Dear Colleagues:

I am delighted to announce the selection of Anderson School of Management Assistant Dean, EDI Heather Maiirhe Caruso as inaugural Chair of the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Equity Advisors, effective July 1, 2022.

As Chair, Caruso will lead efforts to coordinate and deepen Equity Advisor impact on the EDI mission throughout UCLA, in addition to supporting efforts on the Faculty Search Process, EDI programming at the school/unit level and providing strategic EDI guidance for deans and senior leadership. She also will work closely with the EDI team on relevant strategic initiatives.

Caruso joined UCLA Anderson in 2018 as Assistant Dean for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. A scholar and researcher of organizational behavior, she also teaches in the Management and Organizations and Behavioral Decision Making areas of the School. She became a member of the Equity Advisors the same year and, in partnership with Anderson and the EDI Discrimination Prevention Office (DPO), was pivotal in developing the Campus Climate Assessment.

Caruso stays connected to the everyday priorities and challenges of the diverse workplace by consulting for private and public sector organization leaders globally, as well as by teaching classes in inclusive leadership, team dynamics and power and influence. As part of this work, she partnered with Chicago’s Second City to co-found the Second Science Project, which provides skill-building diversity workshops at the intersection of robust behavioral research and professional improvisation practice.

A cornerstone of Caruso’s commitment to EDI’s mission and principles is a passion for team dynamics and facilitating collaborative success (especially for cross-functional and multicultural teams), illuminating the supports and hindrances for inclusion, and being a strong proponent of lifelong learning. From the start of her career, “I was fascinated with the real-world experiences stemming from differences in cultural identity. Interpersonal problems could derail even the most talented individual performers, and effective collaboration skills could not only prevent such problems, bur raise individual contributions to new heights.”

In her work at the Anderson School and in EDI, Caruso’s encompassing goal is “to help people make the most of opportunities to grow, inspire and work effectively together.” Her leadership, enthusiasm and expertise will be a great asset for our office and the work we set out to accomplish in the coming academic year.

Assistant Dean Caruso is available to connect with campus partners by email at heather.caruso@anderson.ucla.edu.

Please join me in welcoming Assistant Dean Caruso to her new role in the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.

Best regards,

Anna Spain Bradley
Vice Chancellor for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion