Fridays at Newcomb: Michelle Manno, “A Book Talk for Denied: Women, Sports, and the Contradictions of Identity”

Dr. Michelle Manno (she/they) is the Interim Chief Diversity Officer at Northwestern University. In this role, Dr. Manno oversees The Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion (OIDI) including The Women’s Center and Native American Indigenous Initiatives. She leads the implementation of diversity accountability processes across Northwestern’s 12 schools and colleges on three campuses.

At Northwestern, Dr. Manno has founded key initiatives designed to advance equity, inclusion, and belonging for all campus members including the Mediation, Conflict Resolution, and Restorative Practices (MCR) Initiative, the Gender Inclusive Initiatives Seed Fund program, and the Religious Literacy Program. She oversees OIDI’s education and training team and provides leadership support to seven staff and faculty affinity groups.

Dr. Manno received her PhD in Sociology from Emory University. Her scholarship focuses on social inequities, with a particular emphasis on race, gender, and sexuality and how systems of oppression influence individuals’ everyday lives. She has presented at both international and national conferences, most recently highlighting innovative initiatives at the intersection of diversity, equity, and inclusion and student well-being within higher education. Dr. Manno is the author of Denied: Women, Sports, and the Contradiction of Identity (NYU Press).