ROCK ISLAND, ILLINOIS (January 17, 2024) — Dr Gauri A Pitale, associate dean of students for diversity, equity and inclusion at Bridgewater College, in Bridgewater, Virginia, has been selected as Augustana College’s next Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI).
Dr Pitale will join the college February 29. She succeeds Dr Lisa Durant-Jones, who has served as interim vice president since July 31.
An accomplished educator with more than a decade of teaching experience, Dr Pitale has extensive experience in DEI programming and advising student clubs and organizations. Previously, she served as an assistant professor in the department of life sciences for Ivy Tech Community College, teaching biology and physiology courses.
“With a focus on inclusive excellence, my goal is to cultivate a sense of belonging among all members of the Augustana community, including students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community partners,” Dr Pitale said. “The objective is to further strengthen Augustana's vision of becoming an institution that values and celebrates the rich tapestry of its community.”
Dr Pitale holds a doctorate in medical anthropology from Southern Illinois University (SIU), Carbondale, Illinois. She holds two Master’s degrees — one in Biological Anthropology from SIU and one in ancient Indian Culture, History, and Archaeology from Deccan College (Deemed University), Pune, India. She earned her Bachelor’s in Ancient Indian Culture at St Xavier’s College (University of Mumbai), Mumbai, India.
She chairs Bridgewater College’s Intercultural Advisory Council and serves as a member of the Teacher Education Program DEI Committee. As part of the Student Success and Retention Team at SIU, she helped increase the retention of under-represented students by 30% over two-years.
Her professional memberships include Society of South Asian Archaeology and the Asiatic Society of Mumbai.
The search committee was co-led by Vickie R Phipps, associate professor of art and graphic design, and Dr Wes Brooks, Dean of Students.
Dr Brooks said the work and commitment Augustana has made to ensure a diverse and inclusive community here will be further strengthened by Dr Pitale.
“Her commitment to equity, scholarship, and genuine relationships will serve both her and the college well in the future,” Dr Brooks said.
President Andrea Talentino said Augustana is committed to building a campus that reflects the diversity of the world with equity and opportunity for all.
“Dr Pitale is a demonstrated strategic leader and I know she will build upon Augustana’s principles of being an institution that welcomes all students to learn and grow from the liberal arts,” she said. "Over the last six years, we've built a strong record of commitment to equity and belonging, and Dr Pitale will take us to the next step of making that even more sustained and integrated.”
This past fall, Augustana earned its fourth Higher Education Excellence in Diversity award from INSIGHT into Diversity. The college was one of only two private colleges in Illinois and among only nine national liberal-arts colleges recognized this year.
Dr Pitale said she is committed to building upon Augustana’s notable success.
“Having spent meaningful time at Augustana and engaging with its diverse community, I am impressed by the college's initiatives,” Dr Pitale said. “The foundation laid for diversity, equity, and inclusion work has garnered recognition, as evidenced by Augustana's consecutive receipt of the HEED award.”
Augustana’s Office for DEI was established in March 2018 in response to increases in the number of enrolled students of color and international students. That growing diversity continues today, with the college’s largest and most diverse class admitted this fall with students from 30 states and 35 countries.
Augustana’s student body is comprised of 2,480 students, including 40% domestic students of color and international students.
