Interim Associate Vice Provost for Educational Equity

Dr. Jennifer Hamer
 

She assists the Office of the President in convening the three commissions for equity, including the Commission for Women, the Commission on Racial/Ethnic Diversity, and the Commission on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Equity.

With a focus on identifying structural barriers that inhibit equity in higher education, Dr. Hamer supports the creation and assessment of programs and policies to forward inclusion at Penn State. This includes, for example, overseeing the Equal Opportunity Planning Committee (EOPC), which provides seed grants for initiatives designed to engage innovation in curriculum, employee retention, student retention, employee recruitment, student recruitment, leadership development, organizational or climate change. And, she has worked with University partners to improve hiring practices, administer a diversity climate survey, and produce a student-authored “welcome to college” orientation performance.

Within Educational Equity, Dr. Hamer coordinates a range of administrative initiatives, including marketing and communications, data collection, and facilities oversight.

Jennifer Hamer has a Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Texas-Austin with an accomplished career as an administrator and faculty member. Her academic scholarship and teaching focus on working class and African American families, equity, qualitative methodologies, and higher education. She has served as editor for three journals, Race and Society; Black Women, Gender, and Families; and Women, Gender, and Families of Color, the latter two of which she founded.

Jennifer Hamer, Ph.D.
313 Old Main
University Park, PA 16802
814-863-7739
JenniferHamer@psu.edu

(On special assignment with the Office of the President through December 2023)