Prof. Hakim Weatherspoon (He/Him)
Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Email Address: hw228@cornell.edu
Office Location: Gates 427
Responsibilities: Ensures the college’s commitment to building an inclusive environment where faculty, staff, and students feel a sense of belonging for their unique contributions to excellence.
Professional Interests: Information systems, distributed systems, network systems, and peer-to-peer systems.
Favorite Quote: “If you sit on the porch with the big dogs and occasionally bark like a big dog, the world will view you as a big dog.” – Richard Tapia
Fun Fact: He is a Pac-10 All-Conference Academic Team for Football at the University of Washington
Dr. LeeAnn Roberts (She/Her)
Director for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Email Address: leeann.roberts@cornell.edu
Office Location: Rhodes 526 (W – F on campus, M &T remote)
Responsibilities: Collaborate with collegiate, corporate, and community partners to broaden the participation of marginalized populations and promote a cultural climate that celebrates diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.
Professional Interests: Diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, justice, cultural competence, intersectionality, religious and spiritual beliefs, mindfulness and meditation practices, academic success, career development, and personal branding.
Favorite Quote: “The future belongs to those who prepare for it today.” – Malcolm X
Fun Fact: Enjoys reading books, watching Golden Girls, discovering great deals, praying for others, and spending time with family.
Maranda Miller (She/Her)
Assistant Director for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Email Address: mm3296@cornell.edu
Office Location: Rhodes 524 (T – F on campus, M remote)
Responsibilities: Manages the development, administration, and evaluation of diverse, equitable, and inclusive programming for faculty, staff, and undergraduate students. Provides assistance in the expansion of collaborative partnerships and reconciliation of internal budgets. Oversees the onboarding and supervision of undergraduate and graduate student employees.
Professional Interests: STEM education, social justice, mathematics anxiety, intersectionality, environment+sustainable living, and advocacy.
Favorite Quote: “Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning.” – Albert Einstein
Fun Fact: Born and raised in Kentucky. Loves gardening, being outdoors with her children, and watching movies.
Marie Ramirez (She, Her)
Project Specialist
Email Address: mlr286@cornell.edu
Responsibilities: Supports the evaluation of student-centered programming and translates
organizational goals to high-impact deliverables for student recruitment, retention, and graduation.
Degree Program: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Ph.D. Student
Areas of Interest: Science identity research, gender and racial equity, first-generation experiences,
discipline-based education research
Favorite Quote: “You can’t connect your dots looking forward, you can only connect them looking backwards.” – Steve Jobs
Fun Fact: Enjoys up-cycling thrifted/second-hand furniture, and is regularly on the hunt for old,
interesting, and cheap pieces to decorate with.
Livia Popa (She, Her)
Data Analyst
Email Address: lp472@cornell.edu
Responsibilities: Contributes to the research, data collection, analysis, and reporting for Cornell
Bowers CIS DEI’s programs, events, and services.
Degree Program: Statistics, PhD Candidate
Areas of Interest: Gender equality; culture; and women in STEM
Favorite Quote: “The most important thing is to enjoy your life—to be happy—it’s all that matters.” – Steve Jobs
Fun Fact: She has been playing tennis for more than half of her life, and enjoys making bread.
Jamison Lee Taylor, Jr. (He, Him)
Event Assistant
Email Address: jlt243@cornell.edu
Responsibilities: Assists in the design and coordination of annual events to enhance the undergraduate experience in Cornell Bowers CIS. Maintains collaborative partnerships with student organizations to facilitate DEIB presentations and events.
Degree Program: Mechanical Engineering
Areas of Interest: Psychology, Physical Health, and Culture
Favorite Quote: “For things to change, you have to change.” – Jim Rohn
Fun Fact: Enjoys meeting new people, reading self help/success based books, watching anime, and doing his own hair.