Staff

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  Dr. Jeffrey K. Coleman

  Deputy Chief Diversity Officer

  Jeffrey K. Coleman joined Kennesaw State University as the Deputy Chief Diversity Officer on June 1, 2020. Previously Dr. Coleman served as the inaugural director of the Multicultural Center and adjunct faculty in the departments of Sociology and African American studies at Georgia State University (GSU). Prior to GSU, Dr. Coleman was the assistant director for multicultural affairs and had oversight over the Multicultural Resource Center at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG). He also managed cultural themed houses and served as the coordinator of the Promoting Respect for Inclusive Diversity in Education pre-orientation and year-long mentoring program for first-year students who were first-generation and from underrepresented backgrounds at Trinity College in Harford, Connecticut.

  Dr. Coleman has an extensive background working in multicultural affairs and student affairs managing multicultural centers; implementing minority male learning communities; creating mentoring programs for first year, first generation and minority male students; developing support services for students (particularly from traditionally under-served and underrepresented communities); providing academic and immigration-related advising and support for international students; and advising cultural affinity/identity-based student organizations. His additional experiences supporting students, faculty, and staff include developing workshops and trainings, chairing university initiatives, development of strategic plans, and managing federal and state funded grants which position him to introduce innovative ways to bridge diversity and inclusion practice alongside the curriculum.

  Dr. Coleman is a native of Bloomfield, Connecticut. He holds a Ph.D. in Educational Studies and Cultural Studies from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, a Master of Science in Counseling with a Concentration in Student Development in Higher Education from Central Connecticut State University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy Studies from Trinity College (Hartford, CT).
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  Erica Brown

  Diversity Specialist 

  Erica Brown joined the Office of Diversity and Inclusion in August 2017 as an Administrative Associate II. She assumed the position of Diversity Specialist in September 2019 having worked closely with KSU’s six Presidential Commissions and ODI’s Faculty Fellows Program. Erica has experience in diversity programming while creating healthy relationships with several internal and external constituents within the KSU community.

  Brown earned a Bachelor’s in Communications from Savannah State University in 2014 and a Master’s in Human Resources from Central Michigan University in 2017. Erica has a passion for bringing together individuals to create supportive environments that is inclusive of all backgrounds.
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  Dr. Jennifer Hoyt

  Diversity Planning Analyst

  Dr. Jennifer Hoyt joined the Division of Inclusive Excellence and Diversity as the Diversity Planning Analyst in May 2021. A former assistant professor of Latin American History, Dr. Hoyt chose to pursue a new career where she could focus on diversity and inclusivity. As the Diversity Planning Analyst, Dr. Hoyt tracks and assesses the Division’s various programs as well as oversees data collection and reporting for KSU’s Affirmative Action Plan. Her insights attest to the Division’s effectiveness and help identify new paths forward.

  Dr. Hoyt brings to the Division a genuine curiosity about the world and a desire to build diverse and inclusive spaces. In the classroom, Dr. Hoyt worked to show students a more complex understanding of Latin America and Latin American identity. She led program development and assessment in higher ed. She also advocated for non-dominant students and has been active in local politics in Rome, GA. In addition to race and ethnicity, Dr. Hoyt has particular interest in gender and disability issues.

  Dr. Hoyt is a Georgia native, originally from Savannah. She attended the University of Georgia where she majored in history and minored in Spanish. Dr. Hoyt continued her studies at the University of Texas at Austin where she completed a Masters and a Ph.D. in Latin American history. During that time, Dr. Hoyt regularly traveled to Buenos Aires, Argentina, for research and visited other parts of South America. She taught history and Latin American studies at Samford University and Berry College before completing a data analytics certificate and joining KSU.