Staff
Formally, the Diversity Center staff help achieve the mission of Luther College by:
- Providing leadership opportunities for student groups
- Facilitating campus-wide diversity initiatives
- Assisting international and U.S. historically underrepresented students achieve their goals
- Supporting faculty development initiatives
- Enhancing projects carried out by other departments
Informally, staff members celebrate culture and family—in their own lives and in the lives of the students they serve.
Sheila Radford-Hill
Executive director
BA, Secondary Education, De Paul University
MA, American Studies, University of Pennsylvania
Graduate Certificate, Community Development, University of Illinois at Chicago
Ph.D. Humanities, Columbia Commonwealth University
The best families are proud of each other. As each member follows their individual dreams, they take time to contribute to their communities because they want to help make the world a better place. I am the proud mother of two wonderful children; Walter IV, who is not shown in this picture, is a talented photographer and graphic artist. My daughter, Ericka, is a spoken-word artist and a student at the Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences.
My husband, Walter III is an architect and a devotee of the Chicago School of Architecture. My grandchildren, Jade and Jared are fun and talented as well. Their dreams include becoming great artists, musicians, athletes, and entertainers. Together, our family enjoys sharing each other's accomplishments, telling jokes, playing board games, and dancing like our hair's on fire!
Amy Webber
International student coordinator
BA, Hope College
Ms. Ed., Northern Illinois University
As the international student coordinator in the Diversity Center, I work closely with international students to help them adjust to life in the United States and at Luther. Along with my colleagues I advise students on academic and personal matters, and provide crucial advice with regard to immigration regulations.
My husband Mark and I are parents of two sons, Andy and Pete, with whom we enjoy camping, boating, fishing, gardening and traveling together. I have taught school, operated a wilderness outfitting lodge, farmed, and directed a residential program for adults with disabilities, among other things, but I have felt very much at home here at Luther, working with international students since 1995. I love my job!
Wintlett Taylor-Browne
Director of student services
BS, International Relations and Personnel Management, University of the West Indies at Mona and University of Technology
Graduate Diploma in Education, University of the West Indies at Mona
MS, Public Administration, University of the West Indies at Mona
The fact that this picture is different from the others gives you a glimpse into the person I am. My being very different from the other members of the team makes for some interesting interactions that add spice to the office. Although I am one of eleven children (9 boys), I made sure to have only two children but somehow I have still managed to collect many children from all over the world. Someone once described me as having the gift of hospitality but more often than not I am described as a mother to all.
My daughter Sharlene is currently a graduate student at Iowa State University and my son Nigel lives and works in Minneapolis. He graduated from Luther in 2005. I am proud of both of them. Missing from the picture is my mother who lives with me and for whom I am the caregiver. My job gives me many wonderful opportunities to meet and work with both international students and american students of color and is both satisfying and rewarding. Little did I know that my years of teaching in Jamaica would give me the skill set needed to be effective in a job like this but it has.
Darlene Fossum-Martin
Program assistant
BS, Home Economics Education
"Darlene, when are we going to have another momo party"? is not an uncommon question here at the Diversity Center. It is amazing what one can learn and discover about another around the table.
Learning about, experiencing and appreciating different cultures and their traditions has always been an important part of my life and my family's life as well. Having traveled to several countries in Europe as well as the Mediterranean, and living in Norway for 5 years I have found that a country's culinary heritage is a great catalyst to communication and inspiration.
As a program assistant at the Diversity Center, I have the privilege of interacting with our international students and American students of color on a daily basis. It will not be uncommon to hear at the LDC a conversation in regards to food and culture as well as giving students an open invitation to come to my house and cook.
Education and history, especially in historical foodways, has also been my passion. That is why I moonlight as a traditional Scandinavian cooking instructor. Having Luther students from different culinary backgrounds along with cooking in our home has been an inspiration and learning experience for all of us.
My husband Jeff, an estimator for Calmar Manufacturing, son Ryan, a sophomore at Waldorf College, and daughter Sara, a junior at Decorah High School, have enjoyed helping the students prepare and sample various foods and in the process have also learned a great deal about acceptance not only for various foods but for people of different lands and cultures. Has learning about traditional foods and lifestyles from other cultures rubbed off on my family? You bet it has! Ask Ryan or Sara what their topic for their demonstration speeches in high school and college were and they will say, 'lefse'. What will their next speech/demonstration be on? Probably momos.