campus is pleased to exhibit the work of three nationally acclaimed women artists, the group called WAM-Women Artists Masters...
April 13, 2022

Do you know students interested in transferring to George Mason University? Make sure they know about a number of unique pathways! Representatives from both NOVA and Mason will be present to help students learn more about these transfer opportunities.
April 12, 2022

The Annandale Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee invite you to attend a discussion on the Muslim practice of Ramadan...
April 12, 2022

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.
March 31, 2022

When World War II ended, women gave up their jobs so returning soldiers could return to work, but that's only part of the story. During the war, thousands of Rosie the Riveters had worked jobs on the homefront, but thousands more also volunteered for military service...
March 23, 2022

This past Friday, the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education (NADOHE) Recognized Northern Virginia Community College with its 2022 NADOHE Institutional Excellence Award (Two-Year, Public)...
March 21, 2022

The important concepts of equity and social justice are often daunting for faculty to incorporate into their coursework. To address that challenge, the Instructional and Student Services Committee (ISSC) is highlighting teaching practices...
March 21, 2022

NOVA student Catherine Thong recently received the Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) on March 1, 2022. This intensive overseas language and cultural immersion...
March 11, 2022

Michael Turner, college dean for the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities, completed the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Workplace Certificate Program offered by the University of Florida Muma College of Business...
March 10, 2022

NOVA is excited to celebrate Women's History Month by sharing incredible stories from our faculty, staff and students...
March 10, 2022

This year's International Women's Day theme is "gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow," which honors all women...
March 8, 2022

NOVA thanks the many contributors, presenters, logistical personnel, students, faculty, staff, and attendees who have made Black History Month memorable...
March 4, 2022

For its next book, the History Reading Group will discuss Bullied at Work by NOVA's very own Dr. Sabrina Ricks. Dr. Ricks is an adjunct instructor of business at NOVA, and Bullied at Work chronicles her own experiences...
March 4, 2022

Thanks to the Office of DEI and the NOVA Foundation, a four-part workshop series for faculty has launched this year...
March 4, 2022

Interim dean and accounting professor Kush Jenkins has been awarded the 2021-2022 Fulbright Teaching Scholarship and will spend the spring semester of 2022 teaching accounting and entrepreneurship to students at...
March 4, 2022

Dr. Tauheeda Yasin Martin, professor of religion, humanities and English as a second language at NOVA-Alexandria, has been awarded the "Spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Emerging Alumni" award...
March 1, 2022

Woodbridge (WO) Assistant Professor of English and current graduate student in Emerson College's master in fine arts (MFA) in Writing for Film and Television, Kelly Cochran-Yzquierdo, has been selected as the winner of the Best TV Pilot at...
March 1, 2022

A listing of DEI-related events throughout March across NOVA campuses and online. Please check this page throughout the month...
February 28, 2022

During each heritage month throughout the year, NOVA spotlights students, faculty, and staff who wish to share their journey...
February 11, 2022

NOVA English Professor Sophia Aimen Sexton (AN) published an opinion article in Newsweek...
February 8, 2022
NOVA is pleased to welcome Dr. Sara Clarke Kaplan to participate in its ongoing "Food for Thought" series ...
February 7, 2022

NOVA's Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion wants to hear the voice of the community in their stories and anecdotes recognizing Black History Month ...
February 4, 2022

Thanks to the Office of DEI and the NOVA Foundation, a four-part workshop series for faculty will launch this year! ...
February 4, 2022

Black History Month will be celebrated throughout NOVA's campuses and online with a series of events showcasing Black excellence in poetry, film, music, history, and many more fields...
January 25, 2022

Reverend Nariaki AHayashi, Resident Minister of the Ekoji Buddhist Temple (Shin denomination) will provide a brief introduction to the Buddhist New Year followed by a discussion linking it to the Buddhist perspective of equity...
January 24, 2022

NOVA's annual "MLK Day of Service" kicked off on Monday, January 17, 2022, with a series of heartfelt speeches, ...
January 18, 2022

