Naomi Sigg
UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS, OHIO – Ӱ̳ President Alan Miciak today announced that Naomi Sigg has been named Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, effective May 31, 2022. In this role, Sigg will oversee Ӱ̳’s Center for Student Diversity and Inclusion (CSDI), the Student Accessibility Services Office, the Title IX Office, and faculty and staff DEI training and development.
"I am excited to welcome Naomi to the Ӱ̳ community,” said Miciak. “She brings a wealth of experience to this mission-critical position and has deep roots throughout Cleveland. I am excited for our students, faculty, and staff to get to know her and work with her as we continue to advance our Strategic Plan for Inclusive Excellence.”
Sigg will join Ӱ̳ from Case Western University in Cleveland, Ohio, where she has focused on the development of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives on campus and in the Division of Student Affairs as Senior Associate Dean of Students. She serves as the Co-Chair of the Student Life Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, founding member of the Asian, Pacific Islander, Desi, and Asian American (APIDA) Task Force, Co-Chair of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Convocation Committee, and serves on several university committees including the Diversity Leadership Council, and Alianza Latina/Latino Alliance, the Latinx employee resource group. Sigg is a certified Green Dot Facilitator, Sustained Dialogue Moderator, and recently completed a Certificate in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Workplace.
"I am thrilled to be joining the Ӱ̳ community,” said Sigg. “I have long admired Ӱ̳'s mission, identity, and values that align with working toward a more vibrant, equitable, and just society for all. I am looking forward to working with students, staff, and faculty to ensure that everyone is part of the work toward building a diverse, equitable, and inclusive community where all members can thrive and where everyone belongs."
During her tenure at CWRU, Sigg, along with her team, developed the three-hour Diversity 360 educational module for undergraduate and graduate students which serves as a common experience, setting a foundation for key identity, diversity, equity, and inclusion concepts. The program is facilitated by more than 175 trained faculty, staff, and students. To date, more than 12,000 students have been through the program.
As a strong advocate for underrepresented and marginalized communities, Sigg collaborated with students in the creation of several new organizations including, the Undergraduate Diversity Collaborative, the Black Student Union, Voices: A Women of Color Collaborative and the Indigenous Alliance for Native American and Indigenous communities on campus. Naomi often presents her work at regional and national conferences, including the International Conference on Conflict Resolution and Education, the National Conference on Race and Ethnicity (NCORE), the American College Personnel Association (ACPA), the Midwest Asian American Students Union (MAASU), and the Ohio Consortium for Multicultural Centers in Higher Education (OCMCHE). Naomi was the recipient of the Mather Spotlight Award presented by the Flora Stone Mather Center for Women, the awardee of the Ohio College Personnel Association’s Equity and Inclusion Award, and along with colleagues from Case Western Reserve University she received the National Dialogue Award presented by the Sustained Dialogue International Institute. Recently, Naomi received the G. Dean Patterson, People Are Most Important Award presented to a staff member, faculty member, or alumnus of the university who has consistently made students feel valued, affirmed students' sense of belonging, and treats students with respect.
An Ohio native, Naomi received both her undergraduate and graduate degrees from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio before spending eight years at Washington University in St. Louis working on diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.
