Latest updates from the Anti-Racism Taskforce - 1/24/2022

Conversation Overview

Latest updates from the Anti-Racism Taskforce at Antioch University. Led by Antioch Chancellor Bill Groves with Monique Bowen, Melissa Kirk, and Maria-Judith Rodriguez Herrera.

Dr. Monique Bowen is a Professor in the Department of Clinical Psychology at Antioch University New England. She is a three-term member of the UAC and Co-Chair of Antioch's Anti-Racism Taskforce.

Dr. Bowen also maintains an appointment as Clinical Instructor, Department of Psychiatry at SUNY Downstate Medical Center, where she serves as co-Principal Investigator of a retrospective, chart review study of forensic cases involving family violence. She was most recently employed at Kings County Hospital Center as a psychologist (part-time) on the forensic psychiatry service. In addition to her selection as Early Career Scholar, Division 39, of the American Psychological Association (2014) and Research Training Program Fellow with the Psychoanalytic Psychodynamic Research Society at the Yale Child Study Center (2013), Dr. Bowen is a 2016 graduate of the Columbia University Center for Psychoanalytic Training and Research (Child and Adolescent Division) certificate program in school consultation for psychologists.

Dr. Bowen is a member and served as chair (2016-2017) of the Continuing Education Committee of the New York State Psychological Association (NYSPA), and she serves as At-Large member of the board for the section on couple and family therapy and psychoanalysis of Division 39, APA. She is a 2012 graduate of the doctoral program in clinical psychology located at The Graduate Center (City College of NY campus), where she was an inaugural (2007) New York Life Fellow in the Colin Powell Center for Policy Studies at CCNY. Dr. Bowen has co-authored a training manual and authored one peer-reviewed article, two book chapters, and recent book reviews of “The African American Experience” and “Specialty Competencies in Psychoanalysis in Psychology” for Psychoanalytic Psychology (APA journal). She maintains research and scholarly interests in the following areas: familial and interpersonal violence; coping and resilience across childhood and adolescence; forensic assessment and clinical interviewing; and the application of psychoanalytic ideas to social problems.

Melissa A. Kirk, EdD joined Antioch University in January 2020 as the Assistant Vice Chancellor for Student Success. In July 2020, she transitioned into the role of Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. She serves as the University’s Chief Student Services Officer, Chief Retention Officer, and Title IX Officer. Additionally, she oversees numerous academic affairs and student services areas, including the University Registrar, Institutional Effectiveness, the University-Wide Institutional Review Board (IRB), Integrated Student Services (ISS), Student Conduct, the Virtual Writing Center, and International Student Services. She also works directly with the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and University Provost on strategic academic affairs projects central to Antioch’s mission.

Prior to joining Antioch, Kirk served as a member of two Academic and Student Affairs leadership teams for more than seventeen years: CUNY Bronx Community College and CUNY Lehman College. Most recently, she served as the Chief of Staff to the Provost and Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs and Student Success at Lehman College.

Kirk holds a BA in Sociology from the State University of New York at Cortland, an MA in Special Education with K-12 certification, from Fairfield University, and an EdD in Education Policy and Administration from the University of Minnesota.

Maria-Judith Rodriguez Herrera, MA/MBA serves as the Vice Chancellor for Human Resources at Antioch University. In this role, she oversees all aspects of the HR function and sets the strategic direction and efforts in alignment with the institution’s mission and growth directions.

Prior to Antioch, she served as Chief HR Officer and Title IX deputy Coordinator at Amherst College for a decade and earlier headed HR at the Puerto Rico-based Arecibo Observatory, a research center managed by Cornell University. She has a diverse professional background, which includes experiences within a variety of industries including education, consulting, pharmaceutical and manufacturing. She holds her MA in Industrial Organizational Psychology from the InterAmerican University of Puerto Rico and her MBA in Human Resources Management from the University of Phoenix.

Maria-Judith reports directly to the Chancellor and serves on the Chancellor’s Executive Team. She believes HR plays a critical strategic role in key areas of institutional success by fostering individual and organizational development, leading strategic efforts, and nurturing a work culture that embraces diversity and inclusion. She also believes in the importance of being an active citizen through community work, both professionally and personally.

William R. Groves, JD is the 22nd “President” or “Chancellor” of Antioch University. He has served as Chancellor since April, 2016. Chancellor Groves was hired in 2010 to establish the first Office of General Counsel for the University and served as Vice Chancellor and General Counsel for the University from 2010 to 2016. Prior to that, Groves was engaged as outside University Counsel for Antioch from 1979 to 2010 providing services to all its operating units, including Antioch College. He led the legal affairs of the University through the closure of the Antioch College campus in Yellow Springs, Ohio, and the eventual sale of assets to a new alumni-supported corporation which took over the college operations in 2009.

He is an honors graduate from Ohio University, Phi Beta Kappa, in 1976, and The Ohio State University College of Law in 1979. He also attended the Institute of Education Management (IEM) program of Harvard University, Graduate School of Education in 2013.