Commission on Diversity

Sen. Turner is a practicing hospitalist and Associate Professor of Medicine at Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York City. Born and raised in Brooklyn, where he still lives with his family, he completed his undergraduate studies in Black Studies and Biology at Amherst College and received his medical degree from Mount Sinai Medical School in New York City. After completing his residency and chief residency in internal medicine at NYP/Columbia in 2002, Dr. Turner joined the faculty of Columbia University's Vagelos School of Physicians and Surgeons where he has been an Advisory Dean since 2010 and is Faculty Advisor for the Black and Latino Student Organization (BALSO). He has clinical and research interests in medical education and diversity in medicine.

Sen. Wena Teng (CC’25) is a Senior at Columbia College, studying race/ethnicity studies and history with a specialization in political economy on the pre-law track. In the University Senate, she serves on the Student Affairs Committee, Education Committee, and the Commission on Diversity.

Born and raised in Queens New York, and attending Columbia as a proud First-Generation student, Wena understands the importance of community relations, financial security, housing, labor rights, and more. She is excited to take these experiences to the University Senate, with a focus on continuing to grow student life on campus and in our city through improvements in diversity, student affairs, labor justice, financial accessibility, and community solidarity.

As a Laidlaw Scholar, Truman Scholar (NY), and legal research assistant, Wena is dedicated to studying and building a career in immigration and labor law. Her experiences drive her political and legal advocacy to build inclusive and multilateral institutions for migration labor and diasporic communities. Educated in New York City Public Schools, she has served as a director of the educational equity nonprofit IntegrateNYC and has been involved in local elections. Her dedication to labor and immigration rights has been nourished by her experiences as a White House Intern and organizer with the Urban Justice Center. 

Outside of the University Senate, Wena served as Co-President of the Asian American Alliance, Director of the Diversity, Equity, and Social Justice Team of the Columbia Undergraduate Law Review, and a member of the Columbia Pops Orchestra and the Housing Equity Project. Though Wena is on the pre-law track, she is also a fan of tea culture, and literature, plays the Chinese harp (guzheng), and might just open a bookstore/teahouse one day. 

Sen. Ovita Williams is Executive Director of the Action Lab for Social Justice and Lecturer in Discipline at Columbia School of Social Work. Dr. Williams worked with survivors of intimate partner violence in the forensic social work arena with ten years of experience in the Counseling Services Unit at the Kings County District Attorney’s Office. Prior to this position, Dr. Williams was a child and family therapist at the Children’s Aid Society. She is currently involved in racial equity facilitation and committed to social justice and ending gender-based violence. Dr. Williams has developed and facilitated interactive workshops for social workers, managers, and practitioners on facilitating courageous dialogues around our intersecting identities. At Columbia, Dr. Williams collaborates with students, alumni, faculty and administrators on the development of the course Decolonizing Social Work through a power, race, oppression, privilege (PROP) framework. The course centers undoing anti-Black racism and dismantling white supremacy culture.

Sen. Natalie Voigt, Ph.D., MSN, RN, is Assistant Professor of Nursing at CUMC. She has been a nurse for 17 years and has been working as faculty in the Masters Direct Entry Program for the past four years. Dr. Voigt prides herself on being an active listener, a servant leader, and helping to create environments that are inclusive for all participants. She believe in the importance of diversity of thought and respectful dissent. For the past two years, Dr. Voigt has served as University Senator on the External Relations and Research Policy Committee and on the Commission on Diversity. Her contributions include collaborating on the Resolution to Reaffirm the University’s Commitment to Excellence through Diversity, efforts to further clarify the process around student bias reporting to EOAA, and the Resolution to Include Caste as a Protected Category in Columbia University's Non-Discrimination Statement, co-sponsored by the Student Affairs Committee, the Commission on Diversity, and the Commission on the Status of Women. Dr. Voigt hopes to continue to bring this spirit of advocacy and inclusivity as a University Senator to serve the greater Columbia community and help make our campus a more equitable place where all may thrive.

Sen. Melinda Aquino (she/hers) is the Associate Dean of Multicultural Affairs in Undergraduate Student Life, Columbia College and Columbia Engineering. Working at Columbia University since 2005, she brings a long history of advocacy and community building; deep understanding of campus culture and dynamics; collaborative relationships across the University; and dedication to equity, access, and inclusion. Her 25+ year career in higher education has centered educational access and equity, intergroup dialogue and facilitation training, climate assessment and advocacy, conflict resolution, and restorative justice. She holds a B.A. in English Literature from the University of Florida, M.A. in English Literature from the University of Miami (Florida), M.A. in Cinema Studies from New York University, and a M.S. in Negotiation and Conflict Resolution from Columbia University. She is the proud mother of four young children, who are often seen attending student cultural events around campus with her.

Sen. Maria Martinez is a first-generation Latina from Miami. On the University Senate, Maria co-chairs the Student Affairs Committee, and serves on the Executive Committee and the Commission on Diversity.

Maria has immersed herself in the ethnic mosaic of Columbia culture, proudly advocating to the Columbia Administration on behalf of the unique student population and the vibrant Harlem community. Whether organizing a drive to support Harlem families or researching the COVID-19 protocols of peer institutions, Maria knows what students value in their undergraduate experience. When the powerful voices of students unite, they can enact meaningful societal change, starting with Columbia – what motivated Maria to run for the University Senate. Maria hopes to bring light to these issues and to give back to the community.

