Profile Pages
Photo of University Hall

View Profile Page

Faculty/Staff Login:

Photo of Sherlene Ayala

Sherlene Ayala

Senior Director, Student Success and Educator Excellence, Center for Student Success and Educator Excellence, College for Education and Engaged Learning

Office:
University Hall 3119A
Email:
ayalas@montclair.edu
Phone:
973-655-7635
vCard:
Download vCard

Specialization

- Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion facilitation, training, consultation for organizations
- Multicultural Competence teaching and training
- Campus Racial Climate
- Theory of Racialized Tasks in Organizations
- Student Affairs Administration
- Academic Affairs Administration

AWARDS & SCHOLARSHIPS:

- 2016 Distinguished Service Award, New Jersey Institute of Technology
- 2013 Jean Baker Miller Training Institute Scholarship Recipient
- 2013 National Conference on Race and Ethnicity (NCORE) Scholarship Recipient
- 2013 Montclair State University College of Education & Human Services Student Scholarship Recipient
- 2008 ACUI Region 3 Dr. Teresa Drummond Diversity Memorial Grant Recipient


CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS:

Ayala, S.; VanEss, M.; & Hernandez, A. (2020). UBUNTU: I Am Because We Are. NASPA Student Affairs Region 2 2020 Conference. Virtual.

Hennessy, K., Damell, K., Ayala, S., & Gonzalez, C. (2018). Doctorates and Diapers: Women’s journey navigating the doctoral degree with Children. Rutgers Student Affairs Conference. New Brunswick, NJ

Hennessy, K., Damell, K., Ayala, S., Gonzalez, C., & Lendoff, D. (2018). Doctorates and Diapers: Women’s journey navigating the doctoral degree with children. The 100th NASPA Annual Conference. Philadelphia, PA

Smith, L. S., Sheely-Moore, A., Ahluwalia, M., & Ayala, S. (2018). Your very existence is an act of rebellion: Promoting mentorship of women of color academics. The 35th Annual Winter Roundtable on Psychology and Education. New York, NY

Ayala, S. & Schafer, K. (2018). If not now then when: Facilitating the Supervision Experience to Increase Multicultural Competencies. New York University (NYU) Student Affairs Conference. New York, NY

Ayala, S., Hernandez, A., Min, R. K., & Maccarone, A. (2017) From Undergraduate Student Leaders to Graduate Students: Lessons Learned as New Supervisors. NASPA Region II Careers in Student Affairs Conference. Ewing, NJ

Panelist (2016). All Together Different Reunion: Addressing the State of Diversity in Higher Education. New Jersey Institute of Technology. Newark, NJ

Munoz, O., Rivera, C., & Ayala, S. (2015). Dismantling Presumed Incompetence: Testimonies and Transformative Strategies for Latinas in Higher Education. National Conference on Race & Ethnicity (NCORE). Washington, DC

Tubilleja, I., Diaz, D. & Ayala, S. (2015). Diversity and Social Justice at a STEM Institution. Rutgers University Committee to Advance our Common Purposes Conference (RUCACP). New Brunswick, NJ

Ayala, S. (2014). Panelist and Speaker for the EOP Career-Edge Weekend. Plattsburgh State University. Plattsburgh, NY

Ayala, S. (2014). A Personal Narrative of the NASPA 2014 National Conference: Latinas Pursuing Doctoral Degrees. Montclair State University Research Symposium. Montclair, NJ

Ayala, S. & Bautista-Pertuz, S. (2014). Latinas Innovate Through Virtual Support: Forming an Online Network to Support Latinas Pursuing Doctoral Degrees. NASPA Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education. Baltimore, MD

Ahluwalia, M., Ayala, S., Flores-Locke, A. & Walo-Roberts, S. (2014). Tired of Babysitting Racism: Moving Beyond Racial Battle Fatigue to Social Justice in Academia. Columbia University Teachers College 31st Annual Winter Roundtable on Cultural Psychology and Education. New York, NY

O’Halloran, K. & Ayala, S. (2013). Retention of Graduate Students of Color in Higher Education. Association of Adult Development and Aging: Diversity Within Personal and Professional Transition. New York, NY

Ayala, S. & Walo-Roberts, S. (2013). Disconnections on a College Campus: Using Relational Cultural Theory with Women of Color. Montclair State University Student Research Symposium. Montclair, NJ

Ayala, S. (2013). Being an Effective Faculty Officer. The Omicron Delta Kappa National Leadership Honor Society Drive-In. Albany, NY

Ayala, S. & Walo-Roberts, S. (2013). Disconnections on a College Campus: Using Relational Cultural Theory with Women of Color. NYU Student Affairs Conference. New York, NY

Grieger, I. & Ayala, S. (2010) Multicultural Competence and Diversity Training. IONA College Student Development Winter Retreat. New Rochelle, NY

Ayala, S. (2010) LaTeena Summit: Empowering Youth Latina Women to Follow their Goals. Girls, Inc. Westchester, NY

Ayala, S. and Lytle, A. (2010) All about Servant Leadership. GoNewRo Civic Engagement project. IONA College. New Rochelle, NY.

Ayala, S. and Grieger, I. (2010) Color of Fear: Let’s talk about institutional racism. Campus Security Officer retreat. IONA College. New Rochelle, NY

Grieger, I. & Ayala, S. (2009) Multicultural Organizational Development. IONA College Professional Development. New Rochelle, NY

Ayala, S. (2007) Living on a Community College Campus 101. Clinton Community College Youth Conference, Plattsburgh, NY

Ayala, S. (2006) Alcohol Summit. North-American Interfraternity Conference (NIC), Plattsburgh, NY


Office Hours

Fall

Monday
8:30 am - 4:30 pm
Tuesday
8:30 am - 4:30 pm
Wednesday
8:30 am - 4:30 pm
Thursday
8:30 am - 4:30 pm
Friday
8:30 am - 4:30 pm

Spring

Monday
8:30 am - 4:30 pm
Tuesday
8:30 am - 4:30 pm
Wednesday
8:30 am - 4:30 pm
Thursday
8:30 am - 4:30 pm
Friday
8:30 am - 4:30 pm

Links

Montclair State University does not endorse the views or opinions expressed in a faculty member's webpage or website. Consistent with the principles of academic freedom, the content provided is that of the author and does not express the opinions or views of Montclair State University.

Research Projects

Carrying the Weight : The Racialized Labor of Multicultural Center Directors of Color in Higher Education

Citation
Ayala, Sherlene Iris, "Carrying the Weight : The Racialized Labor of Multicultural Center Directors of Color in Higher Education" (2023). Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects. 1289.
https://digitalcommons.montclair.edu/etd/1289

Abstract
Race-based cultural centers (e.g., Black Cultural Centers) were established on college campuses in the 1960s in response to the neglect experienced by Black students (Chessman & Wayt, 2016; Gorski, 2019; Gorski & Chen, 2015; Hurtado et al., 1998; Joseph & Hirshfield, 2011; Smith, 2008). During the multiculturalism movement of the 1980s, some institutions eliminated race- based cultural centers and established Minority Student Services (MSS) to support all historically marginalized students under a centralized center (Patton, 2011; Patton & Hannon, 2008). Since the establishment of these cultural centers, scholars reported that directors experienced institutional roadblocks (e.g., lack of funding) and resistance from faculty, staff, and students (Harris & Patton, 2017; Hypolite, 2022a; Jenkins, 2016; Marcy, 2004; Patton et al., 2019; Reid & Ebede, 2018; Stewart & Bridges, 2011). However, the presented scholarship continued to focus on single race-based cultural centers. Therefore, the goal of this dissertation study was to understand the lived experiences of multicultural center directors of color. A total of 16 multicultural centers directors completed interviews, and data were analyzed through Critical Race Theory (CRT) and Theory of Racial Tasks (TRT). Findings suggest that multicultural center directors of color are hired by institutions of higher education to carry out racial tasks. As a result, employee inequities in higher education remain. Implications for counselor education programs, senior administrators, and researchers are provided.

Mitigating the “powder keg”: The experiences of faculty of color teaching multicultural competence.

Citation
Ahluwalia, M. K., Ayala, S. I., Locke, A. F., & Nadrich, T. (2019). Mitigating the “powder keg”: The experiences of faculty of color teaching multicultural competence. Teaching of Psychology, 46(3), 187–196. https://doi.org/10.1177/0098628319848864

Abstract
Teaching multicultural competence is a unique experience. Little is known, however, about the experiences of faculty of color teaching multicultural competence. In this phenomenological study, semistructured interviews were conducted with 12 faculty of color to explore their experiences teaching multicultural competence in counseling graduate programs and in the context of their universities. Five themes emerged including (1) dual threads of multicultural competence, (2) the most marginalized teach about diversity, (3) faculty of color go above and beyond (content) instruction, (4) challenges and benefits of teaching diversity courses, and (5) the impact of systems is powerful. These findings suggest that faculty of color experience teaching multicultural competence differently than their White counterparts and that these experiences have personal (e.g., burnout) and professional implications (e.g., tenure and promotion). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved)

Copyright
Holder: The Author(s)
Year: 2019