Harvard College Dean Evelynn M. Hammonds, Barbara Gutmann Rosenkrantz Professor of the History of Science and of African and African American Studies, announced today the appointment of Vanidy M. Bailey as director of Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian, Transgender and Queer (BGLTQ) student life. Bailey will begin working in the new position on July 16.
Bailey will report to the assistant dean of student life, and will oversee all initiatives that support BGLTQ undergraduate student life, including student and organization advising, programming, residential staff training, alumni relations, and policy development.
“I am delighted that Vanidy Bailey has agreed to take on this new and exciting role at Harvard College. The director and the recently opened BGLTQ office and lounge in Boylston Hall will provide critical resources for undergraduates who identify as BGLTQ, or have questions abouttheir sexuality,” Hammonds said. “With years of student life experience, especially working with LGBT students and managing an array of programs at the LGBT Resource Center at UC-San Diego, Vanidy Bailey is ideally suited for the position here. I look forward to working with Vanidy to take the College’s existing programs and resources for BGLTQ students and make them more robust and accessible.”
As assistant director for education at the University of California, San Diego, since 2010, Bailey has overseen and implemented educational outreach programs at the Resource Center. Bailey also has advised several student organizations, has been a liaison on LGBT housing, has overseen monthly cultural and identity celebrations, and has managed other LGBT-related activities, including incoming student orientation, family day, and a community leaders retreat.
Previously, Bailey worked at California State University, Northridge, for three years, first as community director and then as senior community director, responsible for, among other things, supervising resident advisers, coordinating the freshman year experience and faculty steering committee, along with the residential community center, and creating and implementing a residential life LGBT student support caucus.
Earlier this year, Bailey was awarded a doctor of education in educational leadership from CSU-Northridge. Bailey earned a master of arts from Ohio State University, and a bachelor of arts in black studies and English from Denison University.
“I cannot be more excited about having Vanidy Bailey as the new BGLTQ student life director. Vanidy will bring enthusiasm, a strong background in student leadership development, and a great vision to the role,” said Emelyn dela Peña, assistant dean of student life. “I want to thank Emily Miller, who has served as interim coordinator of BGLTQ student life. Not only did Emily do a wonderful job getting the new office and lounge up and running, while working on a graduate degree, she set a very firm foundation for the new director.”
The director position emerged from recommendations made to Hammonds in April 2011 by the Working Group on BGLTQ Student Life, a committee that the dean appointed the previous October to explore and make recommendations on issues and concerns in the BGLTQ community, including challenges that students face in developing their identities, advising and support for student organizations and initiatives, supervision of the student-run Queer Resources Center, support for the BGLTQ specialty tutor and proctor program, and support for educational programming.
