Dr. Elavie Ndura brings more than 30 years of leadership, scholarship, and practice, blending passion and policy to create and implement effective programming and innovative diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs in diverse and complex academic settings. She currently serves as Associate Vice president and Campus Diversity Officer at California State Polytechnic University Humboldt (Cal Poly Humboldt).

In this capacity, she has led the development of a faculty Cluster Hire initiative to increase diversity among faculty and elevate cross-disciplinary collaboration; pioneered the development of an Institutional Anti-Racism Action Plan that has garnered cross-campus and University Senate support; expanded mentoring and coaching opportunities for BIPOC faculty; enhanced intercultural competency among students and employees through DEI professional development, thus improving campus climate; strengthened university-campus partnerships; and helped to elevate the university’s national and international visibility.  During her time at Gallaudet University, she engaged 3,000 employees, students, alumni, and Board of Trustees members in diversity and implicit bias training, cross cultural conversations, mindful facilitation training, and culturally responsive curriculum development and teaching.  She also designed and delivered innovative DEI training for more than 1,000 employees and students at George Mason University.

A Fulbright Scholar and Senior Specialist for education, peace education, and conflict prevention & transformation, Ndura is the recipient of many awards including the 2010-2011 Woodrow Wilson Fellowship at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, and the Peace and Justice Studies Association’s 2011 Peace Educator of the Year Award.

An Alumna of the American Academic Leadership Institute’s Executive Leadership Academy, Ndura holds a doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction with emphasis in Bilingual and Multicultural Education from Northern Arizona University; a master’s degree of Education in Teaching English for Specific Purposes from the University of Exeter, England; a bachelor’s degree in Humanities and Social Sciences with emphasis in English Language and Literature from the University of Burundi, Africa; and a graduate certificate in Conflict Resolution Advanced Skills from George Mason University. She also Holds a certificate Mindful Facilitation.