New Senior Diversity Officer Joins Carlson School

A leader with deep diversity, equity, and inclusion experience in business and academics, Angela Spranger, PhD, MBA, is the Carlson School’s first senior diversity officer and founding director of the Center for DEI in Business. Carlson School Dean Sri Zaheer made the announcement on February 25 in an email to faculty, staff, and students, following a nationwide search.

In this role, Spranger will lead engagement and advocacy for diversity and inclusion initiatives at the Carlson School as well as establish the new center’s mission of advancing these efforts across the business community. Establishing this position and center are key parts of the Carlson School’s commitment to creating a more inclusive and equitable community.

“Angela’s experience in a business school environment and leading DEI efforts at a university level, her entrepreneurial spirit and record, and her enthusiasm for advancing DEI will make her an excellent addition to our community,” says Dean Zaheer. “The feedback we received from faculty, staff, and students was very supportive of Angela. While DEI has always been a priority at the Carlson School, hiring a new senior diversity officer and dedicating resources to establish the center will further enhance our commitment to integrate equity and inclusion into everything we do.”

Spranger plans to join the Carlson School on April 1, 2022. She comes from Christopher Newport University (CNU) in Virginia where she served as the chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer in the Office of the President for the past two years. There, she helped cultivate a welcoming culture on campus, recruit and retain top talent, expand community engagement, and effectively communicate the university’s efforts for inclusive excellence. Prior to that position, she was an assistant professor at CNU’s Luter School of Business, where she taught management and marketing courses. Also a former defense industry corporate trainer, she is an expert in implementing performance improvement and quality techniques in the workplace. Spranger runs her own consulting practice as well.

"I'm grateful and honored for the opportunity to serve as the inaugural Senior Diversity Officer at the Carlson School, and to launch the Center for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Business with an awesome team of colleagues and community partners," says Spranger. "I was beyond impressed with the depth of expertise and engagement shown by Carlson School faculty, staff, alumni, and Board members thus far, on the journey towards inclusive excellence."

Spranger holds a PhD in organizational leadership from Regent University in Virginia, an MA in human and organizational learning from The George Washington University, an MBA from Virginia Commonwealth University, and a BA in psychology from Duke University.