Alum Jesse Bernal appointed Director for the Office of Diversity and Inclusion at Santa Clara University
Alumnus Jesse Bernal of UC Santa Barbara’s Gevirtz School has been appointed the Director of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion at Santa Clara University.
As Director, Jesse Bernal works with the Associate Vice Provost for Diversity and Inclusion to develop strategies for the recruitment, retention and success of faculty from underrepresented groups, promote a student climate of inclusive excellence by collaborating with many University offices in sponsoring curricular, co-curricular, and extracurricular programs, and coordinates with the Offices of Enrollment Management, Affirmative Action, and Human Resources in efforts to recruit a more diverse student body and staff.
Before joining Santa Clara University in 2014, Bernal coordinated systemwide diversity and inclusion initiatives at the University of California as University Diversity Coordinator at the Office of the President (2010-2013). He also previously worked on educational outreach and academic support programming for underrepresented students as Coordinator of the Educational Outreach Program at UC Merced (2010) and Program Manager for pre-college and first-year summer transition programs at UC Santa Barbara (2006-2010). From 2008-2010, Jesse was appointed to the University of California Board of Regents as student Regent and advocated for a range of statewide policies and programs to support California’s student population, particularly raising the profile of underrepresented communities such as LGBT students, undocumented students, veterans, and students of color.
Bernal received his Ph.D. in Cultural Perspectives in Education from UC Santa Barbara, having worked with advisor Dr. Jenny Cook-Gumperz. His research has focused on first-generation, underrepresented minority college student transitions and development with significant work in assessment and methodologies, program evaluation, organizational culture, affirmative action and non-discrimination policy and law, and models of diversity in higher education.