Each and every person on the Vincent Strategies team is dedicated to inclusive and organizational excellence, social justice, and robust community engagement. But those interests aren’t the only ties that unite us. Many of us worked together at the University of Texas at Austin; others were colleagues at other institutions. Together we have:
Innovative thinking, collegiality, and the excitement and satisfaction that accompany hard work and positive change were the hallmarks of our experiences at the university. We bring those same values and enthusiasm to our work at Vincent Strategies. It is our goal to foster innovation, collaboration, and research-based practices to every project we take on. Our talented team is here for you, to help you meet your organization’s unique goals and change your world.
Dr. Gregory J. Vincent (J.D. Ohio State, Ed.D. Pennsylvania) is a national expert on civil rights, social justice, and campus culture. For over three decades, he served as an award-winning professor of law and education, attorney, consultant, executive officer, and CEO. He is CEO and Co-Founder of Vincent Strategies, a global consulting firm focused on inclusive excellence, strategic planning, compliance, community engagement, and philanthropy. He also owns Gregory Vincent Law LLC, a civil rights, education, labor, and employment law firm.
Dr. Gregory J. Vincent (J.D. Ohio State, Ed.D. Pennsylvania) is a national expert on civil rights, social justice, and campus culture. For over three decades, he served as an award-winning professor of law and education, attorney, consultant, executive officer, and CEO. He is CEO and Co-Founder of Vincent Strategies, a global consulting firm focused on inclusive excellence, strategic planning, compliance, community engagement, and philanthropy. He also owns Gregory Vincent Law LLC, a civil rights, education, labor, and employment law firm.
Since 2018, Vincent Strategies has successfully assisted several clients to meet and exceed their strategic goals, including public and private educational institutions, research and policy institutes, membership organizations, public and private law firms, corporations, and nonprofits. He has presented over 500 continuing legal education seminars, keynote addresses, and panel discussions on civil rights, employment, and education law issues in 35 states and countries in Africa, the Americas, Asia, the Caribbean, and Europe. See the presentations page. Vincent has served as a book editor and lead author on several publications. He managed several annual budgets up to $100 million and has raised close to $50 million in external funding. A dedicated philanthropist, Vincent has donated close to a million dollars to several impactful organizations promoting educational excellence, civil rights and healthy communities. Read more about recent renovation and endowment gifts.
Vincent most recently served as the 21st President of Talladega College from 2022-2024. In a challenging higher education environment, he led a team that enrolled two of the most academically talented classes in school history while also continuing to serve as a national leader in social mobility. He also improved co-curricular offerings by reinstating the Honors Program, introducing the award-winning eSports, Battle of the Brains, and Hackathon teams, and rightsizing the Top Ten HBCU Band. The Gulf Coast Athletic Conference (HBCU Conference) awarded Talladega its prestigious All Sports Thomas Howell Cup for the 2023-2024 season. He also led the efforts to forge a strategic partnership with the Smithsonian American Art Museum and three key academic programs completed accreditation processes. A record number of donors contributed to Talladega from 2022 to 2024.
From 2020-2022 Vincent served for nearly three years as a professor of educational policy and law and the inaugural Executive Director of the Education and Civil Rights Initiative at the University of Kentucky. During his tenure, he hosted two national conferences and several webinars on civil rights and education law, taught K-12 and higher education law classes, and led a team that completed a comprehensive equity audit for a Kentucky public school district and report.
For 12 years, Vincent served as Vice President, W.K. Kellogg Professor, and Professor of Law at the University of Texas-Austin. His portfolio was comprised of a $50 million budget and 40 units, including the first Texas university-sponsored public charter school system, the statewide University Interscholastic League, the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health, the Office of Institutional Equity that investigated Title IX and employment discrimination complaints, five outreach centers across the state and a community engagement center in East Austin. As director of the Thematic Faculty Hire Initiative, he partnered with colleges, schools, and departments to hire over 60 faculty members in underrepresented academic areas. The Longhorn Center for Academic Excellence helped improve first-generation and underrepresented students’ first-year retention rate to 93%. Read the announcement and ten-year report.
