Meet Our Team

Meshea is the Vice President for the Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at WVU. As the Vice President, VP Poore leads the Division’s efforts to create, coordinate, administer and evaluate programming that is inclusive and supportive in order to achieve a sustainable environment that will attract and retain diverse and underserved faculty, staff and students.

Meshea is a long-time champion of underrepresented people. An attorney who served in the West Virginia House of Delegates from 2009 to 2014, she is an accomplished and sought-after motivational speaker, public and political leadership consultant and strategist. The Women’s Campaign Fund named her a “Game Changer” during her campaign for the U.S. House of Representatives for the West Virginia 2nd Congressional District. In 2017, she became the first African-American woman to be named president of the West Virginia State Bar since its 1947 founding. Prior to operating her own practice, she was an attorney in the Office of the Kanawha County Public Defender in Charleston, West Virginia. Meshea earned her bachelor's degree from Howard University in Washington, D.C., and her law degree from Southern University Law Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She also graduated from the Women's Campaign School at Yale University.

Richard Anderson is the Senior Executive Assistant to the Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. In his role, Richard assists the vice president in scheduling, office management, and budget management. Richard is a graduate of West Virginia State University with bachelor’s degrees in Political Science and Economics. In his previous role, Richard was a Research Analyst with the Performance Evaluation and Research Division of the West Virginia Legislature.

Kirsten is the Special Events Coordinator for the Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion where she organizes a variety of events such as WVU Diversity Week, the Colloquium, and Multicultural Graduation. Kirsten has a passion for event planning and enjoys working closely with student organizations. In her position, she hopes to promote inclusion on campus through various student events and diversity initiatives.

Akeya serves as Prevention Specialist for Title IX & Equity Assurance. She is also the lead instructor for the Peer Advocate Program, a student-centered violence prevention and advocacy service-learning course. She joins the Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion team with a background in community and clinical social work and experience with diverse populations and systems. Akeya supports the mission and vision of West Virginia University and the Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion by engaging students in becoming A.C.T. (ing) Bystanders to improve campus climate and overall safety of all Mountaineers.

J. Spenser Darden (He/They pronouns) is the Director of Diversity Initiatives and Community Engagement. He is responsible for promoting an inclusive climate through trainings, campus-wide programming, and outreach. As an alumnus of WVU, Spenser is honored to serve the University and enhance the Mountaineer experience.

Hana Elbarrawy, an international student from Egypt, is a junior studying political science. At the Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion she works as an office assistant and helps with events. Hana, who also serves as a Diversity Ambassador, is passionate about bringing people together by serving the community.

James Goins currently serves as the Director of Equity Assurance and the Title IX Coordinator in the Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. James provides senior-level leadership pertaining to all issues of civil rights and is responsible for the oversight of institutional equity compliance, including Title IX and ADA/Section 504 compliance, as well as relationship violence and sexual misconduct prevention, outreach, and education for the University and its regional campuses.

Sarah brings her experience as a public broadcasting journalist, higher education administrator, writer and project manager to her work leading DDEI marketing and communications initiatives. She facilitates effective communication and partnership between the division and University Relations to advance DDEI’s vision and values. Sarah earned her BA in International Studies from WV Wesleyan College and her MA in German from Middlebury College and has studied and worked abroad.

Jill Hess serves as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Coordinator for WVU and is responsible for investigating matters of disability-related discrimination. She provides direct service and accommodations to employees with disabilities on all WVU campuses and ensures institutional compliance with Title I and Title II of the ADA. Jill began her career as a consultant for the Job Accommodation Network (JAN), and in 2006 joined WVU’s Office of Accessibility Services (OAS) as a Rehabilitation Counselor, serving students and faculty members on the Morgantown, WVU Tech, and Potomac State College Campuses.

Omosede is a senior at West Virginia University who hopes to graduate in the Fall of 2019. She understands the importance of diversity and inclusion at a large university. She loves writing, reading and advocacy work. At the Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DDEI) and she works as an office assistant and helps promote the office's mission of creating a safe academic environment.  She has dreams of becoming a corporate lawyer and hopes to use her experience at DDEI to help her develop skills that are necessary to become an incredible lawyer.

