UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Rebecca Adidi Etim-Hunting has begun her tenure as director of diversity, equity and inclusion for Penn State’s Division of Development and Alumni Relations (DDAR), effective Jan. 24. Etim-Hunting, who goes by Adidi, previously served as an assistant program director in Penn State's Millennium Scholars Program. In her new role, she will be responsible for coordinating with internal constituencies, University leadership and external stakeholders to determine how the division — throughout all of its initiatives, activities and programs — can be reimagined to build a culture of inclusivity that affirms the dignity and contributions of all its members and the alumni, donors and friends that it serves.
Her selection was the culmination of a comprehensive national search. She joins the division as only the second person to step into the role, following the exit of Charleon Jeffries, who, after more than three years of service as the inaugural director, moved on from Penn State to serve as the new assistant vice president for diversity, equity and inclusion for the Virginia Tech Foundation.
“Adidi’s sterling credentials, irrepressible enthusiasm and far-ranging professional experience in higher education — joined with her proven dedication to Penn State — make her an ideal leader to take up the baton from Charleon and spearhead our efforts to promote an even more diverse and welcoming culture,” said O. Richard Bundy III, vice president for development and alumni relations. “I look forward to supporting and partnering with her as she guides our division forward toward a more inclusive future.”
As the director of diversity, equity and inclusion for DDAR, Etim-Hunting will execute the DDAR Strategic Plan and advance its four-part framework of priorities, which consists of imperatives to:
- Develop strategies for recruitment and retention of a diverse workforce.
- Prepare employees to better understand and leverage the benefits of diverse cultural groups.
- Extend the division’s efforts to create a welcome and inclusive workplace culture.
- Develop strategies to engage diverse networks of Penn State alumni and friends.
“Penn State demonstrated bold leadership by becoming the first Big Ten school to pioneer a directorship in the diversity space for its DDAR operation,” said Etim-Hunting. “Now, I’m honored to be entrusted with the responsibility of carrying this work forward so that, together, we can realize a truly inclusive and equitable environment where diverse communities of alumni, donors and friends, as well as DDAR staff, feel welcome, heard and respected.”
Etim-Hunting, a Californian and Michigander who deeply values her Nigerian American background, earned her bachelor’s degree from Grand Valley State University in photography and a master’s degree in counseling, adult and higher education at Northern Illinois University. After graduation, she spent more than seven years at Cornell University. While there, she chaired the university’s diversity council within student and campus life, conducted diversity-oriented professional development presentations and workshops for students and staff, and advised diversity-centered student organizations.
Since coming to Penn State four years ago, Etim-Hunting has served as assistant program director for second-year scholars with the Millennium Scholars Program (MSP). During that time, she developed and was the instructor for a course focused on academic success, ethics and professionalism in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), and she taught the social justice and identity in STEM courses within MSP. She also was a co-instructor to the engineering design thinking and resiliency course at Penn State, the co-chair of the University Staff Advisory Council's Inclusion, Equity and Diversity Committee, and she has been nominated for appointment to Penn State’s Commission on Racial/Ethnic Diversity. In addition to her professional work, she is a doctoral student in Penn State’s Workforce Education and Development program, with a concentration in diversity, inclusion, access and equity.
“It’s a dream come true for me to be able to merge my academic studies with a role that empowers me to collaborate with colleagues to find research-driven solutions to workplace bias and to build a nurturing, supportive community,” said Etim-Hunting. “Ultimately, I want our division to be the gold standard nationally that everyone else looks to as the model to emulate.”