Wanda H. Email and Phone Number

Wanda H. is a Vice Provost for Community Culture and Engagement at Carnegie Mellon University. Colleagues describe them as "Wanda and I both joined senior leadership at Carnegie Mellon around the same time. I wanted to align our strategies in the Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty with her framework for inclusive excellence to support better career pathways for CMU's faculty. She was my go-to strategic partner and the person I turned to most for her deep experience with universities and leadership. In fact, she's still my go-to person, even though I've shifted into a different position. Wanda is, in a word, excellent." and "Dr. Wanda Heading-Grant has this outstanding ability to envision possibilities and invite people along to dream and design with her. Never have I felt so connected to and constructively challenged by a leader. She is a visionary who knows she cannot do it alone- and I firmly believe she does not want to. While working with her, I saw her carefully watch and listen to the people around her and then lift them up. It is no secret that the year 2020 was a challenge for many. It was fascinating to see Dr. Heading-Grant take on 2020 in so many ways through creating opportunities of community, connection, education, and elevation. I think many would take 2020 as a pass to do less and focus on surviving but Dr. Heading-Grant took it as an invitation to thrive. She percevered and created virtual events that unpacked systemic racism on many levels including educational institutions, health care, and policing. When people reached out to ask for trainings and guidance, she said yes -- on top of everything else she was managing and creating. She worked quickly to translate many of our insitution's traditional celebrations and events to meaningful online experiences. Through community listening sessions she found ways to provide validation when our community needed it most. I am grateful to have been able to work under Dr. Heading-Grant for two of my years at The University of Vermont. She has changed me as an educator, practitioner, and human. "