In late August Dean Costis Maglaras announced the creation of a Task Force on Race, Diversity, and Inclusion to critically examine the shortcomings of Columbia Business School in these areas. This task force, co-chaired by Professors Modupe Akinola and Chris Mayer and comprising faculty, staff, and students, will make an initial set of recommendations by the end of the semester, with more detailed work to be completed by the end of the academic year. Recommendations will include initiatives that should be implemented in the short, medium, and long term to address student, faculty, and staff experiences to ensure that Business School is a place that is inclusive and anti-racist.  

The task force will hold listening sessions with students, faculty, staff, and alumni to learn about their academic, work, and social experiences in order to deepen the Columbia Business School understanding of the ways in which systemic racism is present at the school. The task force will also work closely with the DEI Initiative and the Bernstein Center, complementing existing programming that focuses on building a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment at the Business School. 

Today, Dean Costis announced the members of the task force who will seek perspectives from key constituencies within the School to examine how CBS addresses these critical areas. 

The task force members are:  

Modupe Akinola, Associate Professor of Management; Director, Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. Center for Leadership and Ethics 

Lisa Andujar, Associate Director, Management 

Khalid Azim, Senior Director for Lifelong Learning Executive Education 

Kelley Blanco, Associate Dean and Dean of Students, Executive MBA Programs 

Melissa Brown, Senior Director, Human Resources 

Katie Bucaccio, Associate Director, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Dean’s Office 

Carri Chan, Associate Professor of Business 

Alberto Cruz, Director, Learning Solutions, Executive Education 

Griffin Dottle, Student, MBA '21 

Geoff Heal, The Donald C. Waite III Professor of Social Enterprise 

Jon Hicks, Associate Director, MBA Career Education and Advising, Career Management Center 

Alexis Ilyinsky, Student, MBA '22 

Kamel Jedidi, The John A. Howard Professor of Business 

Gita Johar, Vice Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; The Meyer Feldberg Professor of Business 

Kate Krasky, Student, MBA '22 

Angela Lee, Professor of Professional Practice; Director, Eugene Lang Entrepreneurship Center 

Emely Luna, Student, MBA '21, Co-Chair, Hispanic Business Association 

Cecilia Manzolillo, Interim Dean of Students; Senior Associate Director, Career Education and Advising, Career Management Center 

Chris Mayer, The Paul Milstein Professor of Real Estate; Co-Director, Paul Milstein Center for Real Estate 

Pamela McKelvin, Director, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Dean’s Office 

Lacie Pierre, Student, MBA '22 

Shiva Rajgopal, The Roy Bernard Kester and T.W. Byrnes Professor of Accounting and Auditing 

Michael Robinson, Director, Admissions 

Traci Rosenthal, Associate Director, Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. Center for Leadership and Ethics 

Josh Safier, Managing Director, Global Programs and Initiatives, Jerome A. Chazen Institute for Global Business 

Siddharth Sathe, Student, MBA '22 

Rachel Shapiro, Director, Student Life and Engagement, Student Affairs 

Rachel Smith, Associate Director, Social Media, External Relations and Development 

Barry Wise, Student, EMBA '21, Student Leadership and Ethics Board 

Lonnie Wishom, Student, MBA '21, Co-Chair, Black Business Student Association 

Columbia Business School is committed to addressing issues of diversity and equity, and to working with the community on creating a comprehensive strategy for to be held accountable. This task force is one step toward those efforts.