October 16, 2015
Dear Faculty and Staff,
I am pleased to announce that Chinten Parikh has been named Assistant Vice Chancellor of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, for the UNT System. Chinten and the department will provide direct services and support for three UNTS entities — UNTHSC, UNT Dallas and UNT System administrative offices — and will work in close collaboration and support with the University of North Texas Office of Institutional Equity and Diversity.
Major areas of focus include:
- Working with leaders to create a diversity and inclusion strategy and roadmap.
- Integrating diversity and inclusion principles into human resources and business processes for UNTHSC, UNT Dallas and UNT System administrative offices.
- Providing education and coaching to departments and leaders to ensure a respectful work environment.
- Compiling statistical gap analyses to highlight opportunities to increase diversity and inclusion.
- Partnering with Joanne Woodard, vice president of equity and diversity, and the UNT Office of Institutional Equity and Diversity to develop community partnerships and increase our reputation in the community as an employer of choice.
- The UNT System Office of Equal Opportunity will expand its scope and will now become the UNT System Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. Audra Nelson and Sandra Medley, Equal Opportunity Administrators, will continue in their roles to support the overall strategy.
Chinten joined UNT System Human Resources in 2014 as Director of Equal Opportunity. He has more than 25 years experience in diversity and equity leadership.
Chinten previously was senior consultant for diversity, compliance and cultural competency at Baylor Scott & White Health Care System in Dallas, which includes about 34,000 employees in 500 locations; manager of workplace diversity and development at DFW International Airport; and, director of diversity and people development at Accor North America, a global hospitality and hotel corporation headquartered in Carrollton.
He holds the senior professional certification from the Society for Human Resources Management, the world’s largest organization for human resources management, and is a certified harassment prevention trainer, diversity trainer and mentoring facilitator.
Chinten received a bachelor’s degree in organizational psychology from Louisiana State University and an MBA from American Intercontinental University. He also has completed doctoral courses at the University of Houston and Xavier University, New Orleans.
Please join me in congratulating Chinten on his appointment.
Sincerely,
Luis E. Lewin
Associate Vice Chancellor
for Human Resources