Thomas Dickens

Thomas Dickens is the Assistant Dean for Equity Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) and Chief Diversity Officer for University Libraries. As a member of University Libraries’ senior leadership, Thomas leads and facilitates organizational efforts to create a more equitable workplace, build a more inclusive organizational culture, and recruit and retain a workforce that reflects the increasing diversity of Ohio. He partners with key stakeholders from both the university and Libraries’ to further EDI objectives. Thomas leads the IDEAS committee and other cross-departmental teams to coordinate EDI initiatives across the organization and promote an inclusive, equitable service experience for library users.

Thomas has been an EDI practitioner in higher education for nearly 10 years. Prior to joining The Ohio State University, Thomas worked at the University of Michigan as the Diversity and Inclusion Specialist for the University Library. In this role, Thomas provided leadership, consultation, programming, and systems/data analysis around internal issues and external trends regarding diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice.

Thomas was also responsible for coordinating efforts connected to the library’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Five-Year Strategic Plan, which included designing and managing strategic objectives that aligned with library values as well as increasing transparency around efforts to create a more inclusive environment.