Vincent led the effort for the University to achieve the Carnegie Classification for Community Engagement and the Diversity Champion Award from Insight Magazine. He taught K-12 and higher education law courses and was recognized as Professor of the Year by the Thurgood Marshall Legal Society. Vincent served as university spokesperson and helped develop the legal strategy for the United Supreme Court case Fisher v. University of Texas. He chaired the task force that recommended the removal of the confederate statues from the Main Mall and the name of a Ku Klux Klan leader from a residence hall. Vincent helped lead the effort to fully support undocumented students and vigorously fight antisemitism, anti-Muslim and other forms of hate on campus and in the community. Also while at UT Austin, Vincent chaired the Equity and Student-Athlete Well-being Committee as part of a year-long campus wide study of UT Men’s and Women’s Athletics as part of the Division 1 NCAA certification. Vincent also served as a national leader for the My Brother’s Keeper Initiative and partnered with the White House, the city of Austin, Texas and Travis County, and other cities across the country to develop and implement mentoring strategies for African American boys and young men. See The Sigma Pi Phi Guide to Mentoring for Young Black Male Excellence, A Case Study in Social Action and Excellence, Pathways to Young Black Male Excellence and The Handbook of Research on Black Males.
During the 11 years before becoming Vice President and Professor at the University of Texas- Austin, Vincent held increasingly more responsible roles at three public flagship universities. He served as executive officer, vice provost, and law professor at Louisiana State University (LSU) and the University of Oregon, teaching education and employment law classes. As Vice Provost at both universities, he served on the President’s Cabinet and Dean’s Council. At LSU, Vincent was Vice Provost of Academic Affairs and Campus Diversity and managed a budget of nearly $69 million. At LSU he oversaw 230 full-time employees and 200 part-time employees and the activities of the Division of Continuing Education, Division of International Programs, the Academic Center for Student-Athletes, Fire and Emergency Training Institute, Office of Multicultural Affairs, and the Women’s Center.
Vincent served as Assistant Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, conducting all high-profile investigations, taught and helped overhaul the labor and employment law curriculum as a law lecturer. Vincent also led a ten-month study of HR and diversity issues as part of the university’s accreditation project and established the Leadership Institute, which is still in existence today.
Before entering academia, Vincent joined the Ohio Attorney General’s Office as an assistant attorney general. In that position, he successfully argued precedent-setting civil rights cases before the Supreme Court of Ohio that set the standard for proving a Bona Fide Occupational Qualification (BFOQ) in Ohio and established the extraterritorial jurisdiction of the Commission. These cases included Little Forest Medical Center v. The Civil Rights Commission and State, ex Rel Natalina v. Civil Rights Commission. He secured over a million dollars in settlements and judgments for complainants and won all appeals cases in Ohio courts.
Vincent was promoted to Cleveland Regional Director and then Legal and Regional Affairs Director for the Ohio Civil Rights Commission, where he and his team successfully investigated over 4000 civil rights investigations and helped Ohio state law become substantially equivalent to federal law. Later, as vice president at Bank One, a subsidiary of a Fortune 50 Company, he represented the Bank before several agencies, including the Ohio Civil Rights Commission (OCRC), Ohio State Employment Relations Board, Ohio Unemployment Compensation Review Commission, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), and the Office Fair Contract and Compliance (OFCCP). Vincent also worked for two summers as an associate with Robinson & McElwee, a Charleston, West Virginia corporate law firm before his appointment as an Ohio Assistant Attorney General.
Vincent, the son of first-generation Americans and college graduates, attended New York City public schools, graduated from the Bronx High School of Science, and was recognized as a notable Alumnus. He competed as a student-athlete, earned a Bachelor of Arts in History and Economics, and was presented the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Leadership Award at his graduation from Hobart and William Smith Colleges. Vincent was also awarded a 2023 alumnus citation and recognized as a notable alumnus. Vincent served as president at his alma mater where he managed a budget of $100 million and developed with Board approval the Path Forward Agenda, which strengthened co-curricular opportunities for students, reduced the budget deficit, and enrolled one of the largest classes in school history. He previously served on the HWS board of trustees.
Vincent received his Juris Doctor from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, where he was recognized as a notable alumnus. He received the 2012 Service Award and the 2022 Inclusive Excellence Award and, since 2008, has served on the National Advisory Council. He also received his doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania, where he was named the 2016 Educator of the Year.
Vincent was unanimously elected as the 48th Grand Sire Archon (CEO and Chairman 2018-2020) of Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity Inc., founded in 1904 as the first African American Greek letter organization and now comprised of 144 member boules across the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Caribbean. See the UNCF article. He is a life member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., founded in 1906 at Cornell University as the first intercollegiate African American Fraternity. From 2016-2020 he served as chair of the fraternity’s Commission on Racial Justice. He has chaired several boards, including the Standing Committee of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas, St. James’ Episcopal Church Vestry, Communities in Schools of Central Texas, and the Austin Area Urban League.
Vincent has received over 100 awards for his professional and community service. The Cities of Austin, Texas; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Toledo, Ohio; Louisville, Kentucky; and Detroit, Michigan, awarded him proclamations. In 2023, Vincent was inducted into the HBCU Pre-Law Hall of Fame for his sustained commitment to increasing access to law school for underrepresented students. In 2019, he was named a Kentucky Colonel, the highest title of honor bestowed by the Governor of Kentucky.
