Inclusive Excellence Symposium brings together UB community

The UB community gathered Feb. 28 in the Center for the Arts for the 2025 Inclusive Excellence Symposium, an event dedicated to fostering dialogue, collaboration and innovation around inclusive excellence.

The summit brought together students, faculty, staff and community members to explore strategies for creating an academic environment that values and supports individuals from all backgrounds. This year’s theme — “Charting a Path Forward for an Inclusive Future” — explored ways the university will continue to support programs and initiatives advancing inclusive excellence through a series of thought-provoking sessions, workshops and a keynote speaker.

The morning kicked off with a welcome from Seval Yildirim, vice provost for inclusive excellence.

“I’m so happy and excited to welcome everyone to our symposium today,” Yildirim said. “We will explore how together, we remain committed to our values of social justice and equity, and how we continue to chart a path forward for an inclusive future as advocates of a more inclusive and equitable society.”

Following the welcome, a panel discussed the challenges to diversity, equity, inclusion and social justice. Participants included John Harland Giammatteo, associate professor, School of Law; LaGarrett King, associate professor of learning and instruction, Graduate School of Education; and Athena Mutua, professor and Floyd H. & Hilda L. Hurst Faculty Scholar, School of Law.

After a brief break, attendees welcomed Ruqaiijah Yearby, Kara J. Trott Professor in Health Law at the Moritz College of Law at The Ohio State University, for the symposium’s keynote, “Fulfilling the Promise of Equality.”

In her talk, Yearby discussed how scholars must honestly address barriers to an inclusive future in order to move forward toward a future of equality. In addressing the path forward, Yearby outlined a framework for inclusive education.

“We have to start the work toward building an inclusive future now,” Yearby said. “You all can be a leader in this space and do the work that is necessary.”

Attendees broke for lunch in the atrium and then returned for a panel and roundtable discussion. Yearby, Mutua and Harland Giammatteo were welcomed back to the stage, along with Mishuana Goeman, professor and chair of the Department of Indigenous Studies, College of Arts and Sciences. Goeman began by discussing the background of the displacement and resilience of Indigenous communities, which led to a broader discussion of how community groups have historically come together to create coalitions for change.

Yildirim then returned to the stage for her closing remarks, where she thanked the symposium’s speakers and participating faculty.

“In addition to our fantastic keynote speaker, today also showed what outstanding faculty we have here at the university, and how we are all able to advocate, educate and inspire,” she said.