UNC Appoints First-Ever Executive Director for Belonging and Servingness

Tamara White, Ph.D., has been named as the University of Northern Colorado (UNC)’s first-ever executive director for Belonging and Servingness. She began her role on Monday, Aug. 31.

White previously served as associate dean of students at the University of Denver, providing leadership across the Division of Student Affairs. In that role, she supervised the directors of FIRST@DU (the university’s first generation student program), the Cultural Center and the Inclusion & Equity Education program (later Social Justice Education). She brings extensive experience supporting a wide range of student communities, including students of color, first generation students, neurodivergent students, LGBTQIA+ students, students navigating trauma and those facing complex personal or academic challenges. Her work is rooted in creating environments where every student feels seen, supported and able to thrive.

As she steps into this role, White brings extensive knowledge of the higher education environment in her home state of Colorado, having held positions at Front Range Community College, the Community College of Aurora, the Community College of Denver and the Colorado Department of Higher Education, where she served as director of Admission and Access Policy. She has served as a consultant in several states on inclusion and belonging topics and as an education policy advisor for the Office of the Lieutenant Governor of the State of Colorado.

“When I saw the listing for this job, I was so excited,” White said. “I love the title ‘Belonging and Servingness.’ Throughout my career, those two things have been priorities in the work I’ve done with and for students: creating a campus where they feel they belong and serving students so they can thrive. When I came to visit campus, I could tell how kind and caring the people at UNC are, and I’m excited to join the UNC team.”

White received a bachelor’s in business administration from the University of Denver and a master’s in college student personnel from Western Illinois University. She returned to DU for her doctoral studies and holds a doctorate in higher education, diversity and higher learning.