Vincent is licensed to practice law in Ohio and West Virginia and is a member of the American Bar Association, the Ohio State Bar Association, and the West Virginia State Bar Association. For ten years, he served as a certified civil rights mediator. He currently serves as senior counsel to the National Diversity Council (2018- present).
Kim Wilson Vincent (J.D. Louisiana State University), COO, and Cofounder is an award-winning attorney, civic leader, DEI expert, and nationally recognized child and women’s welfare advocate. Vincent earned her DEI certificate from Cornell University and is a certified mediator. As a founding partner of Vincent Strategies and founder of the Wilson Vincent Law, PLLC, she brings her two decades of experience as a successful entrepreneur and law firm owner to direct the business operations, case management, and client outreach for Vincent Strategies.
Kim Wilson Vincent (J.D. Louisiana State University), COO, and Cofounder is an award-winning attorney, civic leader, DEI expert, and nationally recognized child and women’s welfare advocate. Vincent earned her DEI certificate from Cornell University and is a certified mediator. As a founding partner of Vincent Strategies and founder of the Wilson Vincent Law, PLLC, she brings her two decades of experience as a successful entrepreneur and law firm owner to direct the business operations, case management, and client outreach for Vincent Strategies.
She is also the lead Vincent Strategies facilitator for gender and equity conversations, an experienced strategic planner, and a skilled facilitator. Vincent Strategies is a global consulting firm focused on inclusive excellence, strategic planning, compliance, community engagement, and philanthropy. Since 2018, Vincent Strategies has successfully assisted several clients in meeting and exceed their strategic goals, including public and private educational institutions, research and policy institutes, membership organizations, public and private law firms, corporations, and nonprofits.
In 2017, the Texas Governor commissioned Kim Wilson Vincent as a Yellow Rose of Texas for her longstanding commitment to community service and, in her capacity as a lawyer, the pursuit of justice for children, women, and indigent clients, child advocacy, leadership in the arts, and distinguished community service. The Yellow Rose of Texas is a coveted award given only through the Office of the Governor of Texas. It recognizes Texas women for their significant contributions to their communities and Texas. Vincent was also named 2016 Profiles of Prominence Honoree in Law by the Austin Metroplex Chapter of the National Women of Achievement, Inc.
Through her legal practice and volunteer activities, Vincent has worked with various communities throughout Travis County. She is an active member of The Links Inc. and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. As the former chancellor of St. James’ Episcopal School and vestry member of St. James’ Episcopal Church, she donated generously of her time and resources. Vincent also served on the Executive Committee as Vice President of the Development for Mexic-Arte Museum from 2010-2022.
Vincent is currently involved in numerous national, state, and county cohorts focused on domestic violence prevention and child welfare work. She serves on the board of Improving Racial Equity Across Courthouses project (IREACh), working with the National Resource Center on Violence Against Women in the Black Community (Ujima Inc.) and the Center for Justice Innovation (CJI). Additionally, Vincent is an expert on Ujima’s Domestic Violence Fatality Review Project.
Vincent also served as a board member at the Capital Area AIDS Legal Project. She volunteered at legal clinics serving AIDS Services of Austin clients, assisting with everything from housing discrimination complaints to estate planning. She has been significantly involved in court-appointed work, child protective services, mentoring young women, and art education in the local public schools.
Additionally, Vincent has been involved in numerous national, state, and county cohorts focused on domestic violence and child welfare work. These include the Battered Women’s Justice Project, the Women of Color Leadership Cohort Project, and Texas Working at the Intersections for Safe Families. The cohorts met regularly to discuss the roles of stakeholders in the domestic violence and child welfare spaces and how those areas intersect. The cohorts worked to find ways to improve outcomes for the families impacted by both domestic violence and child welfare by reimagining how the system could be better and by having honest conversations about how these systems disproportionately impact families of color.
She was a 2020-2021 fellow on the Marketplace of Ideas Advisory Committee. This virtual series curated and produced actionable ideas that set the agenda in child welfare/domestic violence prevention. Vincent served as Continuing Legal Education co-chair and board member for the Court Appointed Family Attorney Board.
Vincent was born in New Orleans and raised in Houma, Louisiana. She earned her bachelor’s and law degrees from Louisiana State University.
Leslie Blair is the Vincent Strategies Project Director and owns Asher-Blair Communications in Austin, Texas.
Blair served as Executive Director of Communications for the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement for 12 years. She led a team of five communication professionals who oversaw more than 60 websites, several newsletters, and a print magazine.
