Jun 24, 2011 - Claremont, Calif. - Darryl Yong ’96, associate professor of mathematics and associate math chair, has been appointed associate dean of diversity for Harvey Mudd College.

Yong, who succeeds Ran Libeskind-Hadas, will work with the Office of Institutional Diversity (OID) to further the college’s progress in creating a campus environment that is equally supportive of all its members.

“When we think about diversity, it’s important to go beyond just considerations of representation,” said Yong. “We must also think about how to make the campus a more inclusive place where everyone feels they have access to opportunities to succeed and achieve their goals.”

Yong will develop and enhance diversity efforts in faculty recruitment, campus culture and student support. Goals for his three-year appointment include increasing retention rates for all students and supporting faculty recruitment to ensure we attract the widest pool of candidates possible.

The associate dean of diversity position was created in 2009 to designate a faculty representative to complement the parallel position held by Gary Kelly in OID. Libeskind-Hadas was the first to serve in the position, which originally encompassed diversity, research and experiential learning. He advanced both research and diversity and helped develop the College’s Summer Institute, which provides support for students from diverse backgrounds.

“Darryl’s deep commitment to access for students and his work outside the college made it clear he was an excellent choice to follow Ran,” said Dean of Faculty Bob Cave. “I think he’ll help us learn more about the way we teach and improve our ability to support all students.”