Dina Zavala

Dr. Dina Zavala is the vice president for inclusion, equity and community (VPIEC) at Carleton College. She will begin her new role on June 1, 2023, joining the President’s Cabinet and leading the new Division of Inclusion, Equity and Community.

Dina brings a wealth of experience to Carleton, with many years of work in higher education as a faculty member and administrator. Previously interim vice chancellor for diversity and inclusion at University of Wisconsin La Crosse (UWL), she spent three years as UWL’s inaugural assistant vice chancellor for diversity and inclusion, including two years serving as director of equity and affirmative action officer. She also served as director of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion at Mayville State University for three years. Prior to that, she was a faculty member and director of the Spanish program at Valley City State University for eight years.

As VPIEC, Dina will provide vision and strategic direction for policy and programming around all aspects of inclusion, equity and community. She will play a leadership role in the implementation of Carleton’s Community Plan for Inclusion, Diversity and Equity—a 10-year plan finalized in the spring of 2022 that seeks to improve the institutional experience of all community members and to fulfill the college’s aspirations to be an inclusive, diverse and equitable institution in ways that are concrete and measurable.

Dina holds a Ph.D. in education from North Dakota State University, an M.A. in instruction from Saint Mary’s University, and an undergraduate degree in modern languages from the University of Wisconsin River Falls.