RESEARCH NEWS
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Elaina Sutley was named Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging in July.
Sutley Seeks to ‘Build Community’ in New Role as Engineering Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging by Joel Mathis
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laina Sutley’s engineering career has long been about more than simply designing and building things that make the world work. She has always been interested in how the stuff that gets built affects people — and particularly people from marginalized communities. So it makes sense, then, that after serving six years at the University of Kansas — most recently as associate professor of civil, environmental and architectural engineering — Sutley has been named Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging for the School of Engineering. She replaces Andrew Williams, who was recently appointed dean
of engineering at The Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina. “My research has always been focused on how engineered structures differentially impact people from underserved communities,” she said. “I worked with Andrew Williams a decent amount in this role — it’s a space I’m passionate about. When this position became open, it felt like an opportunity to take what I’ve been doing as a researcher and try to make a difference in the school.” Sutley takes on leadership as KU Engineering’s Diversity & Women’s Programs celebrate their 50th anniversary in 2021. “KU Engineering has a strong tradition of supporting
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