NOVA has launched a series of listen and learn sessions comprised of the NOVA community.
January 12, 2022

NOVA Series spotlighting several of its recent graduates.
January 6, 2022

NOVA is excited to announce that our own Cybersecurity professor, Kwabena Konadu, is among one of 12 recipients...
December 17, 2021

The Washington Post interviewed Dean McClellan about his lecture, "Native America: The invisible Foundation of the Modern World," which was part of NOVA's Joseph Windham Series on Race Relations. Click here to read the article.
November 29, 2021

In an exclusive webinar for NOVA students, faculty, and staff, guest speaker Shaleigh Howells will discuss cultural resource management of the Pamunkey Indian Tribe on Wednesday, December 8, at 2 PM.
November 15, 2021

Northern Virginia Community College's Annandale campus has received a $1.3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to fund new programs aimed at providing Asian and Native American Pacific Islander students with more academic and cultural resources...
November 12, 2021

Like many individuals and nationally recognized educational institutions, NOVA is taking time today to recognize those who have bravely served our great nation. In a collaborative effort, the President's Office, the Office of Veterans Services and the Office of Communications and Visual Services gathered anecdotes and stories from students and alumni who represent our amazing Nighthawk community.
November 11, 2021

International Education Week, a joint effort from the U.S. Department of State and the Department of Education, is "an opportunity to celebrate the benefits of international education and exchange worldwide."...
November 10, 2021

November is National Native American Heritage Month! This month (and in December), NOVA observes the history and culture of Native Americans with a number of events throughout our campuses...
November 4, 2021

DEI November Spotlight Event, 21-year-old indigenous youth leader and climate activist Nina Berglund...
October 22, 2021

On Wednesday, October 13, award-winning journalist and celebrated NPR podcast host Gene Demby will take part in a virtual conversation about the value of diversity.
October 13, 2021

On Thursday, September 24, 2021, the Diversity Committee at the Loudoun campus held its first in-person Privilege Walk (also known as equity walk). An enthusiastic group made up of staff and faculty met outside the learning Commons...
September 24, 2021

On Friday night, August 20, state and federal agencies asked NOVA to activate its Emergency Shelter Plan to provide a "state transfer point" (STP) for several hundred Afghan refugees fleeing their homeland for safety...
August 23, 2021

A valued partner in internationalization initiatives, the Asia Society is offering the following opportunities for students for 2021...
August 12, 2021

A valued partner in internationalization initiatives, the Asia Society is offering the following opportunities for students for 2021...
July 15, 2021

In recognition of Juneteenth last week, the following message was posted within the Virtual Student Union for our students on Friday, June 18. Because the message includes a video compilation from several faculty/staff members along with an original poem from a NOVA Alumna, I wanted to be sure to share this across our college...
June 24, 2021

June is LGBTQ+ Pride Month, and I thank our amazing Student Life leaders for filling the calendar with virtual events that celebrate, honor, affirm and inform - all accessible through our Virtual Student Union...
June 10, 2021

The guilty verdict rendered today offers small comfort to the Floyd family for their unimaginable loss, and over the past weeks, the trial has made visible the dangerous reality that confronts so many members of the African American community, including our colleagues, students, family, friends, and neighbors...
April 20, 2021

Northern Virginia Community College and George Mason University were selected to participate in the Equity Transfer Initiative (ETI) led by the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU), and the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU)...
March 19, 2021

The members of the Northern Virginia Community College Board, as recently as our last meeting, recommitted the College to an educational mission based on the principles of access, opportunity, student success and excellence and to the strategic goals of ensuring...
February 2, 2021

Northern Virginia Community College announced Thursday that Dr. Nathan Carter has been appointed as the College's first ever Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer...
December 18, 2020

The members of the Northern Virginia Community College Board, as recently as our last meeting, recommitted the College to an educational mission based on the principles of access, opportunity, student success and excellence and to the strategic goals of ensuring...
June 22, 2020