Shari Clarke, Ph.D, senior diversity officer and vice president for diversity and inclusion, will retire after June 30.
“Dr. Clarke has made a tremendous impact on our students, our campus community and the greater region through her efforts to improve diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) at Eastern, and her genuine compassion for others and commitment to the success of our institution,” said EWU President Shari McMahan in an email to campus.
Clark leaves a lasting legacy in building the university’s DEI initiatives and moving Eastern forward, McMahan stated in a message that went on to highlight the following accomplishments:
Under Clarke’s leadership, EWU was the recipient of the Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) from INSIGHT into Diversity magazine, the oldest and largest diversity-focused publication in higher education, for 2018 and 2019, both years that the university applied.
She created the successful Ivy Leadership Academy to introduce regional high school students to leadership principles and the benefits of pursuing higher education.
As a respected community leader, Clarke held the title of Honorary Commander at Fairchild Air Force Base, co-hosted the YWCA’s annual Stand Against Racism event in 2021, and was recognized by the Tri-Cities Hispanic Chamber of Commerce for her contributions to DEI throughout the region.
President McMahan credited Clarke with helping to guide EWU as social justice became a necessary and long-overdue community conversation, saying she provided excellent leadership as the university examined policies and practices that would help Eastern address racial inequities.
“Dr. Clarke’s absence will be felt by the Eastern family, and we wish her the best in her upcoming retirement,” McMahan said.
