Diversity and Global Consciousness

Spring 2017 — Charlene Alexander, Ph.D., has been appointed by President Edward Ray as Oregon State’s chief diversity officer. In an official letter sent out to the Oregon State community, President Ray stated that Alexander’s responsibilities as chief diversity officer will include guiding OSU’s efforts around institutional diversity, equity, inclusion and social justice. In this role, Alexander will also be a vice president and report directly to President Ray.

Currently, Alexander serves as interim associate vice president for community engagement at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. At Ball State, she previously served as the associate provost for diversity and director of the Office of Institutional Diversity for four years. While there, she helped establish the university’s first Diversity Advisory Committee and guided development of the university’s first diversity strategic plan.

Before becoming associate provost, Alexander directed programs in the Department of Counseling Psychology, where she has been a member of the faculty since 1997. In addition to this experience, Alexander has also been leading diversity and inclusion initiatives since 1990 as a doctoral student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Alexander received her undergraduate degree in psychology and her master’s in counseling and guidance from Creighton University. She earned her doctorate in counseling psychology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Her research interests include multicultural counseling, school counseling and international psychology. She is also the co-editor of the "Handbook of Multicultural Counseling," currently in its fourth edition.

Alexander replaces Angela Batista, who served as interim chief diversity officer since February 2016, and will join Oregon State on June 30.