Amy serves as a Senior Investigator with the Office of Equity Assurance within the Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Amy conducts investigations in response to reports of discrimination, harassment, sexual & domestic misconduct, stalking, and retaliation in accordance with WVU’s Board of Governors Governance Rule 1.6. Prior to joining WVU, Amy served as a Title IX Coordinator at a small private college. Amy is a proud West Virginian and is happy to serve at the state’s land-grant institution and fully embraces WVU’s mission.

Gabrielle is a second year PhD student in the Department of Sociology, with a focus on Criminology. Her research interests include rural crime, victimology, intersectionality, and gender. Her thesis examined the use of alternative sentencing methods for violent crimes. She currently works as a Graduate Assistant in the Division of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion on the prevention team and serves as co-editor of The Rural Criminologist newsletter.

As the Director of the Office for Innovative Inclusion and Outreach (OIIO), Robert Lyons’ goal is to support best practices across the University for those involved in inclusion and outreach efforts. OIIO is a resource for those willing to work on recruiting, retaining and sustaining the success of diverse students, faculty and staff at West Virginia University. We’re always interested in promoting innovative and effective approaches to inclusion and outreach.

Aryaunna is the Special Graduate Assistant to Vice President Meshea Poore at the Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion where she works in all things pivotal to the operation of the organization. She is extremely passionate about community outreach and human development. Aryaunna is a first-year graduate student in the College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences pursuing a degree in Sports Management. In her position, she hopes to make an impact on the students, staff, and faculty of West Virginia University.

Mike is a Title VII and Title IX Investigator with the Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Mike conducts investigations in response to complaints filed with the Office of Equity Assurance.

Before joining West Virginia University, Mike served as a member of the West Virginia State Police at the Morgantown Detachment for seven years. During that time, Mike was awarded the Medal of Valor and Lifesaving award.

Dominic assists the Director for Innovative Inclusion and Outreach with the data analysis of both general data and the data collected through the Division’s Campus Climate Survey. His analysis helps the division target programming and training to better serve marginalized groups on campus. Dominic additionally assists in multiple diversity programs through the Division.

RaeLynn is a Senior Investigator with the Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. She conducts investigations in response to complaints made to the Office of Equity Assurance in accordance with West Virginia Board of Governors Rule 1.6. RaeLynn is a graduate of West Virginia University College of Law, where she obtained her Juris Doctorate. She is a member of both the West Virginia and Pennsylvania Bar Associations.

Cindy is the Assistant Director for Prevention and Education for the Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. In her role, Cindy assists with oversight of Equity Assurance compliance and coordinates and delivers Title IX trainings to students, faculty and staff on campus.

Jordan is a senior at West Virginia University majoring in Sport Communication, Scholastic Coaching and Business Administration. Jordan has worked for the Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for 3 years and has recently completed an internship with the West Virginia Black Bears minor league baseball team. Jordan looks forward to every opportunity gets to assist with diversity initiatives and WVU Peer Advocate events. He believes that these events are instrumental in educating students and creating a culture of inclusion and safety throughout the campus.

Cortney serves as the Educational Outreach Specialist, and provides Children On Campus training to Members of the University Community. Cortney also serves as a private resource to students, faculty or staff who have been involved in Title IX related incidents. 

Danny is a Senior Investigator with the Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Danny conducts investigations in response to complaints made to the Office of Equity Assurance. Danny strives to conduct professional and equitable investigations to have a positive impact on the entire West Virginia University community.

Thomas is an undergraduate work study for the Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. He is a History major at West Virginia University who is particularly interested in the political, cultural and societal issues that face the United States. These factors led him to the Division of Diversity where he hopes to be a positive asset for the team. Thomas plans to attend the West Virginia College of Law following graduation with his B.A. from WVU.

David is an Investigator with the Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. David conducts investigations in response to Title VII and Title IX complaints made to the Office of Equity Assurance. David also provides information, consultation, and training to WVU students and employees in the areas of discrimination and harassment.

Sam Wilmoth works with WVU community members who have been affected by Title IX-related issues and want to talk through their options for reporting or services. He also offers training on a variety of issues related to diversity, equity & inclusion. Sam loves working with students, whose imaginations and intellectual abilities can help create a vastly kinder world.