LaVar Charleston

Position title: Deputy Vice Chancellor for Diversity & Inclusion, Vice Provost and Chief Diversity Officer, and Elzie Higginbottom Director of the Division of Diversity, Equity, & Educational Achievement (DDEEA)

Email: chiefdiversityofficer@cdo.wisc.edu

Phone: 608-265-5228

Headshot of LaVar Charleston, vice provost and chief diversity officer

Website

Division of Diversity, Equity & Educational Achievement

Areas of Responsibility

LaVar Charleston oversees the Division of Diversity, Equity and Educational Achievement. The division supports the mission of the University of Wisconsin-Madison as it works to create a diverse, inclusive, and excellent learning and work environment for all students, faculty, staff, alumni and others who partner with the university. Units within the division include:

Biography

LaVar J. Charleston, Ph.D., is the deputy vice chancellor for diversity & inclusion at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. In this role he serves as the chief diversity officer for the university as well as the Elzie Higginbottom vice provost and director of the Division of Diversity, Equity & Educational Achievement (DDEEA).

In his role as chief diversity officer, Charleston provides overall leadership for the university’s efforts to create a diverse, equitable and inclusive learning and working environment for all students, faculty, staff, alumni and others who work with the university. Along with the staff of the DDEEA, he partners with leadership in the university’s schools, colleges and divisions, as well as shared governance groups, to create policies that promote equity and social justice while fostering a sense of belonging for all members of the UW–Madison community.