Sen. Helen Han Wei Luo is a Philosophy PhD student whose dissertation centers the relationship between ethics and etiquette, following the Confucian tradition. Her research is partly supported by the SSHRC doctoral fellowship. Raised in Vancouver, she holds a B.A. in French and Political Science from Simon Fraser University and a M.A. in Philosophy from the University of British Columbia. A creative writer in her spare time, some of her representative work is featured at the CBC Literary Prizes, in The Plentitudes Journal, and in the Best of Canadian Poetry 2023 anthology.

The Rev. Dr. Andrea C. White is Associate Professor of Theology and Culture at Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York. She has served as Executive Director of the Society for the Study of Black Religion and chair of the Black Theology Unit for the American Academy of Religion. Her research specializes in womanist theology and critical theory, philosophy of religion and phenomenology.

Her forthcoming volume is The Scandal of Flesh: Black Women’s Bodies, God, and Politics. She is also the author of The Back of God: A Theology of Otherness in Karl Barth and Paul Ricoeur, and editor of several future volumes including, Political Theology on Edge with Catherine Keller and Clayton Crocket, and The State of Black Theology.

She serves on the editorial boards for the Journal of the American Academy of Religion, the Wabash Center Journal on Teaching, the Black Theology Papers Project, and she is editor of the web forum Love, Struggle Resist, a critical, social and political forum for the progressive multireligious community.

Dr. White is a recipient of both the Lilly Theological Research Faculty Fellowship from The Association of Theological Schools and The Louisville Institute Book Grant for Minority Scholars.

She has delivered lectures in Brazil, Denmark, India, Scotland, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, and across the United States. She sits on the advisory boards for the Karl Barth Society of North America and Logia at the Logos Institute for Analytic and Exegetical Theology at the University of St. Andrews, Scotland. She has served as a member of the Committee on the Status of Racial and Ethnic Minorities in the Profession and with the Theology and Religious Reflection steering committee for the American Academy of Religion. She also serves on the Committee on Teaching about the United Nations and is a founding member of The Carter Center’s Scholars in Action created to address gender violence against women and girls.

Dr. White is a recipient of Emory University’s 2016 Martin Luther King Jr. Community Service Award.

Prior to her appointment at Union, she served on the faculty at Emory University’s Candler School of Theology and Department of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. She holds a Ph.D. in theology from The University of Chicago Divinity School, a Master of Divinity from Yale Divinity School with a concentration in philosophy of religion, and a Bachelor of Arts from Oberlin College with honors in philosophy. She is also an ordained American Baptist minister and served as a church pastor, hospice chaplain, and chaplain for children and adults with developmental disabilities.

Anamika Sharif is a junior at the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science, where she is pursuing a degree in civil engineering. Anamika is originally from Atlanta, Georgia, and she is deeply committed to using her engineering skills to address socio-economic disparities and promote equity through sustainable design. Currently, Anamika holds the position of First Generation Low Income (FGLI) Representation on the Engineering Student Council, where she advocates for the interests and needs of underrepresented students in the engineering undergraduate student body. In addition to her leadership role, she is actively engaged in research with the Morningside Park Pond Project, exploring innovative ways to design sustainable stormwater infrastructure. Her work focuses on creating solutions that not only manage stormwater effectively but also enhance community resilience and environmental stewardship.

Sen. Alex Roman is pursuing an M.A. in Education Policy at Teachers College, with a concentration in law and education. He is the son of a public school teacher, who fueled his passion for education reform and challenged him to think critically about the education system. While a student in Chicago Public Schools, Alex witnessed the city close more than 100 public schools in Black and Brown neighborhoods and reopen them as charter schools, effectively displacing students from their neighborhoods and forcing them to attend for-profit charters. This experience pushed him to pursue graduate studies. In 2022, Alex graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a B.S. in Education Studies, a B.S. in Political Science, and a minor in Chicano/a and Latino/a Studies. He is thrilled to represent Teachers College and looks forward to collaborating with colleagues in the pursuit of progress.

Adina joined the Office of the Provost in October 2015. She currently serves as Chief of Staff to the Provost. On the University Senate, Adina serves on the Commission on Diversity.

Previously, Adina was a member of the Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty Advancement. There she developed and led the faculty diversity and advancement portfolios, as well as the university’s new Inclusive Faculty Pathways initiative, which aims to support and grow pathway programs, expand access to graduate programs, and support trainees in pursuit of an academic career. Prior to joining the Office of the Provost, Adina accrued more than a decade of experience in admissions and student affairs at Columbia, at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. At Columbia Engineering, she served as Associate Director of Graduate Admissions and Student Affairs for the Industrial Engineering and Operations Research department. She also has extensive experience in politics and advocacy, including time at the Children’s Defense Fund New York office and New York’s Working Families Party. Adina is currently the Vice President of the Board of Education of the City School District of New Rochelle.

Adina received her bachelor’s degree in urban studies from Columbia College and her master’s degree in politics and education from Teachers College, where she is currently a doctoral candidate in education policy. Her current research involves the relationship between gender and racial/ethnic diversity at elite post-secondary institutions.