Dr. Maurice A. Stinnett will be Indiana Tech\u2019s commencement speaker during the university\u2019s annual commencement celebration on Saturday, May 9, 2020 at Allen County War Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne.<\/p>\n
Dr. Stinnett is an experienced leader and expert in the areas of diversity, inclusion, and equity across nonprofit, education and corporate sectors. He recently served as the keynote speaker at Indiana Tech\u2019s 2020 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Celebration event. Dr. Stinnett serves as the inaugural vice president of diversity and inclusion for BSE Global, which owns and operates state-of-the-art venues, such as the Barclays Center, and premier sports franchises, including the NBA\u2019s Brooklyn Nets. In his role at BSE Global, he creates innovative programming tailored for inclusion and cultural competence and provides leadership and support across BSE\u2019s brands. Dr. Stinnett was the first black man appointed vice president of diversity and inclusion for an NBA team.<\/p>\n
Dr. Stinnett\u2019s prior experience includes roles in higher education and nonprofit leadership. He previously served as vice president of engagement and chief diversity officer at Cleveland State University, where he successfully led the institution\u2019s response to a university crisis that received national attention and ignited debates regarding the distinction between free speech and hate speech. Prior to joining CSU, his experience included serving as dean of students at Central State University, as the senior director of community engagement and education at CentroNia, a multicultural, bilingual education nonprofit located in Washington, DC; and as chairman for the World Leadership Program, a White House initiative under the Obama administration that sought to spark learning and dialogue between graduate students and universities in the Middle East and the United States.<\/p>\n
Dr. Stinnett is an energetic presenter who is a fierce advocate for equity and inclusion. He has been recognized for his work by various organizations, including receiving the Robinson Trailblazer Award from Rev. Jesse Jackson\u2019s Rainbow PUSH Coalition and being named to the \u2018The Responsible 100\u2019 corporate leaders list by City & State New York. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business from Central State University, a Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary and a Master of Education and Doctor of Education and Organizational Leadership from Columbia University.<\/p>\n
\u201cOn behalf of the entire Indiana Tech community, I\u2019m proud to welcome Dr. Stinnett as our 2020 commencement speaker,\u201d Indiana Tech president Karl Einolf said. \u201cDr. Stinnett is an impactful leader whose work and experiences are a clear demonstration to all of our students of what it means to live a life of significance and worth. His story and commitment to community will be an inspiration to each of our graduates.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dr. Stinnett will speak during the university\u2019s undergraduate commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 9, at 10:30 a.m., at Allen County War Memorial Coliseum. The ceremony is free and open to all Indiana Tech students, families, alumni and the public\u2014no tickets are required. Dr. Stinnett will also take part in the university\u2019s graduate commencement ceremony for master\u2019s and Ph.D. graduates on Friday, May 8, on the Indiana Tech campus.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"class_list":["post-150941","news","type-news","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n