AUSTIN, Texas—Linda Millstone, deputy to the vice president and director of Equal Opportunity Services at The University of Texas at Austin, has been appointed associate vice president for institutional equity and workforce diversity at the university.
Millstone will become the university’s “point person” for creating strategies and partnering with the university’s schools, colleges and administrative units to diversify their staffs, said Gregory Vincent, vice president for diversity and community engagement. He said Millstone’s appointment to the new position is effective Oct. 15.
“We are very excited that Linda is moving to this new position because she has such a distinguished record of service to the university. Her reputation for excellence will help us move toward increasing diversity in the university community,” said Vincent.
During his address on the state of the university on Sept. 29, William Powers Jr., president of The University of Texas at Austin, said that although progress has been made diversifying the campus, more needs to be done. He pledged to make diversity one of his highest priorities.
“Linda will play a very important role in our effort to have a more diverse campus,” Powers said. “I’m confident she has the knowledge, skills and vision to create strategies that will have a significant impact on our campus.”
Vincent said the creation of the new position shifts the university’s diversity efforts beyond compliance to a proactive campus-wide strategic role consistent with Powers’ initiative to increase diversity throughout the campus.
“I believe that having a diverse staff is every bit as important to a university community as having a diverse student body and faculty,” said Millstone. She said she would work to increase communication about staff diversity issues on campus and to reach out to community partners, making them aware of the university’s position on diversity.
“I want The University of Texas at Austin to be considered an employer of choice by everybody,” Millstone said. “I’ll be working not only to increase the diversity of the staff, but also to retain our staff. I’ll strive to create an atmosphere where all members of the university community feel like their voices can and will be heard.”
Millstone, who received her bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of Delaware and her master’s degree in public affairs from The University of Texas at Austin, began her career at The University of Texas at Austin’s Equal Opportunity Services Office in 1977. She has been its director since 1994, and became deputy to the vice president in October 2001. In August 2006, Millstone’s responsibilities were shifted from the Office of the Vice President for Employee and Campus Services to the Office of the Vice President for Diversity and Community Engagement.
Millstone is a trained mediator and has Senior Professional in Human Resources certification. She is an alumnus of Leadership Austin and the Governor’s Executive Development Program, and has been a member of various university committees, including the University of Texas Police Department Oversight Committee and the Racial Respect and Fairness Committee.
For more information contact: Robert D. Meckel, Office of Public Affairs, 512-475-7847.
