Groundbreaking Voices: The First DEI Conference at King’s College

On Sept 29, 2025, King’s College held its first Diversity Conference, ‘Digging Into DEI: Forging Connections’ from 9 a.m. through 2:15 p.m., at the Sheehy-Farmer Campus Center. The conference featured outstanding presentations by external speakers and faculty, staff, and students.  

This conference was sponsored by the King’s DEI Committee, which was formed in September 2021 to help raise awareness of the growing diversity on campus, identify obstacles to inclusion, and ensure that King’s College continues to be a welcoming environment for all. 

Marc A. Lo, Executive Director Penn First Plus, The University of Pennsylvania, delivered the conference’s keynote address.  

Dr. Lo spoke about how instructors and professional staff can have a profound impact on equity in the outcomes and experiences of first-generation college students. He also shared that success as inclusive educators stems both from the relationships they foster between themselves, and with students and their communities. 

This conference also featured 10 special sessions with different external and internal speakers. Topics included Kindness is Justice, Human Rights and DEI, and Practicing Hope within Holy Cross, the last of which was presented by the King’s College honor students. 

Dr. Ayesha Ray, Political Science professor and chair of the DEI Committee, said planning for the conference began late last semester. It was the first diversity conference at King's, which she believed was a big step in raising awareness about diversity on campus. She sought presentations on a variety of different themes like DEI and the Holy Cross Identity, first-generation students, microaggressions, leadership, and mental health.  

“The conference was a major success,” said Dr. Ray. “Students and faculty from departments across campus actively participated and engaged with presenters during sessions.”   

“Our motto is championing the inherent dignity of every person and we are tremendously grateful to have the guidance of our president, Fr. Tom Looney,” she continued.  “Marc Lo brought a breadth of experience and wisdom to King's during his keynote address and workshop, which was so well-attended. It was also a great opportunity for first-generation students to hear from a speaker who was himself a first-generation student.” 

“The Practicing hope: Holy Cross and DEI at King’s session was impactful to me; it challenged me to learn not just about our community's past, but to look at brighter possibilities as well,” said Braeden Wood, a King’s honor student. “The biggest takeaway for me from the conference is that DEI starts at the individual level. Anything that you can do as an individual to include others in a fair, respectful and meaningful way to work towards the greater goal can create meaningful connections and outcomes that spark positive change in our community.”