Leslie Blair is the Vincent Strategies Project Director and owns Asher-Blair Communications in Austin, Texas.
Blair served as Executive Director of Communications for the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement for 12 years. She led a team of five communication professionals who oversaw more than 60 websites, several newsletters, and a print magazine.
While at UT Austin, Blair worked on numerous special projects including the unveiling of the Barbara Jordan statue, the memorial for 1968 Tower shooting, and on projects such as the renaming of a residence hall and relocating Confederate statues on campus. She was co-editor of As We Saw It: The History of Integration at the University of Texas at Austin, published by UT Press. Blair continues to work with UT Elementary School, a public charter school in Austin, as a volunteer for their communications and fundraising efforts.
Prior to working at the University of Texas, Blair worked as a Communications Associate and Project Director at Southwest Regional Education Laboratory, which provided training and technical assistance to school districts in a seven-state area through the federal Regional Educational Laboratory and Comprehensive Assistance Center grants.
During that time, Blair helped produce numerous toolkits and trainings for public school educators and administrators. She was also the editor of SEDL’s award-winning magazine for K-12 educators and edited several books on leadership and change during her 10-year tenure there.
Blair previously worked as a newspaper reporter, a communications coordinator at New Mexico State University’s Water Resources Research Institute, and a membership coordinator at the Texas Association of School Boards.
Blair holds a bachelor’s degree in Journalism and a master’s degree in English, with a concentration in Professional and Technical Communications.
Dra. Aurora Chang is the Director of Strategic Initiatives and the founder of Aurora Chang Consulting, LLC, an academic editing and consulting business that focuses on helping academics write and live with compassion, authenticity, and power. Prior to this role, she served as the Director of Faculty Development and Career Advancement at George Mason University and prior to that, as an associate professor of Higher Education at Loyola University.
Dra. Aurora Chang is the Director of Strategic Initiatives and the founder of Aurora Chang Consulting, LLC, an academic editing and consulting business that focuses on helping academics write and live with compassion, authenticity, and power. Prior to this role, she served as the Director of Faculty Development and Career Advancement at George Mason University and prior to that, as an associate professor of Higher Education at Loyola University.
She has spent twenty-eight years in diverse leadership and faculty roles that span the Pre-K-20 spectrum as well as public, private, and non-profit sectors, including stints at San Francisco Unified School District as a high school teacher, The College Board, The University of California at Berkeley, The University of Texas at Austin, Beloit College, and The University of Wyoming. Her research centers on the intersection of education, identity, and agency within traditionally marginalized communities. Her work focuses on four research areas: (1) Latinx educational experiences with a focus on those that are undocumented, (2) Multiracially-identified students’ educational experiences, (3) how educators (K-20) of all backgrounds can effectively reflect upon their pedagogical practices to serve students of marginalized backgrounds, and (4) the experiences of Faculty Women of Color in the Academy.
Jason Molin, Director of Digital Strategy and Innovation, is a seasoned communications strategist with a two-decade track record of transforming digital landscapes in higher education. Shortly after graduating with a philosophy degree from New York University, he moved from his native Washington D.C. to Austin, Texas, where he has lived ever since. Molin studied and taught at UT Austin’s School of Information before launching his career at the university.
Jason Molin, Director of Digital Strategy and Innovation, is a seasoned communications strategist with a two-decade track record of transforming digital landscapes in higher education. Shortly after graduating with a philosophy degree from New York University, he moved from his native Washington D.C. to Austin, Texas, where he has lived ever since. Molin studied and taught at UT Austin’s School of Information before launching his career at the university.
He began as the first Web Editor for the McCombs School of Business, where he launched two online magazines and pioneered blogging to connect prospective students with authentic student voices. Molin then joined the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement as their first dedicated Webmaster, expanding their web presence from one site to over 50. As Director of Digital Communications, he significantly grew the division’s digital footprint, engaging tens of thousands of community members monthly through websites, newsletters, and social media. His innovative approach earned him several accolades, including the President’s Exemplary Service Award and the Vice President’s Excellence Award.
Most recently, Molin served as Executive Director of Communications for the Division of Campus and Community Engagement at UT Austin. In this role, he oversaw communications for a 400+ person division, leading a team of creative professionals to craft compelling content across various media. As Director, he helped launch and implement You Belong Here, the University’s blueprint for incorporating equity and inclusion into the president’s strategic plan. He specialized in aligning messaging with UT’s brand and strategic goals, ensuring accessibility and engagement across all platforms. His expertise spans from traditional print media to cutting-edge digital formats, always with a focus on user experience and stakeholder needs.
