Dr. Tracy Pascua Dea’s new, expanded role as Executive Director of Student Services and Chief Diversity Officer

Dear Berkeley Journalism Community,

I am thrilled to announce that Dr. Tracy Pascua Dea will be assuming a new, expanded role at Berkeley Journalism as the Executive Director of Student Services and Chief Diversity Officer.

When Tracy joined our School in Spring of 2020 as the Senior Director of Student Services, we did not anticipate the challenges and opportunities that 2020 would bring. Tracy not only successfully navigated the sudden pivot to online instruction and a new model for student services, but she was also able to apply her expertise in diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) to help lead the School’s efforts to make meaningful changes in addressing systemic anti-Black and other forms of racism within Berkeley Journalism.

As the Executive Director of Student Services and Chief Diversity Officer, her goal will be to lead with a community and advocacy lens to ensure that DEI values are embedded in all aspects of student services leadership in partnership with students, faculty, and staff. She will develop, implement, and assess programs and initiatives that continuously innovate and improve upon the student experience. As a DEI champion, and as a woman of color herself–the oldest child of Filipino immigrants, she will build upon and help institutionalize student-led equity initiatives to continue to enhance the student experience while also creating an organizational framework to aid DEI strategic planning efforts across Berkeley Journalism. She will help lead our continued efforts to implement the anti-racism plan we wrote last year.

She will have as her key partners myself and our two faculty equity advisors, Jeremy Rue and Lisa Armstrong and the Equity and Inclusion Committee.

I am so pleased and grateful to have Tracy’s talents dedicated to this important work. In partnership with faculty, lecturers, staff and students, I have complete confidence in her ability to help transform our school and our industry as we strive to take the limits off who gets to be a journalist.

Tracy will continue to lead Student Services, which includes admissions, student affairs and career development. Blaine Jones, Admissions Director, will take on increased leadership responsibilities.

With great excitement about the transformative work Tracy will do in partnership with our passionate community,

Geeta Anand
Dean and Professor
Robert A. Peck Chair
she/her
@GOAnand
For scheduling, please contact Tarin Griggs.