Kennesaw State University’s Sylvia Carey-Butler has been named one of the 2021 Top 100 Diversity Officers by the National Diversity Council for her contributions to providing an inclusive and equitable environment for KSU students, faculty and staff.

Carey-Butler has led several initiatives since becoming Kennesaw State’s chief diversity officer in 2019, including overseeing the University’s Presidential Task Force on Race, establishing diversity liaisons in each of KSU’s academic colleges and implementing a team of student diversity ambassadors. The Top 100 Diversity Officers were recognized virtually during the National Diversity and Leadership Conference, the largest diversity and inclusion conference in the United States.

“This award affirms the dedication we see every day from Dr. Carey-Butler for Kennesaw State to be an inclusive and welcoming community for everyone,” KSU President Pamela Whitten said. “Under her leadership, the Office of Diversity and Inclusion is a shining example of Kennesaw State’s commitment to do everything we can to eliminate injustice and inequality on campus and beyond.”

In doing that, each program and initiative to advance diversity, equity and inclusion at KSU has clear strategies and measurable goals. Among the most visible efforts is the Presidential Task Force on Race, which gathered input from the campus community over several months and now is identifying action steps and timelines to address challenges and opportunities within the categories of curriculum, students, faculty and staff.

Carey-Butler has dedicated her career to higher education, including as the assistant chancellor for academic support of inclusive excellence at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, assistant provost and dean of honors at Dillard University in New Orleans and associate dean of studies at Lafayette College in Easton, Pa. She served in two different roles with the United Negro College Fund, as interim executive director of its Institute for Capacity Building and director of UNCF’s Enrollment Management Program.