Throughout his career, Molin has demonstrated a passion for connecting organizations with their communities through authentic communication. His philosophy background, combined with his technical skills and deep understanding of UT Austin’s culture, allows him to craft narratives that resonate with diverse audiences. Whether managing complex web ecosystems or developing innovative marketing campaigns, Molin consistently delivers results that elevate brand prominence and build meaningful community connections.
Dr. Aileen Bumphus is an educational professional with a research focus on servant leadership, and emotionally intelligent and resilient leadership. She has demonstrated success building Pre-K- graduate/professional education pathways and Interglobal student leadership. She has served as a consultant on projects addressing disparities in access, education, health, and wealth.
Expertise: Administrative Leadership, Pre-K to Ph.D. Pathways and Student Global Leadership
Dr. Bumphus is currently Assistant Professor of Practice in the College of Education at the University of Texas at Austin. She served as Associate Vice President and Assistant Vice President in the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement at UT Austin from 2014-2020. While in the Division, she led the Longhorn Center for Academic Excellence, which provided a range of services for students of all backgrounds. She co-founded a successful Study Abroad initiative for diverse students, including students of color and students from low-income backgrounds. She has led Study Abroad programs to China and Costa Rica. In 2020, she was named one of 35 Top Women Who Have Made Significant Contributions in Higher Education by Diverse Issues in Higher Education.
Earlier in her career, Dr. Bumphus was a classroom teacher and principal. She earned her B.S. degree from Murray State University and her Ph.D. from the University of Southern Mississippi.
Dr. Eric Dieter is Executive Director in The University of Texas at Austin’s Undergraduate College, directing a portfolio of college-to-career and postgraduate education preparation programs, including serving as PI for the U.S. Department of Education’s Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program.
Expertise: Rhetoric and College to Career and Postgraduate Education Programs
He worked for UT-Austin’s Division of Diversity and Community Engagement for 15 years, providing a range of academic, personal, and professional supports to pre-college and college students.
In addition to his experience with higher education administration, institutional assessment, program design, curriculum development, and co-curricular student supports, he has taught at various levels for over twenty-five years. He earned a Ph.D. in rhetoric from UT-Austin, researching and teaching ways people understand and misunderstand each other in political, popular, and pedagogic spheres. A former college radio DJ and native Midwesterner, he has lived in Austin since 2001.
Ludwig Gaines, J.D., is a seasoned leader with a distinguished career spanning government, higher education, private sector, legal advocacy, and nonprofit leadership. With a deep commitment to equity and social justice, Ludwig has earned a reputation as a dynamic strategist and bridge-builder, adept at advancing organizational missions through strategic planning, partnership development, and transformational fundraising.
Expertise: Strategic Planning, Community Engagement, Philanthropy, and Social Action
Ludwig Gaines is a seasoned leader with a distinguished career spanning government, higher education, private sector, legal advocacy, and nonprofit leadership. With a deep commitment to equity and social justice, Ludwig has earned a reputation as a dynamic strategist and bridge-builder, adept at advancing organizational missions through strategic planning, partnership development, and transformational fundraising.
Ludwig’s public service career includes both elected and appointed roles in government. As a former member of the Alexandria City Council, he worked to champion policies promoting diversity, economic opportunity, affordable housing, community empowerment and access to essential services for all constituents. His tenure in public office is complemented by a range of appointed leadership positions, where he has advised on critical issues including housing equity, criminal justice reform, health equity, and community development.
In higher education, Ludwig has been a tireless advocate for access and inclusion. Currently serving as a member of the Board of Trustees at Hobart and William Smith Colleges (HWS), he plays a key role on the financial management, advancement, and student experience committees. His efforts have supported innovative programs to improve the educational experience, promote student success, and foster a more equitable learning environment. They’ve also resulted in record fundraising giving and sustainability for HWS.
As an accomplished legal professional, Ludwig has leveraged his expertise to address systemic inequities and advocate for underrepresented communities. His legal career includes roles in both the public and private sectors, where he has focused on antitrust law, civil rights, housing law, and community empowerment initiatives.
Ludwig’s extensive strategic planning, coalition building and partnership development skills have been instrumental in driving organizational growth and impact. Over his career, he has forged relationships with foundations, corporations, community organizations and government agencies, securing multimillion-dollar investments and launching initiatives that deliver measurable outcomes. His fundraising expertise spans major donor cultivation, campaign management, and innovative approaches to donor engagement, including estate planning and transformative gifts.
Whether leading policy change, advancing educational equity, or driving nonprofit success, Ludwig remains committed to servant leadership and creating opportunities for others. His unique blend of government, legal, and nonprofit experience, combined with his ability to build coalitions and deliver results, makes him a highly effective and visionary leader.
