Lasana O. Hotep, Director, Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging
Lasana O. Hotep leads the DEIB team through the creation of high-quality professional learning experiences, the production and dissemination of transformative tools, strategic consultations, and the creation of substantive campus partnerships. Through this work, he emphasizes the creation of a workplace where all employees have the capacity, comfort, and agency to be their authentic selves at work every day.
For over 20 years, Lasana has served as a leader in addressing issues of identity and culture in higher education. Some of Lasana’s previous administrative roles include serving as the Dean of Special Programs and Grants at Merritt College (Oakland, CA), Assistant Vice Chancellor of Equity for the Peralta Community Colleges District (Oakland, CA), Dean of Student Equity and Support Programs at Skyline College and the founding Executive Director of the Equity Institute at Skyline College (San Bruno, CA).
As a thought leader and practitioner in DEIB, anti-racism and cultural fluency, Lasana has delivered talks at conferences, symposia, and summits throughout the United States of America and internationally in Beijing, China and Accra, Ghana (West Africa). Lasana’s frameworks and programmatic success are published in multiple edited volumes including; African American Men in College (Jossey-Bass, 2006), The Black Male Handbook: A Blueprint for Life (Atira/Simon Simon & Schuster, 2008), and is co-author of Minding the Obligation Gap: Striving for Equity in Community Colleges and Beyond. Along with Dr. Jeremiah Sims, Lasana is the co-editor of the Educational Equity in Community Colleges series published by Peter Lang. His career and commitments are to create learning and working environments where all can thrive, contribute, and experience success unencumbered by institutional and systemic barriers.
Jesse Arp, HR Metrics and Survey Specialist
Jesse Arp provides a wide range of workforce analyses spanning from simple employee population lists to deeper statistical analyses to People & Culture and the campus as a whole. These have included cost projections related to union negotiations, formal pay equity studies, performance ratings equity across demographics, employee award allocations, and more.
He also administers and reports findings and recommendations related to the State of the Workplace and the Flexible Work Arrangement surveys. Prior survey work included employee morale surveys during the pandemic and developing/maintaining the COVID-19 screener.
Katrina Pantig Naval, Learning and Development Strategist
Katrina Pantig Naval (she/her/siya) is a Bay Area-based educational leader whose passion lies at the intersection of theory, practice, and institutional change. As the Learning and Development Strategist for the Office of DEIB, Katrina develops and implements professional learning experiences focused on developing racial literacy and cultural fluency, consults on DEIB issues, and facilitates workshops and training experiences. Key programs within her portfolio include the Berkeley Equity Training Series, the Critical Voices in DEIB speaker panel, the DEIB Assessment & Consultation Program, the Berkeley Career Opportunities and Resources for Equity Program, and the Outside the Box workshop series.
Katrina’s expertise in critically engaging key stakeholders on issues of race, identity, culture, and organizational success is demonstrated through the development and implementation of the Equity Training Series, Equity Summit, and the Equity Institute. The design, implementation process, and success of these initiatives were published in Minding the Obligation Gap: Striving for Equity in Community Colleges and Beyond (Peter Lang, 2020).
Laura E. Pulido, PhD, Training Design Consultant
Laura E. Pulido teaches courses in the Berkeley People Management program and conducts institutional research related to the DEIB staff experience. She works collaboratively to build programs and deliver training to meet campus organizational needs. Laura also advises on the effectiveness of campus training programs and conducts needs analysis relative to organizational goals. She is responsible for the development and implementation of campus training modules and toolkits. In addition, Laura spearheads New Employee Reception & Orientation (NERO).
Laura joins from the Berkeley School of Education where she studied questions of school culture and climate. Her areas of expertise include equity, organizational change and behavior, and the intersection of educational policy and practice. Laura is driven to support staff in diverse academic environments and those seeking to develop their skills within a major research university.
Shirley Giraldo, Ed.M., Employee Engagement Consultant
Shirley Giraldo (she/her) consults senior leaders on employee engagement strategy, and staff organizations on organizational development. Additionally, she is the creator of the UCB Employee Engagement Model and the State of the Workplace Survey. She also oversees the Manager Mastermind Group and Staff Appreciation Week committee. Shirley is our campus liaison for the UC Engagement Survey and UC Exit Survey and analyzes the data gathered to improve the employee experience.
Shirley has previously led social justice efforts at UCLA, and award-winning projects in People & Organization Development and Student Affairs at Berkeley. She brings this unique experience to her approach in creating a positive work experience for Berkeley staff.
Tim Abdellah Fuson, PhD, Staff Affirmative Action Officer & EEO Analyst
Tim Abdellah Fuson is responsible for developing the UC Berkeley Staff Affirmative Action Plan and making recommendations for its implementation across campus in accordance with federal regulations. He also produces analyses of workforce trends and personnel actions based on demographic data in support of staff DEIB efforts and serves as data steward for employee demographic data. In addition to producing analyses and data visualizations using various tools (Tableau, Cal Answers/OBIE, myAAP), Tim has worked extensively with UC Berkeley's data warehouse team and the systemwide UCPath team to maintain campus demographic datasets and reporting capabilities.
Justin Dunbar, Administrative Assistant
Justin is an Administrative Assistant for the Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging. He aspires to attend law school and become an attorney. Justin is an ambitious student pursuing a Political Science degree eager to contribute developed knowledge in policy. He is skilled in communication and writing in team-based settings. Justin is adaptable and driven with a strong work ethic and ability to thrive in team-based or individually motivated settings.