Meet Our Staff

Carol A. Sumner
Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Chief Diversity Officer
815-753-8618
csumner@niu.edu

As NIU’s vice president for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and chief diversity officer, Carol A. Sumner, Ed.D., works to advance the university’s diversity, equity, belonging and inclusion goals in alignment with NIU’s vision, mission and values. She’s passionate about creating places and spaces where people, regardless of their backgrounds, can learn, grow and thrive.

Sumner reports directly to the president and is a member the president’s Senior Leadership Team.

She leads the Division of Academic Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (ADEI) at NIU. The division oversees each of NIU’s diversity and cultural resource centers; social justice education; prevention education and outreach; the Faculty Academy on Cultural Competence and Equity; and additional programs, resources and training that support broader student, faculty, staff and community engagement.

As Chief Diversity Officer, Sumner collaborates and partners with university leaders, students, faculty, staff and community members on numerous initiatives throughout campus and beyond. These efforts include the facilitation of several Presidential Commissions. She also works alongside various university and community partners as NIU prepares to advance from an emerging to a fully designated Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI).

Selected through a national search, Sumner joined NIU in 2023 after five years at Texas Tech University (TTU), where she became the first person to hold the university’s Chief Diversity Officer (CDO) title. At TTU, she helped advance TTU’s Hispanic Serving Institution efforts, established the Office of Institutional Diversity and led the Division of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. The division included units, programs and centers that impacted students throughout the educational continuum. As CDO, Sumner worked with stakeholders across and beyond the university to support, engage and facilitate university-wide goals to increase diversity and engage in practices that foster inclusion and equity.

Jade Silva Tovar (She/Her/Ella)
Assistant Vice President for DEI
815-753-9563
jsilvatovar@niu.edu

Jade Silva Tovar is a higher education administrator and chingona scholar committed to a student centered and assets-based approach in transforming higher education.  She navigates her experiences in and through nepantla as a Chicana/Mexicana/Mexican American and first-generation high-school and college graduate/student and professional.

As the Assistant Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Northern Illinois University, Jade is a member of the Executive Leadership team within the Division of Academic Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. She leads several units focused on inclusion and equity outcomes, inclusive leadership, faculty academy on cultural competence, social justice education, Center for Black Studies and Latino Resource Center. Jade simultaneously advances NIU’s Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation Center, Hispanic Serving Institution and First-Generation College student initiatives.

Jade provides visionary leadership and transformational services with a dedicated team of professionals using assets-based, transformational, and culturally responsive practices to meet university strategic priorities and equity outcomes. Jade collaborates across the institution to inform and engage in inclusive and equitable practices and experiences for student, faculty, and staff recruitment, retention, support and community building.

Jade is completing her Doctor of Philosophy in Higher Education Leadership from Colorado State University. Her research interests include the development of Chingona identity in undergraduate Latinas and applying critical race theory to emerging Hispanic Serving Institution practices. She holds a Master of Education in Higher Education Administration from Arizona State University and a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish from the University of Iowa.

Jennifer Withers
Administrative Assistant
815-753-8399
jthoma14@niu.edu

Jennifer Withers has been part of campus for 25 years. A double Huskie, Withers holds a master’s degree in higher education and student affairs and a bachelor’s in business management with an emphasis in human resource management. In her role as administrative assistant, she provides support to the vice president for diversity, equity and inclusion/chief diversity officer; the assistant vice presidents; and all units in the Division of Academic Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

Withers works with the division administrative support team to ensure the efficiency of business, finance and human resources processes. She plays a pivotal role in providing program planning and event coordination for the executive leadership portfolio and assists with signature division experiences. She also serves as secondary support to division office managers.

Withers has been involved in various organizations throughout her NIU career, such as Chi Sigma Alpha, Kappa Delta Pi and the Society for Human Resource Management. In 2008, she received the College of Engineering and Engineering Technology’s Staff of the Year Award.

Teresa Harrington
Business/Administrative Associate 
815-753-2189
tharrington@niu.edu

Teresa Harrington has been with NIU for over seven years and is a proud and dedicated team member. Harrington serves as business administrative associate and reports to the vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion/chief diversity officer. She is responsible for the fiscal management of divisional operations and oversees all budgetary matters. She also provides leadership for processes related to purchasing, accounts payable/receivable, human resources, procurement and staff training on business procedures.

Harrington enjoys working with staff and students across the Division of Academic Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Her role allows her to interact with other areas of the university as well, including the Controller’s Office, Procurement Services, the Office of the Bursar and Human Resource Services. She is also a member of the Budget, Resource and Information Network (BRAIN) team.

Harrington brings over 20 years of experience to NIU, having previously worked as finance director for a private student residence hall and apartment community in DeKalb. She has maintained lifelong friendships with the students she has guided. In addition to her own children’s achievements, she finds nothing more rewarding than helping students reach their goals and prepare for the future.

F. Michele Bringas
Asian American Resource Center
815-752-1167
mbringas@niu.edu

Michelle Bringas celebrates 30 years at NIU. A triple Huskie, Bringas holds an Ed.D. in student affairs and higher education, a master’s degree in adult and higher education and a bachelor’s in family consumer nutrition sciences with a specialization in family social services.

