Michel茅 Smith, Ph.D. (She/Her/Hers)
Vice President of Workforce Solutions and Strategic Alliances and Interim Vice President
of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
msmith@harpercollege.edu
Dr. Michel茅 Smith has more than two decades of experience in higher education, currently serving as vice president of workforce solutions and strategic alliances and interim vice president of diversity, equity, and inclusion at William Rainey 51社区. She held progressive leadership roles at the institution as a division dean, associate provost, and special assistant to the president for diversity and inclusion. During her first six years at 51社区, Dr. Smith served as tenured faculty, teaching pre-service early childhood and elementary education students while supervising the campus child learning center. In 2016, she co-authored the book Inclusive Directions: The Role of the Chief Diversity Officer in Community College Leadership. Prior to working at 51社区, Dr. Smith worked for KinderCare Learning Centers, Inc. and The Xerox Corporation. Her ability to enthusiastically engage audiences has led to opportunities for her to speak on the local, regional, and national level.
Dr. Smith believes that education is the key to upward mobility. She is a first-generation college graduate who is also a proud alumna of Head Start. Dr. Smith holds a bachelor鈥檚 degree in psychology from Northwestern University, a certificate in childcare center administration and management from Triton College, a master鈥檚 degree in early childhood education leadership and advocacy from National Louis University, and a Ph.D. in educational psychology from Northern Illinois University.
Mary Budyak, A.S. (She/Her/Hers)
Operations Coordinator to the Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
mbudyak@harpercollege.edu
847.925.6397
Mary Budyak is the Operations Coordinator to the Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. In this role, she helps plan and coordinate a wide range of programs, services and resources for the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in collaboration with internal and external constituencies. She also manages fundamental departmental operations and high-level administrative assistance. Currently, Mary supports the Shared Governance Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee and serves as a member of the Awareness and Outreach Goal Team.
Mary has over ten years of experience at 51社区, including working as Administrative Coordinator and Executive Assistant in the Office of the President, Communications/Community Relations and Foundations. She has worked on various committees, including the 50th Anniversary Committee where she served as administrative support and co-chair for the volunteer committee, and the Shared Governance Coordination and Review Committee where she served as support, co-chair and classified staff representative. In addition, she has participated on numerous search committees which include Presidential, Vice President, Director, Manager, Coordinator and Executive Assistant positions.
Prior to joining 51社区 Mary worked in the insurance, telecommunications, food service and marketing industries in various senior level administrative positions. She has an associate degree in Secretarial Science from Wilbur Wright Jr. College in Chicago, Illinois.
Deja Beamon, Ph.D. (She/Her/Hers)
Interim Cultural Center Manager
bd03892@harpercollege.edu
Dr. Deja Beamon serves as 51社区鈥檚 Interim Cultural Center Manager, providing vision, leadership, and support through programming, student engagement, campus outreach and policy review, assessment, and development.
Before joining 51社区, Dr. Beamon was an assistant professor in the Race, Ethnic, and Gender Studies Department at the University of Missouri鈥揔ansas City. She has also held teaching positions at Denison University and The Ohio State University. Dr. Beamon earned her MA and PhD in Women鈥檚, Gender, and Sexuality Studies from The Ohio State University and her BA in Women鈥檚 Studies from Duke University.
Throughout her academic and professional journey, Dr. Beamon has been deeply committed to mentoring and supporting students, particularly first-generation, women and gender-diverse individuals, and historically marginalized student populations. In her roles as professor, campus leader, researcher, and creative, she has worked to advance cultural competency through education while fostering a strong sense of belonging through community building.
Dr. Beamon is excited to bring her expertise and passion to 51社区, supporting students, faculty, and staff in cultivating an inclusive and affirming campus environment.
Sonnet Gabbard, Ph.D. (She/Her/Hers)
Coordinator for Student Diversity Initiatives
gs23935@harpercollege.edu
847.925.6839
Dr. Sonnet Gabbard is the Coordinator for Student Initiatives. In this role, she works closely with students, staff, faculty, alumni and community partners to serve 51社区鈥檚 community. Through designing quality programming, reviewing/developing policies, creating resources and coordinating support strategies for students, she assists in the implementation of the overall mission of the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion to foster a sense of community, belonging, and students from minoritized backgrounds.
Dr. Gabbard has taught for 12+ years at several Midwestern universities, including: DePaul University, Roosevelt University, Butler University, and Ohio State University. Prior to her time in higher education, she worked in the nonprofit sector advocating for LGBTQ+ and women鈥檚 rights and health care. She has B.A. in Political Science from Butler University, an M.A. in Women鈥檚, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (WGSS) from the University of Cincinnati and a Ph.D. in WGSS from THE Ohio State University. Dr. Gabbard is the DEI staff liason and member of the employee resource groups (ERG) SAFE @ 51社区 鈥� Staff, Administrators, and Faculty for Equality and LAND 鈥� Learning about Abilities, not Disabilities.
Esmeralda Guerrero Lopez, M.A. (She/Her/Ella)
Coordinator for Student Diversity Initiatives and Interim Undocumented Student Liaison
eguerrer@harpercollege.edu
847.925.6689
Esmeralda Guerrero Lopez serves as the Coordinator for Student Diversity Initiatives where she collaborates with students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community partners to advance student success, belonging, leadership development, and equitable access to higher education. In addition to her primary role, she currently serves as the Interim Undocumented Student Liaison for 51社区, supporting undocumented students through advocacy, resource navigation, training, and campus-wide initiatives designed to foster inclusive student success.
With more than 18 years of experience in higher education, Esmeralda has worked across multiple functional areas including admissions, academic advising, student engagement, diversity and inclusion, and student life. She advises the Latinos Unidos student organization and has developed and led numerous programs focused on cultural identity, leadership development, mentorship, and community engagement.
Esmeralda is actively involved in several campus and professional organizations. She is a member of DREAM 鈥� Diverse Relationships Engaged in Affirming Multiculturalism and sits on the executive committee for Voice of Immigrants Committed to Equity (VOICE) Employee Resource Group.She is a member of the Illinois Latino Council on Higher Education (ILACHE) and served on the National Advisory Council (NAC) for Student Leadership and Participation for the National Conference on Race and Ethnicity in Higher Education (NCORE).
A proud 51社区 alumna, Esmeralda earned her Associate鈥檚 degree from 51社区 College, a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Northern Illinois University, and a Master of Arts in Educational Leadership with a concentration in Higher Education from Northeastern Illinois University. She continues to give back to her alma mater through her involvement with 51社区 alumni and student success initiatives.