Advisory Committee Profiles
EQUITY AND INCLUSION ADVISORY COUNCIL MEMBERS
The Equity and Inclusion Advisory Council serves as an advisory and working group
for the coordination of the university's efforts relating to equity, inclusion and
cultural competency. The committee plays a lead role in advising the creation and
coordination of strategies for equitable and inclusive campus activities and outreach.
The council is comprised of a chair and eight members consisting of cross-functional
representation of employee groups across our main campus and the VA campus. Each member
was chosen by virtue of their past engagement, present passion, and future commitment
to equity and inclusion. Our members look forward to your support and involvement
campus wide as we strive to become leaders of inclusive excellence.
Felipe De Oliveira Fiuza
Literature and Language
deoliveirafi@etsu.edu
423-439-8342
Felipe is a Brazilian scholar who received his PhD in Spanish, Purdue University,
2017. Felipe is an assistant professor of Spanish in the Department of Literature
and Language and the director of the Language and Culture Resource Center (LCRC).
Felipe is a poet, a translator, an interpreter and an author. His book, Ucideia, won
first place in the Federal University of Espírito Santo’s literary contest and is
slated for publication May 2020. In his spare time, Felipe practices Taekwondo, enjoys
playing board games, role-playing games, and card games.
Adrianna Guram
Housing and Residence Life
gurama@etsu.edu
423-439-4446
Adrianna serves as the associate director for Residence Life in ETSU’s Department
of Housing and Residence Life. An ETSU alum, Adrianna has been back on campus since
fall 2013 where she has worked with her colleagues on creating a welcoming and inclusive
community for students living on campus. In her free time, Adrianna enjoys working
on completing her PhD, playing games with friends, and watching her beloved Green
Bay Packers.
Keith Johnson
Office of Equity and Inclusion
johnsonk@etsu.edu
423-439-5618
Dr. Keith V. Johnson was born in a little hospital overlooking the Choptank River
in rural Cambridge Maryland. Born in a family of educators, his parents decided to
relocate to even a smaller rural area in Hollister, North Carolina where he and his
brother spent their formative years engaged in what many young boys enjoyed doing
at that time; playing sports, hunting and fishing. Having college graduates as parents
promoted a lot of intellectual conversation around the dinner table every night. Many
of their conversations were centered on dreaming about the future and planning for
what that is to be. Keith's father was always the one who would tell them that “you
could be anything you wanted to be, but you have to work for it”. With that said,
it was during his middle school years when Keith decided that he wanted to be a college
professor. After having figured out the pathway to becoming a college professor, attending
college was inevitable. Keith received his BS and MS form North Carolina A&T State
University in Greensboro, NC and my PhD from The Ohio State University, Columbus Ohio.
The rest is history. After completing graduate school, Keith's first appointment was
at East Tennessee State University as an assistant professor in the Department of
Engineering Technology. Keith and his wife never intended to stay at the university
very long. Twenty six years and counting, they are still here. With three children,
now adults, being empty nesters feels really good. Keith eventually became the department
chairperson and now in his new role, he is enjoying the duties of the Vice President
for Equity and Inclusion.
Mary Jordan
Community Member
jordonm@etsu.edu
Mary Jordan, retired ETSU Special Assistant to the President for Equity and Diversity,
serves as a community representative.
Kim Maturo
Equity and Inclusion
maturo@etsu.edu
423-439-4445
Kim Maturo serves as the office coordinator for the Office of Equity and Inclusion.
Kim enjoys travelling especially when it involves visiting her daughter in Nashville
or son in Connecticut. She also loves working in her yard, watching baseball and
hockey, and listening to live music. She is a faculty commons board member and on
the leadership team of a recovery ministry at her church. Kim believes that embracing
our differences can lead to a more enriched life.
Antonio Rusinol
Quillien College of Medicine, Diversity Council
rusinol@etsu.edu
423-439-8015
Antonio Rusinol is an associate professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences.