Natasha Gordon-Chipembere, Ph.D., is an African Diasporic literature professor and writer. She has been in the classroom for over 25 years. Her first academic book was Representation and Black Womanhood: The Legacy of Sarah Baartman (Palgrave 2011), now a required text in South African classrooms.
Expertise: African Diaspora Literature, Teaching, and Writing
Natasha Gordon-Chipembere, Ph.D., is an African Diasporic literature professor and writer. She has been in the classroom for over 25 years. Her first academic book was Representation and Black Womanhood: The Legacy of Sarah Baartman (Palgrave 2011), now a required text in South African classrooms. Gordon-Chipembere has also been published in Essence and a monthly column, “Musings from An Afro-Costa Rican” in the Tico Times. Her first historical fiction novel, Finding La Negrita, was published in 2022 (Jaded Ibis Press). It won the 2023 Silver IPPY Award for Best Historical Fiction and was nominated for a Hurston/Wright Legacy Award for Best Debut Novel in 2023.
Her second work-in-progress, part of her Afro-Costa Rican trilogy, 1710, focuses on the shipwreck of two Danish slave ships on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica in 1710. Gordon-Chipembere is the founder and host of the Tengo Sed Writing Retreats in Costa Rica for BIPOC writers. She was born in New York to Costa Rican/Panamanian parents and lives in Costa Rica with her family.
Suchitra Gururaj, Ph.D., is a practitioner-scholar of community engagement. She has served as the inaugural Assistant Vice President for Community and Economic Engagement at The University of Texas at Austin for over a decade. In that role, she’s been the visionary lead for strategy and assessment around student-, faculty-, and community-facing programming and stewardship, as well as university-community partnerships and development and fundraising.
Expertise: University Community Engagement, Academic Service Learning, and Student Service Leadership
Dr. Gururaj and her team have led from the campus and in the community, at the John S. Chase Building in East Austin.
As co-creator of UT’s Front Porch Gatherings, she prioritizes storytelling and deliberative dialogue in her work. As lead for community engagement during a time in which Austin and its surroundings experienced dramatic economic, commercial, and demographic growth, she is keenly aware of the ways that community engagement work adjusts as community priorities shift and change.
A clinical assistant professor in UT’s College of Liberal Arts, Dr. Gururaj’s teaching and research focuses on service-learning outcomes, university-community partnerships, and social inclusion policies in higher education. Her research has been published in The Journal of The First-Year Experience and Students in Transition, The Journal of Community Engagement and Scholarship, and the International Journal of Educational Management, as well as in the volumes Creating Space for Democracy: A Primer on Dialogue and Deliberation in Higher Education and Anti-Racist Community Engagement. She is currently co-editor for two book projects—Equitable Community Engagement with Colleges and Universities and Navigating Campus-Community Relationships: How Colleges and Universities Engage with Demographic Change, both expected to be published in 2026.
Dr. Gururaj has served on the boards for the Austin Economic Development Corporation, the Community Advancement Network of Austin, the Commission of Economic and Community Engagement of the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities, the OneStar Foundation, The Huddle for Families, and the Austin Asian Communities Civic Coalition. She represents The Research University Civic Engagement Network (TRUCEN) convening of Campus Compact. She is on the editorial board of the Michigan Journal for Community Service Learning.
Dr. Gururaj earned a B.A. in English literature from Yale University, an M.A. in English from The University of Chicago, and a Ph.D. in educational administration from The University of Texas at Austin. She is a team recipient of the Austin NAACP Community Engagement Award and a Fulbright scholar. She welcomes conversations and collaborations, and she can be reached at sgururajconsulting@gmail.com.
Dr. Sarah LaCour is an education scholar and researcher who draws upon her previous experiences as both a classroom teacher and a litigator to inform her work at the nexus of education law, policy, and practice. Her scholarship and research focus on issues of civil rights and education. She draws upon her advanced quantitative and mixed methodologies to support advocates and practitioners in both conducting and understanding research.
Expertise: Educational Equity and Access, Education Research and Evaluation, Education Law
La Cour is currently an Education Law and Policy Research Manager at the National Center for Youth Law. Previously she was an Assistant Professor in the College of Education and Assistant Director of the Education and Civil Rights Initiative at the University of Kentucky. She also taught at the Fusion Academy in New York City and Jackson High School, Jackson, Louisiana. She has conducted equity audits in Paducah, Kentucky, and San Francisco, California schools. LaCour also spent three years as a litigation association at Hirsch & Westheimer, P.C. in Houston, Texas. She is first author on a recent report Green Still Follows White: A National Report on Inequitable Within-District Spending, which reveals inequitable school district funding trends nationwide. She is the author of numerous reports, journal articles and book chapters.
