Ivonne García, Ph.D., visited Gilman for its final CIE night of the school year on Thursday, April 13. Read reactions from attendees below.

“It was such an honor to welcome Dr. García to Gilman to conclude our CIE speaker series. She did a wonderful job discussing the research around bias and how teachers and students can develop specific competencies to create more equitable schools and, eventually, work environments. I was excited to provide members of the Gilman community with the opportunity to engage in meaningful dialogue with one of the most brilliant minds currently working in higher education.” –Joe Valentine-White, Interim Director of CIE

“Dr. García utilized statistics to convey the urgency with which we must center societal inequities in our lessons/courses. As educators, we must choreograph a dance where we both provide space for students to be curious and to communicate about difficult issues as well as provide a safe space for students who have personal experiences with inequities or discrimination. Her argument was that this practice encourages personal growth that pays dividends when our students grow up. One aspect of her talk that stands out to me, as her former student at Kenyon College, is that she began the talk with similar statistics she showed my Literary Journalism class about college acceptances across various identities in the U.S. Inspired by her use of intersectionality, I use this method in my classroom. It was a full-circle moment for me because I echo her sentiment every year in the classroom, and she still uses it in educational spaces, too! Dr. García is such an engaging and thoughtful person and speaker — it was great to catch up with her!” –Annelise Royles, Upper School English teacher

“I am inspired to work for an organization that engages in brave conversations about how we can create a more just and equitable school and that promotes the value of personal and institutional reflection. Dr. García's presentation urges us all to find opportunities to foster equity in our work, in our classrooms, and in our community. This work is urgent and mission-critical, and I am proud to see my colleagues engaging in this conversation and in this work.” –Ryan Nicotra, Director of The Gilman Fund

About Ivonne García, Ph.D.

Ivonne García, Ph.D., has more than 20 years of experience working on structural change and DEI initiatives in higher education and currently serves as the assistant vice president for institutional diversity, equity, and inclusion at Williams College.

Prior to her current appointment, Dr. García worked at Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE), first as the inaugural senior instructional coach for anti-racist pedagogy in the Teaching and Learning Lab, as part of the Anti-Racist Teaching and Advising (ARTA) initiative that began in 2020 to bolster the institution's work in supporting faculty to create thriving learning and advising spaces for all students. Later in her career at HGSE, she was promoted to associate director for DEI, with a specific focus on staff and faculty development.

Prior to joining HGSE, Dr. García worked as chief DEI officer and as associate provost for EDI and for faculty development at small liberal arts colleges, where she also served as a tenured professor of English. Her professional and training work are on inclusive anti-racist practices that interrupt bias in and outside the classroom.