DeVon Wilson, L&S assistant dean, diversity coordinator and director for the Center for Academic Excellence (CAE), has been named the Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in L&S, a newly-created position and one that L&S dean Eric Wilcots has viewed as a top administrative priority since becoming permanent dean of L&S in 2020. Wilson will work with Wilcots and the L&S senior leadership team to advance the college’s inclusive excellence priorities. In addition to leading strategic diversity and inclusion efforts in the recruitment, retention and success of underrepresented faculty, staff and students, Wilson will also support research and curriculum planning initiatives that advance the college’s goals for diversity, equity and inclusion.
“Under DeVon Wilson’s leadership, the Center for Academic Excellence has transformed the Wisconsin experience for underrepresented students,” says Wilcots. “As our new Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, DeVon will draw on his successes with CAE, as well as his many years of experience advocating for diversity, equity and inclusion in higher education, including at Beloit College where he led academic advancement efforts before joining the L&S team. DeVon is a sought-after expert in the national DEI space, and holds a research position in the Wisconsin Equity & Inclusion Laboratory at UW-Madison, where he has focused on the academic integration of student-athletes and different learning outcomes in undergraduate education.”
Wilcots says Wilson has all the qualities that will help L&S move forward in its efforts to make L&S a welcoming, inclusive place for all: enormous energy, determination, and passion, as well as the ability to build trust, navigate a complex campus and identify opportunities and barriers to success.
“This role presents a fantastic opportunity for the College of Letters & Science to broaden the impact of diversity, equity and inclusion efforts for students, faculty, and staff, "says Wilson. “I am looking forward to working with the entire L&S community to ensure that our goals are met. It will not happen overnight, but my experiences as the founding director of the Center for Academic Excellence (CAE) and as L&S Diversity Coordinator have shown me what is possible when we are committed to creating a welcoming, inclusive environment for all. I am indebted to those who came before me who believed in making the Wisconsin Idea a reality for all communities.”
Wilson, a first-generation student himself, earned an undergraduate degree in psychology from Beloit College and worked there in Admissions and Student Affairs, becoming Assistant Dean of Students after earning his master’s degree in education from Northern Illinois University. He came to UW-Madison in 2006 as an assistant dean and was quickly named L&S diversity coordinator by then-dean Gary Sandefur. In 2013, Wilson was tapped to re-energize the Academic Advancement Program in L&S, and began building the high-touch, supportive, academic support and leadership development center now known as the Center for Academic Excellence. Along the way, he channeled the spirit and determination of its first director, Dr. James Baugh (PhD ’73), as well as the ideals of trailblazing politician and educator Ruth Doyle (late mother of former Wisconsin governor Jim Doyle), who pushed to create the program (known at its inception as the Five-Year Program) more than 55 years ago. In his role as CAE director, Wilson created a community where students feel seen and valued for their strengths.
Wilson has also advanced diversity, equity and inclusion on a national level, including serving as an executive coach for chief diversity officers at selected public and private universities through the Center for Strategic Diversity Leadership and Social Innovation (CSDLSI) in Atlanta, GA.
Wilson has called himself a “living example of how a liberal arts education took an individual from challenging life circumstances to a career focused on institutional transformation.” He says he feels that he has been preparing for his new role for the past 30 years.
Ruth Litovsky, the Oros Family Chair of Communication Sciences and Disorders, chaired the committee that launched the national search for the inaugural Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. She says the committee was fortunate to interview and consider numerous talented candidates, but that Wilson clearly stood out.
“It was an honor to chair the search committee for the inaugural position of Associate Dean for Diversity and Inclusion for L&S,” Litovsky says. “DeVon Wilson’s outstanding knowledge of L&S’s mission and vision in DEI, and his success in his current role as director of CAE, made him a clear stand-out. The committee is thrilled that he has accepted the job.”