Doug Thompson appointed inaugural executive director of diversity and engagement
Doug Thompson, current vice president for equity and inclusion at Gustavus Adolphus College, has been appointed as the inaugural executive director of diversity and engagement in the University of Notre Dame’s Division of Student Affairs, effective July 1.
In this role, Thompson will oversee the newly established Center for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in addition to Multicultural Student Programs and Services, the Gender Relations Center and the Office of Student Enrichment. As executive director, Thompson will also lead the division’s efforts in the areas of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging in the context of the University’s Catholic, Holy Cross mission. Additionally, Thompson will establish a sixth unit for Diversity and Engagement within the Division of Student Affairs to nurture belonging and inclusion among all students while further engaging underrepresented voices throughout the Notre Dame community. This new unit will also complement the existing work in Campus Ministry, Career and Professional Development, Residential Life, Student Development and Student Health and Wellness.
“I look forward to Doug sharing his extensive experience in higher education and his gifts for enacting meaningful change across multiple student-facing areas with the Notre Dame community,” said Rev. Gerard Olinger, C.S.C., vice president for student affairs. “His demonstrated leadership in diversity, equity and inclusion, and his clear appreciation for and ability to represent how our work flows from our Catholic, Holy Cross character and identity, is inspiring and exciting for our students, the division and the University alike.”
Thompson has nearly 20 years of experience in higher education administration in areas such as diversity, equity and inclusion; student affairs; academic advising; and enrollment management. As the inaugural vice president for equity and inclusion at Gustavus Adolphus College, Thompson works as the chief strategist for diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging and racial justice efforts, and supervises a team of professionals within the Center for Inclusive Excellence, the Center for International and Cultural Education and the Academic Support Center. He also chairs the President’s Council on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and leads the college’s Bias Response Team.
He earned his bachelor’s degree in marketing from Southeastern Louisiana University, his master’s degree in strategic communication and leadership from Seton Hall University and his doctoral degree in leadership for the advancement of learning and service from Cardinal Stritch University.
Prior to Gustavus, Thompson served as the associate dean of students at the Dougherty Family College at the University of St. Thomas and the assistant dean for equity and diversity at the University of West Florida.
Thompson will soon relocate to South Bend with his wife and children.
Latest Faculty & Staff
- Physicist Laura Fields granted a Presidential Early Career AwardLaura Fields, an associate professor in the Department of Physics & Astronomy at the University of Notre Dame, received the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) for her research studying the properties of fundamental particles called neutrinos.
- Three Notre Dame Faculty Recognized in 2025 RHSU Edu-Scholar Public Influence RankingsThree University of Notre Dame faculty members have been named to the 2025 RHSU Edu-Scholar Public Influence Rankings. This prestigious annual list recognizes the 200 scholars whose academic work has most influenced educational practice and policy nationwide.
- Ahsan Kareem elected to the European Academy of Sciences and ArtsAhsan Kareem, the Robert M. Moran Professor of Engineering in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences (CEEES) at the University of Notre Dame, has been elected to the European Academy of Sciences and Arts. He will join the Academy’s division of Technical and Environmental Sciences.
- Four Arts & Letters faculty continue Notre Dame’s record NEH fellowship successFour faculty members were offered support for projects that will examine the history of Kurdish music and media, rethink Thomas Aquinas’ philosophical approach, unveil how the Catholic Church handled marital violence and separation in the 18th century, and further understand the cultural impact of Hurricane Maria.
- Engineer Ashley Thrall named fellow of the National Academy of InventorsThe National Academy of Inventors has named Ashley Thrall, the Myron and Rosemary Noble Collegiate Professor of Structural Engineering in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences at the University of Notre Dame, to its 2024 class of fellows. Election as an academy fellow is the highest professional distinction awarded solely to inventors.
- Dockworkers reconsider strike that shut down East and Gulf Coast ports: A conversation with supply chain expert Kaitlin WowakThe union representing dockworkers at U.S. ports walked away from the negotiating table with port employers this week over automation concerns as the two sides face a mid-January deadline to finalize a deal and prevent the resumption of a strike. Business Analytics Professor Kaitlin Wowak discusses potential supply chain disruptions.
