Dear Pacificans, 

As we move into the summer months, I find myself reflecting on the many ways our community continues to demonstrate leadership, courage and care in a rapidly changing social landscape. Across higher education and throughout the nation, conversations about diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging and justice continue to evolve. Yet amid this complexity, Pacific remains steadfast in its commitment to preparing students and strengthening our community through practices that advance human dignity, deepen understanding and cultivate opportunities for all. 

The month of June invites us to reflect on freedom, community and the responsibilities we share in creating a more just and inclusive world. Pacific joins communities across the nation in recognizing Juneteenth and celebrating Pride Month—two important observances that remind us of both the progress that has been made and the work that remains. 

Juneteenth (June 19th) commemorates the end of slavery in the United States and serves as a powerful reminder that freedom is not simply a historical achievement, but an ongoing commitment to equity and justice. It is also a time to celebrate Black resilience, excellence, culture and joy and to honor the generations of Black Americans whose contributions have shaped our communities, institutions and nation. Please join us for food, fun and community building at Pacific’s annual Juneteenth BBQ on Friday, June 19, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the DeRosa University Center.

Pride Month similarly honors the resilience, contributions and legacy of LGBTQ+ communities while affirming the importance of creating environments where all people can live, learn and work authentically. I invite you to march with Pacific's parade contingents at Sacramento Pride (June 14) and San Francisco Pride (June 28). These celebrations provide another opportunity for our community to demonstrate its commitment to belonging, visibility, and support for LGBTQ+ students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends.

Register to march in the Sacramento Pride Parade.
Register to march in the San Francisco Pride Parade.

These observances arrive at a moment when many institutions are navigating significant social, cultural and political challenges. Yet they also remind us why our work matters. Advancing diversity, equity and inclusion requires more than good intentions—it requires knowledge, reflection, action, and a willingness to engage across differences in ways that strengthen our community. 

Last month, more than 100 Pacificans gathered for the university’s 5th Annual Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Leadership Retreat, making it the largest retreat in the event’s history. Together, students, faculty, staff and administrators explored the theme Bridging Together through storytelling, dialogue and skill-building focused on cultivating deeper understanding and connection across differences. 

As we begin sharing the Bridging Together framework more broadly, I want to emphasize that bridging is not a replacement for Pacific's existing equity work. Rather, it builds upon the strong foundation our university has established over the past several years. 

In 2020, the Board of Regents and university leadership affirmed a vision for Pacific to become a model for diversity, equity and inclusion in higher education and embraced the aspiration of becoming an anti-racist university. Since then, our community has engaged a variety of concepts, frameworks and practices designed to help us advance that vision. When I started in my role as Chief Diversity Officer at Pacific in 2021, I brought the Institutionalizing Love framework as a foundation for advancing this work, one that calls us to lead with courage, compassion and a deep commitment to human dignity. We introduced the Anti-Racism Challenge in 2022 as a campus-wide opportunity for learning and reflection. Through our 2024 “DEI common read” of "Belonging Without Othering," we examined what it means to create genuine belonging while addressing the dynamics of exclusion and marginalization. We have also incorporated intercultural competence into selected programs and initiatives, providing research-informed tools that strengthen our ability to navigate difference effectively. 

Bridging is the newest addition to this body of work. It offers another framework for understanding how we can build relationships across differences while remaining committed to equity. Anti-racism, belonging, intercultural competence and bridging are not competing ideas. Rather, they are companion frameworks that work together to help our community develop the capacities needed for equity-minded leadership. 

Our university’s broader commitment to Institutionalizing Love continues to provide the foundation for all these efforts. Institutionalizing Love challenges us to lead with courage, curiosity and care for one another. It reminds us that our work is ultimately about creating the conditions for human flourishing and ensuring that every member of our community can succeed. 

At a time when division often dominates public discourse, I remain optimistic about what is possible. That optimism is not rooted in ignoring the challenges before us but, instead, is grounded in the knowledge that meaningful change occurs when people commit themselves to learning, relationship-building and collective action. Every day, I witness Pacificans demonstrating these commitments through their leadership, scholarship, service and care for one another. 

Thank you for helping us build a community that not only responds to the challenges of our time but also models what is possible when people come together in pursuit of a shared future. 

With appreciation, 

Mary J. Lomax-Ghirarduzzi, EdD

Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Professor of Communication