Ame Lambert of South Burlington has been named Champlain College’s new Senior Director of Diversity and Inclusion. She began work at the College in late November.
The office hosts events including a brown-bag lunch series with featured guest speakers from the community, various month-long celebrations with topics such as Asian Heritage, Black History, International Films and Native Americans.
One of the first events Lambert is planning will coincide with the observance of Martin Luther King Day. In partnership with Champlain Theater, a presentation of “Martin Luther King’s Letter” will be held Monday, Jan. 24 at 7 p.m. in the Alumni Auditorium. The free event, open to the public, will feature Edgar Davis, a professional actor from the community, as Martin Luther King.
“We hope events like this will bring in a large amount of support from faculty and students and the community. Champlain’s MLK Day event is being held a week after the official observance so our students can participate in other community events in Burlington,” Lambert said.
Lambert says her work ethics derive from a quote by noted engineer and educator Peter Senge, “Superior performance comes from superior learning.” There is a great foundation at Champlain College on which to build our future diversity and inclusion programs, especially in working with staff and faculty, she noted.
“It is about equipping champions to do what they are passionate about and what they want to do. People have been asking how to address bias incidents, how to create inclusive communities, how to weave diversity discussions into the classroom and co-curricular activities. People want knowledge they can apply and it is our responsibility as the office of diversity and inclusion to provide that information and be a resource,” Lambert explained.
Prior to Champlain, Lambert was Director of Intercultural Affairs at Northwest Missouri State University. She is a graduate of Baylor University and earned her Master’s degree in Human Resources and Labor Relations from Michigan State University.
Since 1878, Champlain College has provided career-focused education to students from its hilltop campus in Burlington, Vt. Champlain's distinctive educational approach embodies the notion that true learning only occurs when information and experience come together to create knowledge. Champlain offers study abroad programs in Montreal, Quebec and Dublin, Ireland. The College was named a "Top-Up-and-Coming School" by U.S. News & World Report's America's Best Colleges. It is also ranked in the top tier of 2011 Regional Colleges in the North by U.S. News & World Report. Champlain College’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion supports groups such as the LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning) Alliance, the International Group and STAND (Students Anti-Genocide Coalition). The office also provides English language tutoring to refugee and international students and is committed to diversity through its unique programs and scholarships, she explained.