Evan T. Green
After a nationwide search, The School of Business at Portland State University has appointed Evan T. Green as its executive director of justice, equity, diversity and inclusion (JEDI). Green’s 18-year career has been centered on JEDI work within nonprofit and higher education institutions, most recently serving as PSU’s assistant director of diversity and equity outreach for undergraduate business programs.
In his new role, Green reports to The School of Business Dean Cliff Allen and is responsible for developing and leading initiatives that will create more equitable outcomes for students, alumni, faculty and staff.
“Funding and filling this position has been a priority for several years,” said Allen. “Everyone has a role in advancing JEDI. Evan will streamline our efforts and empower our community to work toward a shared vision. His leadership will be especially critical in preparing our faculty and staff to serve an increasingly diverse student body.”
This role will allow Green to broaden his impact and influence as he builds upon his four years of work at PSU. He will continue to oversee ATMOS and Summer Business Institute — two programs proven to boost recruitment and retention among historically underserved undergraduate business students — and will also focus on continuous improvement across undergraduate and graduate business student success, pedagogy, workplace culture, faculty and staff hiring and retention, and partnerships.
“I’ve long desired to spearhead high-level JEDI initiatives that impact a wide range of stakeholders,” said Green. “PSU’s commitment to change at all levels has been apparent during my time here. I’m ready to shift the culture more intently toward one where JEDI is core to everyday operations and thinking, not an add-on.”
To that end, Green hopes that people in roles like his will eventually work themselves out of the job. He knows that will require enduring policies, systems, structures and cultures that make all people feel comfortable, nurtured and supported.
“Considering race, for example, PSU’s business student population will soon be minority majority,” Green said. “That’s much more diverse than our faculty and staff population, as well as our regional workforce. We need more representation of all identities in our classrooms, from instructors to course content, in order to empower students to succeed at PSU and after they graduate.”
Green believes that what happens in The School of Business shapes what happens in business. He explained that students often graduate with transformational mindsets, thinking critically about how they can shift the status quo and use business for good.
“Our alumni are pushing workplaces and entire industries toward more equitable practices that set everyone up for success, regardless of identity,” he said.
Green’s work will align with The School of Business Strategic Plan and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Action Plan, including leading the Inclusive Business Strategic Initiative and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Advisory Council. He will manage a $25,000 budget in his first year, in addition to existing programmatic budgets within his portfolio. Green supervises three staff members focused on student success, from recruitment to PSU to job placement.
Green is a Ph.D. candidate in African Studies at Howard University and holds a Masters of Urban Planning from State University of New York at Buffalo and Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Virginia State University.