Choquette Hamilton, the executive director of Student Diversity Initiatives and the director of the Multicultural Engagement Center (MEC) within the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement, will assume a new position effective Jan. 9. Hamilton will become associate director of development for the African and African Diaspora Studies Department (AADS), a new degree-granting department at The University of Texas at Austin.
“We are sorry to see Choquette leave the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement,” said Gregory J. Vincent, vice president for diversity and community engagement. “She has been an integral part of the division since it began and key to our student diversity initiatives. As an active alumna, Choquette brought a rich understanding of The University of Texas at Austin to the Multicultural Engagement Center and its student agencies and a keen ability to understand student needs.”
The MEC includes six student agencies: Afrikan American Affairs, Asian/Desi Pacific American Collective, Latino Leadership Council, Longhorn American Indian Council, Queer People of Color and Allies and Students for Equity and Diversity.
Edmund T. Gordon, chair of the African and African Diaspora Studies Department, said, “We are extremely pleased to have Choquette coming on board. Her expert knowledge and long history with issues of black community and Black Studies on this campus make her the ideal person to fill this important position on our team.”
Ixchel Rosal, director of the Gender and Sexuality Center (GSC), will assume the position of interim director of the MEC while retaining her role as director of the GSC.
“Ixchel has worked closely with Choquette the past four years,” Vincent said. “She has done a terrific job at the GSC, building the center into a nationally recognized model. Ixchel is well-respected on campus for her insight on student development in a complex university environment.”
According to Vincent, the student agencies will be involved in the process to hire a permanent director.