LaCour earned her master’s degree in curriculum and teaching from Teachers College – Columbia University. She also holds a J.D. from Baylor University and a Ph.D. in Educational Foundations, Policy, and Practice from the University of Colorado, Boulder.
Outside of work, Sarah spends most of her time chasing her toddler son, pets, and assorted farm animals. She also volunteers with a therapeutic riding center and occasionally sits down to quilt.
Dr. Yulanda McCarty-Harris is an accomplished senior leader and attorney with 23 years of experience in the public/private sector, including 17 years in higher education. Dr. McCarty-Harris is currently an Assistant Professor of Practice in the Executive Ed.D. Dr. Yulanda McCarty-Harris is an accomplished senior leader and attorney with 23 years of experience in the public/private sector, including 17 years in higher education.
Expertise: Compliance, Affirmative Action Planning and Implementation, and Professional Development
Dr. McCarty-Harris is currently an Assistant Professor of Practice in the Executive Ed.D. in Higher Education Leadership Program in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy at the University of Texas at Austin. She is also on special assignment as the Director of Assessment in the Office of Admissions on the Recruitment Team at UT-Austin.
Dr. McCarty-Harris has used her legal background and doctorate in various leadership roles, including serving as Executive Director and Director in positions to provide Functional Affirmative Action Planning (FAAP) services on three different college campuses and a municipality. Her subject matter expertise has allowed her to serve as the First Vice President for the American Association for Access, Equity, and Diversity (AAAED), the oldest operating association of professionals in the equal opportunity/affirmative action profession (aaaed.org).
Dr. McCarty-Harris also served in various leadership positions for 18 years in Ohio prior to her tenure at UT-Austin. She served as the Director for the Office for Institutional Equity at Cleveland State University, where she was also the university’s first Title IX Coordinator. She served as the Director of Equal Opportunity and Diversity at Youngstown State University, and as the Director of Affirmative Action and Senior Employment Lawyer for the City of Toledo. She is an affiliate practitioner for the nationally acclaimed program, Courageous Conversations about Race, an award-winning protocol for effectively engaging, sustaining, and deepening interracial dialogue. She received her HR Certification for Diversity and Inclusion from Cornell University. She serves on the Governance Committee for Leadership Austin and was recently nominated to serve on the University of Texas Elementary School Governing and Management Board.
Dr. McCarty-Harris earned a B.A. in Journalism from the University of Texas at Austin, a J.D. from the Dedman School of Law at Southern Methodist University, and an Ed.D. from the University of Texas at Austin.
Gregory S. Perrin is a dynamic leader and effective manager with 30 years of experience in nonprofit organizations, higher education, and community engagement. He is a successful fundraiser, skilled communicator, and thought leader who has consistently increased revenues, improved and expanded relationships with key stakeholders and community partners, enhanced program effectiveness and value, and developed innovative initiatives and events that are mission-driven and win enthusiastic support.
Expertise: Philanthropy, Community Engagement, Strategic Planning
Mr. Perrin currently serves as Associate Vice President for Development at St. Edward’s University, where he manages a six-person team, serves on the Advancement Leadership Team, and leads the planning for the university’s $100+M comprehensive fundraising campaign. Previously, he was Associate Vice President and Executive Director for Development in the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement at The University of Texas at Austin and Chief Development Officer for the University of Texas Libraries.
Mr. Perrin has worked for multiple nonprofit organizations as well, including Mission Capital, Austin Lyric Opera, and the Armstrong Community Music School, AIDS Foundation Houston, and the Houston Grand Opera. He has served on numerous boards and advisory councils as well, including service with the Mid-America Arts Alliance, Communities in Schools of Central Texas, the Council for Advancement and Support of Education U.S./Canada Regional Council, the Armstrong Community Music School, and the University of Houston Alumni Association.
Mr. Perrin earned his M.F.A. and B.A. in Theatre at the University of Houston.
Richard J. Reddick, Ed.D., is a first-generation scholar whose research centers on cross-identity mentoring, cultural taxation among BIPOC and minoritized faculty. He has served in a number of inaugural leadership roles at The University of Texas at Austin, focused on community engagement, outreach, and student success and excellence. He maintains a level of engagement on higher education issues nationally and internationally, leveraging thirty years of experience in educational leadership across varied institutional types.
Expertise: Mentoring, Faculty development, Student Success, Educational Equity, Research, Inclusive Excellence.
Richard J. Reddick, Ed.D. is the inaugural Senior Vice Provost for Curriculum and Enrollment and Dean of the Undergraduate College at UT Austin. Reddick previously served as the inaugural Associate Dean for Equity and Distinguished Service Professor in the College of Education. He is also faculty co-chair of the Institute for Educational Management (IEM) and Bravely Confronting Racism (BCR) in Higher Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE). He also served on UNESCO’s Countering Racism in Textbooks Committee. Dr. Reddick teaches courses in Plan II Honors, Black Studies, and Educational Leadership and Policy, including a first year signature course, “Exploring UK Education” in Oxford, and in 2022, a President’s Award for Global Leadership course in the UK.
