Dr. Edna Chun is a human resources innovator with a mission and a passion for cultural transformation in support of diversity and inclusion. At the college, she brings that passion to her position as vice president for human resources and equity. A new book, co-authored by Chun and Alvin Evans, associate vice president for human resources at Kent State University, “Bridging the Diversity Divide: Globalization and Reciprocal Empowerment in Higher Education” has just been published by Jossey Bass.

The authors have built a substantive case that globalization has the power to unseat and unbalance long-standing institutional barriers to inclusion. According to Chun and Evans, globalization is a catalyst for change since it has fostered an increasing emphasis on talent, creativity and innovation, regardless of the historic barriers of race and gender. The book includes concrete tools, measurement strategies, and best practices designed to assist educational institutions in building a versatile and flexible repertoire of organizational approaches to diversity and inclusion.

It is designed as a companion volume to Chun and Evans’ award-winning publication: “Are the Walls Really Down? Behavioral and Organizational Barriers to Faculty and Staff Diversity” (Jossey Bass, 2007). “Are the Walls Really Down?” received the 2007 Kathryn G. Hansen Publication Award from the College and University Professional Association in recognition of its significant contribution to the field of human resource administration. It defines institutional attitudes, behaviors and processes that continue to hinder integrating diversity and inclusion into the workplace culture.

In their current work, Chun and Evans identify the benefits of a cultural transformation where diversity and inclusion become a reality. Chun says of the work, “The book is designed to assist higher education leaders in exploring a model of reciprocal empowerment that encourages the linkage of the institution’s values, culture and workplace practices to the outside world through a prism of diversity.” She goes on to say that, “Only with organizational change will higher education institutions create a campus culture that values and celebrates the contributions of all of its members.