Jessica Joslin Joins the Office of Diversity
Jessica Joslin has joined the UIC Office of Diversity, Equity & Engagement as assistant vice chancellor for diversity initiatives pending approval by the University of Illinois Board of Trustees.
In her new role, Joslin will serve as the project director for the Advancing Racial Equity strategic planning process and the Bridge to Faculty postdoc program, serve as a member of the Diversity Education team, and lead several other initiatives for office.
“We are delighted to welcome Jess Joslin into our office, and excited to have her lead some of our key programs. Before coming to Diversity, Jess had been partnering with our office for years, playing a pivotal role in the design and implementation of our Advancing Racial Equity Strategic Planning Initiative,” said Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity & Engagement Amalia Pallares.
Joslin formerly served as the director of the UIC Dialogue Initiative & Diversity Education in the Office of the Dean of Students. In that role, she developed and managed the campus Bias Reporting Tool and the university’s bias reporting and response guidelines and oversaw significant increases in campus engagement with those processes. She also led the Dialogue Initiative and a range of curricular and co-curricular efforts dedicated to helping the campus community learn to engage thoughtfully and compassionately across difference.
Prior to UIC, Joslin worked in diversity and instructional consulting at the University of Michigan. While at Michigan, she taught in several departments including Middle East Studies, Women’s Studies, Intergroup Dialogue, and Higher Education, and was recognized by the university for teaching excellence.
Joslin holds a PhD and MA in higher education from the University of Michigan, as well as a Master of Divinity from Harvard University. Her research interests include religious diversity in higher education, LGBTQ+ student success, campus bias prevention and response, and dialogue. Outside of higher education, Joslin spent three years working as a hospital chaplain providing emergency and crisis care for patients and their loved ones.