Established in 2013, AU’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI) aims to provide strategic direction and guidance to the university community's commitment to inclusive excellence.
Over the course of its seven-year history at AU, ODI has gone through several changes, not the least of which were three major changes in office leadership. Augusta University created an inaugural Chief Diversity Officer (CDO) in 2015.
Purpose: ODI helps units campus-wide foster practices that optimize the contributions of groups and individuals by supporting the engagement and development of all faculty, staff, students and patients.
Mission: AU’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI) aims to provide strategic direction and guidance to the university community as it relates to diversity and inclusion. In addition, ODI strives to provide institutional leadership focused on enhancing and maintaining inclusive excellence in learning, teaching, research and service at the Augusta University.
Vision Statement: Diversity and Inclusion will build, align and coordinate diversity efforts as a strategic approach that contributes to organizational goals and business performance. In addition, ODI aspires to create a campus climate that affirms diverse identities and experiences, fosters value and respect of all community members, and celebrates differences.
Office of Diversity and Inclusion
Health Sciences Campus
AA-172
706-721-9265
706-446-0276
Dr. Garrett Green
Chief Diversity Officer
(he/him/his)
phone icon 706-721-9272
envelope-o icon gagreen@augusta.edu
Dr. Garrett Green is the Chief Diversity Officer (CDO) and an adjunct professor in the College of Education & Human Development at Augusta University. In his role as CDO, Dr. Green works closely with university leadership in developing strategies to build and preserve a campus culture that promotes the values of inclusivity, compassion, collegiality, excellence, integrity and leadership. Dr. Green received his Doctorate in Education from Augusta University. He has served as a Co-Champion for the interwoven theme of diversity and inclusion for our university strategic plan, "Creating a Legacy Like No Other.” He also has helped lead the institution’s African American Male Initiative Program (AAMI) and launched the Multicultural Mentorship Program (MMP). He previously served as the Director of the Office of Multicultural Student Engagement (MSE) in the Division of Enrollment and Student Affairs. As a practitioner and scholar, he has worked nearly 10 years to ensure that all individuals regardless of ethnicity, sex or socio-economic status have equitable access to knowledge, community and resources.
Vacant
ODI Learning & Development Coordinator
Dr. Sonia Sharmin
Faculty Inclusive Excellence Initiative (FIEI) Program Manager
(she/her/hers)
phone icon 706-721-9265
envelope-o icon sosharmin@augusta.edu
Dr. Sonia Sharmin is the Faculty Inclusive Excellence Initiative (FIEI) Program Manager for the Office of Diversity and Inclusion. She has more than 17 years of experience teaching English, academic writing, and education courses in both Bangladesh and the U.S. to university and secondary school students who differ in ethnicity, cultural background, primary language, and academic preparation. She holds a B.A. (Hons.) in English, and an MA in English Literature from the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh where she is from. She came to the U.S. as a Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant at the University of Georgia in 2011 and returned to UGA in 2013, completing her Ph.D. in Language and Literacy Education in 2018. Her Ph.D. research focused on digital writing practices of underrepresented minority high school students and how they used social media to assimilate culturally with their American peers. As a boundary crosser, Dr. Sharmin has faced challenges as an underrepresented minority both as a student and as a teacher. She is dedicated to nurturing an inclusive culture in the campus community.
