Four internal finalists are in the running to serve as Missouri State University’s interim chief diversity officer.
The position is open following the retirement of Wes Pratt, who had served in the role since 2016.
In late July, the university announced the four internal finalists will be interviewed Aug. 1 by the search committee. They include:
- Algerian Hart
- Kelly Cabrera Hayes
- Juan Meraz
- Nicole West
The individual selected will serve for one year while a national search is launched to find a permanent replacement.
Pratt, who reported directly to MSU President Clif Smart, was credited with expanding diversity training on campus and across the city, region and state. He was instrumental in opening the Collaborative Diversity Conference and the Facing Racism Institute to larger audiences.
Here is a look at each of the internal finalists:
Algerian Hart
Hart is a professor and associate dean of the graduate college at MSU, where he has worked since 2019.
He has a doctorate of philosophy, educational administration and leadership from Washington State University.
He was at Western Illinois University from 2011-19, where he was a professor emeritus, graduate program coordinator in sports management and kinesiology with the College of Education and Human Services.
Hart previously worked at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, Seattle Pacific University and the Game Time Foundation.
He was also a student athlete and later a coach.
Kelly Cabrera Hayes
Hayes has been coordinator of the International Leadership and Training Center at MSU since 2013.
She has a doctorate in educational sciences from the Universidad Tecnológica de Pereira, Colombia.
She also has two master’s degrees from MSU. One is in applied second language acquisition with an emphasis in Spanish and the other is Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages.
Hayes was a television anchor and host in Colombia.
She was also director of the Office of Communications at a radio station in Colombia from 2003-2010.
Juan Meraz
Meraz is assistant vice president, Office of Diversity, at MSU. He served as coordinator of diversity outreach and recruitment from 2008-12, provost fellow for diversity and inclusion for one year, and the director of diversity in the College of Business Administration for two years.
He has a long history at MSU. He was a student and worked as the band manager from 1991-2000 and started teaching at the university in 1999.
Meraz has multiple certificates and an executive diploma from Harvard Kennedy School and a doctorate in Christian Evangelism Education from the United States Christian University.
He has two bachelor’s degrees from MSU. One is in industrial management and the other is in Spanish.
Nicole West
West is a Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning fellow for diversity and faulty development at MSU, a position she moved into in 2020. She also spent one year as the graduate program director at the university.
She has a doctorate in higher education administration from the University of South Florida.
West has been an assistant professor at MSU since 2018.
She was previously assistant director of the Global Citizens Project at the University of South Florida. At the same university, she was also assistant director of the Academy for Teaching and Learning Excellence.
West was also coordinator for the Office of Multicultural Affairs at the University of South Florida from 2001-06.
Claudette Riley is the education reporter for the News-Leader. Email news tips to criley@news-leader.com.