In 2004, Bringas was instrumental in establishing the first stand-alone Asian American Resource Center in the northern Illinois region. As the center’s inaugural director, she provides leadership and oversight for the facility, its functions, programs and services. The center collaborates with several campus partners, including the Asian American Certificate Program, the Center for Southeast Asian Studies and the Center for Burma Studies, and supports over 20 Asian-interest student organizations. 

Bringas is involved on campus and in the community, serving as a coach and support to many. She is an advisor for Alpha Phi Gamma, the Asian American Association, the Indian Student Association and alpha Kappa Delta Phi. She has also served on the board of directors of DeKalb’s 4-C Community Coordinated Child Care and Oak Crest Retirement Center. Previously the vice president of the DeKalb Women’s Club, she currently serves on the board of directors of the DeKalb County Housing Authority.

T. Ajewole Duckett
Interim Co-director - Academics and Curriculum
Center for Black Studies
tduckett@niu.edu

Bio forthcoming

Molly Holmes (She/Her)
Gender and Sexuality Resource Center
815-753-4772
mbholmes@niu.edu

Molly B. Holmes (she/her) serves as the director of the Gender and Sexuality Resource Center. Her main role at the center is to support and advocate for equity for all genders and sexual identities at NIU and in the surrounding area. She initiates educational experiences and collaborations for the campus community that center students of color and those with marginalized gender and sexual identities, while encouraging student-led programming, leadership and ideas.

Over the past 16 years, Holmes has enjoyed working with NIU students, faculty, staff, alumni and community stakeholders. She has led efforts in NIU’s recognition as one of the “Best of the Best” college campuses for LGBTQ+ inclusion and “Best in Illinois” for LGBTQ+ inclusion. She has also co-written peer-reviewed articles on LGBTQ+ inclusive faculty development initiatives and a case study on ethics in student affairs practice. She is committed to making the center and NIU a place where everyone can share their story.

Sandy López
Undocumented Student Resource Center
815-753-2391
slopez1@niu.edu

Sandy López has over 30 years of experience at NIU serving students, staff, faculty and school business officials as an elementary school teacher, academic advisor, teaching consultant, administrator and — most importantly — as a mentor and student advocate. López joined the Division of Academic Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in 2018 and currently serves as director of the Undocumented Student Resource Center. She is involved on campus and in the community, including as an advisor for Alpha Psi Lambda National, DREAM Action NIU and Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority. She also teaches Introduction to Latino Studies for the Center for Latino and Latin American Studies. 

López is a board member of the Illinois Latino Council on Higher Education and co-president of the NIU Latinx Alumni Council. She aims to promote a welcoming environment for all students who visit or attend NIU and helps them access campus services and resources. She holds a bachelor’s degree in deaf education, a master’s in instructional technology and a doctorate in educational administration foundations.

Christopher Mitchell
Interim Co-director - Retention, Engagement and Programming
Center for Black Studies
cmitchell11@niu.edu

Bio forthcoming

Luis Santos-Rivas
Latino Resource Center
815-753-1986
lsantosrivas@niu.edu

Luis Santos-Rivas has been helping diverse students achieve their dreams through higher education for more than 15 years. Santos-Rivas leads the Latino Resource Center in offering academic studies and partnerships, retention support, resources and programming to the NIU community. He manages center operations alongside a team of professional and student staff committed to advancing student success.

Santos-Rivas has held many roles throughout his career, including at the University of North Georgia–Gainesville and Arizona State University. He has served as chair of the National Association of Multicultural Engineering Program Advocates and as professor of computer sciences and dean of the School of Computer Sciences at APEC, a private university in Santo Domingo. He is also the author of “Chasing a Rainbow” (Persiguiendo un Arcoiris), a bilingual English/Spanish children’s adventure book.

Born and raised in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Santos-Rivas immigrated to the United States in 2001. He holds a bachelor’s degree in computer sciences from World University in Santo Domingo and a master’s degree in strategic communication and leadership from Seton Hall University in South Orange, New Jersey. In 2012, he completed coursework for the Certified Diversity Professional credential through the Society for Diversity.

Ana Velazquez (She/Hers/Ella)
Social Justice Education
815-753-6021
avelazquez5@niu.edu

Ana Velazquez (she/hers/ella) is the director of equity and justice and an instructor in Latino Studies at Northern Illinois University. Upon graduating from Bradley University with a Bachelor of Science in community wellness and Health, Ms. Velazquez went on to complete her Master of Science in higher education and student affairs from Northern Illinois University. Ms. Velazquez has centered much of her work around curriculum, staff development and strategic planning, particularly in relation to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. By developing and offering workshops related to the aforementioned, Ms. Velazquez has emerged as a thoughtful leader in DEIB initiatives and strategic planning. Moreover, her experiences have provided her with the skills to lead teams and be an effective change agent. She serves on her alma mater Latino Alumni Board to establish relationships among students and alumni and be a resource for emerging adults transitioning into their first professional job. Ana is a proud bilingual, first-generation Latina from a mixed-status household and tía of three nephews and one niece. Ana enjoys reading, exercising, nail art and content creation in her free time!