He grew up in Argentina where he obtained a PhD in Biochemistry, Tucuman National
University. He received post-doctoral training at the University of Alberta, Alberta,
Canada. Particular professional interests include research on the mechanisms of cell
proliferation, atherosclerosis, and aging; application of new methods of teaching
to medicine/pharmacy students; and promoting and supporting activities and events
that celebrate diversity and develop an awareness of inclusion throughout ETSU and
the Tri-Cities. Non-professional interests are mountain biking, volleyball, photography,
and playing flute and guitar. He enjoys spending time with his family, a wife and
two children. Antonio’s wife is a medical interpreter, his son works as a research
analyst for ESPN, and a daughter who is a musician and music therapist.
Jean Rushing
University Compliance
rushingd@etsu.edu
423-439-8542
Jean Rushing serves as a director with ETSU’s Office of Compliance which oversees
program oversight for Title IX of the Education Amendments, the Americans with Disabilities
Act, and Title VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act. She serves as an Assistant Equity
Compliance Officer and a Deputy Title IX and Title VI Coordinator. Ms. Rushing received
her Master of Arts degree in History (2011) and Master of Liberal Arts in Archival
Studies and Records (2016) at East Tennessee State University. Ms. Rushing also teaches
in the Archival Studies program and focuses her academic research on gender bias in
traditional archival methodology, notably in the documentation of southern Appalachian
experience. Ms. Rushing’s focus on the inclusivity of women’s experiences in archive
led to the reprocessing of one of the Archives of Appalachia’s most prominent collections
in 2016. In 2019, Ms. Rushing also founded an archival reading event, Readings from
Visionary Women highlighting local women’s participation in and documentation of their
experiences affecting change in local communities.
Joe Sherlin
Student Life and Enrollment
sherlin@etsu.edu
423-439-4210
Joe Sherlin serves as vice president for Student Life and Enrollment. He received
his PhD in College Student Personnel from the University of Maryland, College Park,
2002. He grew up in Sweetwater, Tennessee – Go Wildcats! He enjoys reading history
and poetry, watching sports, and jogging…very slowly :) Joe also loves road trips
with his spouse Erin and two daughters, Emma and Elizabeth. One of his biggest passions
is student success. It is for that reason he chose to work in student affairs and
has worked in Student Affairs and Student Life and Enrollment at ETSU since 2002.
Go Bucs!
Laura Terry
Multicultural Center
terryl@etsu.edu
423-439-5872
Laura Terry is the director of Programming and Outreach for the Multicultural Center.
She received her BS in Social Work and her MA degree in Sociology both from the East
Tennessee State University. She worked as an Intake Specialist at the Roanoke Valley
Mental Health Center, March-September 1985. From 1985- 1987, she became Program Planner
for the Johnson City Senior Citizen Center. In 1987, she found her way back to ETSU
where she became an Admission Counselor in the Office of Admissions, 1987-1994. September
1994, her role changed and she became the Director of Multicultural Affairs under
the Division of Student Affairs, 1994-2019. Recently, her office has changed thus
changing her title to Director of Programming and Outreach. In addition to her professional
achievements, Laura Terry has been recognized for her 32 years of service to ETSU
and as “Staff Woman of the Year”. She also serves the community through her student
organizations and the annual UMOJA Festival. Lastly, Mrs. Terry serves on many presidentially
appointed committees as well as task force committees.
Phyllis Thompson
Women's Studies
thompsop@etsu.edu
423-439-4135
Phyllis Thompson is director of Women’s Studies and associate professor of Literature.
She grew up in the Appalachian mountains, learning herbal remedies from her grandmother,
trout fishing on the banks of the little Wilson with her daddy, and playing the piano
and dancing the jitterbug with her momma. These early life lessons inform her teaching,
research, writing, and community engagement to this day. Phyllis teaches courses on
women in the archives, queer literature, and gender-based violence; is a certified
Safe Zone, RAD, and trauma-informed care instructor; and publishes on women’s medicinal
recipe books from the 18th-century. She has served on the Board of Directors for Holston
Habitat for Humanity, the Advisory Group for the YWCA’s EMERGE Women’s Leadership
Series, the TN Economic Commission on Women, and is currently President of the Southeastern
Women’s Studies Association. For fun, Phyllis likes to play frisbee with her Border
Collie Bob and whitewater kayak with her partner David.