SOUTHFIELD—Caryn Reed-Hendon has been named director of diversity, equity, and inclusion at Lawrence Technological University. Her appointment is effective Monday, Oct. 5.

“This is a new position and reflects our firm commitment and desire to improve services and programs in diversity and making the campus welcoming to all,” Lawrence Tech President Virinder Moudgil said in a statement announcing the appointment. “Dr. Reed-Hendon comes to LTU with remarkable career experiences and accomplishments. She has taught and published extensively about diversity and inclusion issues.”

Caryn Reed-Hendon

Reed-Hendon was previously director of diversity and inclusion for the Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine. Earlier, she was assistant director of orientation programs at the University of Michigan-Dearborn. And early in her career, she worked in the career services office at Lawrence Tech.

Reed-Hendon earned a PhD in educational leadership from Oakland University, after earning a Master of Arts in higher education administration from Eastern Michigan University and a Bachelor of Arts in communication studies from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. Among her professional honors: the 2015 National Emerging Leader Award from the National Association of Medical Minority Educators.

Reed-Hendon said that at Lawrence Tech, “I definitely hope to bring more understanding of how important diversity, equity, and inclusion is to the work that we all do. That’s inclusive of science, technology, engineering, math, the arts, everything. Also, through my work, I want to make Lawrence Tech a university that attracts individuals who want to do more in this particular arena as it impacts every facet of our lives. If everyone works together and we all get on the same page, we can become a leader in progressive diversity, equity, and inclusion solutions.”

She also noted that enhancing the institution in these areas “isn’t a quick-fix, overnight process. It is a process where people’s emotions might run high. It’s not my intention to make you think what I think. It’s to make you think about all the different systems that are in place for powers and privileges in society.”

Lawrence Technological University, www.ltu.edu, is a private university founded in 1932 that offers more than 100 programs through the doctoral level in its Colleges of Architecture and Design, Arts and Sciences, Business and Information Technology, and Engineering. PayScale lists Lawrence Tech among the nation’s top 11 percent of universities for the salaries of its graduates, and U.S. News and World Report lists it in the top tier of best Midwestern universities. Students benefit from small class sizes and a real-world, hands-on, “theory and practice” education with an emphasis on leadership. Activities on Lawrence Tech’s 107-acre campus include more than 60 student organizations and NAIA varsity sports.