Dr. Reddick conducts research on the experiences of faculty of color at historically White universities, mentoring, cultural taxation among underrepresented populations in higher education, Black families in America, and work-family balance. He has co-authored and co-edited four scholarly volumes, published in leading educational journals and has had his work highlighted by NPR, the BBC, CNN, Fortune, Nature, and the Chronicle of Higher Education. Reddick has been an invited lecturer at Prairie View, Vanderbilt, NYU, Miami, and Indiana, and was a visiting professor at Harvard in 2018. An in-demand public speaker, Dr. Reddick delivered a TEDx talk on cross-identity mentoring in 2024.
Dr. Reddick is a former teacher in Fifth Ward, Houston, and also worked in student affairs at MIT, Cal Poly, and Emory. A first-generation collegian, Pell Grant recipient, and proud graduate of Department of Defense and East Austin public schools, Reddick earned his bachelor’s at UT (Plan II, 1995), and his masters and doctorate at Harvard (1998, 2007). A dad to two, husband, son, and brother, Dr. Reddick is also the co-host of the NPR podcast, Black Austin Matters, and author of Restorative Resistance in Higher Education: Leading in an Era of Racial Awakening and Reckoning (Harvard Education Press, 2023). Reddick co-founded and serves on the board of the first public Montessori school in East Austin, Montessori For All, and the Austin Advisory Board for IDEA Public Schools. Reddick has appeared on several game shows, including Wheel of Fortune (College Week Champions, 1994), Jeopardy!, and Who Wants to be a Millionaire?
Dr. Kenya Walker has a career portfolio of service and a commitment to excellence. She has served in the field of education for more than 25 years, working in roles such as a high school English teacher, elementary/middle school assistant principal, elementary/middle school principal, nonprofit program manager, university assistant vice president, and business owner.
Expertise: Elementary and Secondary Education and Administration; College Preparedness; STEM Programming
Additionally, her second profession involves tax consultation, preparation, and planning where she has served in roles such as tax preparer/expert, site director, and business owner.
Some of Dr. Walker’s accomplishments in educational administration include the following: oversight of public Title I schools and private schools; leadership team administrator at two elementary schools that achieved International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme authorization; leadership team administrator at one school that achieved Cognia STEM certification; oversight of statewide university college outreach and readiness programs; university co-chair oversight of an education pipeline strategic planning committee; administrative oversight of citywide academic enrichment programs; presenter at local and national conferences; and author of published journal articles related to teacher effectiveness.
Dr. Walker is the Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Excel Educational Services, LLC, a company that provides academic enrichment programs for youth. The company owns Engineering for Kids of North Atlanta, a franchise that provides STEM programming. Additionally, Dr. Walker serves as the Chief Executive Officer and Founder of One Walker Financial, LLC, a tax firm that provides tax preparation and consulting services to individuals and small businesses with a focus on maximizing their tax outcomes. As a multifaceted professional, Dr. Walker commits to exceptional service and contributes to imperative advancement.
Ashleigh Johnson has served as Director of Client Engagement for Vincent Strategies since 2021. She is a licensed professional counselor in Louisiana with experience in inpatient, community, charter school, and private practice settings.
She has expertise in treating eating disorders, anxiety and mood disorders, relationship and family issues, and personality disorders at various levels of care and supervises provisional licensed counselors. Ms. Johnson earned a bachelor’s degree from Louisiana State University and a master’s in counseling from Xavier University New Orleans.
Greg Vincent has worked for a decade in increasingly more responsible finance and sales positions at Proctor and Gamble, Amazon and Microsoft. Vincent graduated from the University of Texas-Austin with a Bachelor’s degree in Economics. At UT Austin he was a four-year member of the UT Soccer Club and served as co-captain his senior season. He is a passionate world traveler and real estate developer.
Raymond Vincent has served as the Research Analyst for Vincent Strategies since 2021 and has worked as a policy planner and grant administrator for the State of Louisiana. He also completed internships at the Office of the Louisiana Attorney General and Gideon’s Promise, a nonprofit public defender organization.
Vincent graduated cum laude from Morehouse College with a major in Philosophy and a minor in Leadership Studies. He earned highest departmental honors, named the Top Ranking Senior and was inducted into the Phi Sigma Tau International Honor Society in Philosophy. He is currently working on a Masters of Public Administration degree at Louisiana State University.