Dr. Torsheika Maddox has been named inaugural senior operations officer and chief of staff to the interim deputy vice-chancellor for diversity & climate and chief diversity officer in the division of Diversity, Equity & Educational Achievement (DDEEA), the University of Wisconsin-Madison announced April 8.
“We are particularly fortunate to have someone with Dr. Maddox’s skill and experience to take the countless responsibilities and expectations of our DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) work into a demanding and productive future,” says Dr. Cheryl Gittens, interim deputy vice-chancellor for diversity & inclusion and chief diversity officer for UW–Madison, in a statement. “She is a proven leader in building systems, teams, and partnerships to advance research, scholarship, and practice. It is the nexus of professional competencies we’re so grateful to find in a colleague who sincerely cares about the importance and understands the challenges of D&I work”
Maddox will utilize her skills as a trained sociologist (demographer), organizational and project manager, and higher education leader in her new role to enhance the strategy and operational areas of the division, the university says, while working to strengthen the institutional impact of Chief Diversity Officer’s campus-wide scope of responsibilities.
“I am honored to step into this important role at DDEEA,” says Dr. Maddox, who first joined the DDEEA’s staff in 2015. “As a two-time Badger graduate of UW–Madison with 12 years of experience in diversity, equity and inclusion work, my method is to cultivate partnerships to create inclusive communities where all members can thrive personally, professionally, and in their educational pursuits.”
Maddox earned her bachelor’s degree at Rutgers University-New Brunswick, and earned two master’s degrees and a Ph.D. in Sociology from UW–Madison.
