Access and Excellence Faculty Fellows
The Access and Excellence Faculty Fellow holds an appointed position within each of our academic schools. This leadership position is charged with the development, coordination, and implementation of initiatives related to “access and excellence” in the School’s curriculum, co-curricular programming, community engagement and outreach efforts, and the teaching and learning environment. Each Fellow serves as a liaison between the School leadership and the Office of the Provost, working in collaboration with other campus leaders through the Office of Academic Access and Excellence. All faculty members who hold the rank of Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Professor, Associate Professor of Instruction or Professor of Instruction are eligible to serve in this role. Faculty are selected and nominated for this service by their School Director. The appointments are for a term of two academic years.
Access and Excellence Faculty Fellows - 2024-2025
School of Audio and Music
Teerath Majumder, Ph.D., Assistant Professor
School of Business and Entrepreneurship
Monique Maye, J.D., Professor of Instruction
School of Communication and Culture
Gabriela Díaz de Sabatés, Ph.D., Associate Professor
Preferred pronouns: She, her, hers
School of Design
Derick D. Jones Jr., Ph.D., Assistant Professor
Preferred pronouns: They/Them/Their
School of Fashion
Melissa Gamble, J.D., Assistant Professor
Preferred pronouns: She/Her/Hers
School of Film and Television
Karla Rae Fuller, Ph.D., Associate Professor
School of Theatre and Dance
Kelsa Rieger-Haywood, M.U.P.P., Associate Professor of Instruction
School of Visual Arts
Onur Öztürk, Ph.D., Assistant Professor
Academic Access and Excellence Executive Committee
In alignment with the College’s Non-discrimination, Access, and Inclusion Mission, the role of the Academic Access and Excellence Executive Committee is to assist with the planning, design, and implementation of initiatives focused on the college’s curriculum, co-curricular programming, and enrichment of our campus environment so that it remains welcoming and supportive of all members of our community. Service on the Committee is open to all full- and part-time faculty, staff, and students following a self-nomination and application process. The Executive Committee consists of members who have documented capacity for collaboration and the ability to work in an effective and principled manner with humility, transparency, and accountability as they support the Office’s work towards the enrichment of our campus environment so that all feel welcome. The Committee convenes on a schedule determined during each academic year, with the goal of meeting on a monthly basis. The main duties of the Executive Committee are to assist in the planning and delivery of faculty and staff development workshops, the planning and promotion of campus-wide events involving faculty, staff, and students, and to serve as a jury for programming applications submitted by faculty and staff.
Executive Committee members – 2024-2025
| Name | Role |
| Rosita M. Sands | Special Advisor, Academic Access and Excellence Initiatives |
| Marcelo Caplan | Associate Professor, HHSS |
| Natasha Egan | Executive Director, Museum of Contemporary Photography |
| Vi McMahon | Undergraduate Student, Dance and Creative Writing |
| Dave Pabellon | Associate Professor, Design |
| Delia Pless | Part-Time Faculty, English and Creative Writing |
| Clifton Simmons | Part-Time Faculty, Communication |