Pamela Nolan Young Named to Key Diversity Post

Pamela Nolan Young, an attorney and expert on diversity issues, has been appointed advisor to the president and director of institutional diversity and equity, a position she will assume on April 18.

Currently serving as director of human resource development at North Shore Community College in Danvers, Mass., Young has extensive experience coordinating initiatives, training and events around diversity and inclusion. She established an annual diversity conference and has conducted numerous workshops and educational sessions on affirmative action, equal opportunity, prejudice reduction, and compliance with anti-discrimination laws.

While at North Shore, Young served as liaison to the Commonwealth Compact and the New England Higher Education Recruiting Consortium, as well as acting director of the Lynn Community Minority Cultural Center. As a member of the college’s Diversity Leadership Council, she implemented events for Hispanic Heritage Month, Black History Month and “One Book,” a library partnership program.

“I am so pleased that Pamela will be joining the Smith community,” said President Christ. “She brings extensive experience with diversity and equity issues, and her work is clearly fueled by a sense of passion for realizing our potential as a diverse community.”

Young’s appointment represents a return to Smith. While completing an undergraduate degree in government at Dartmouth College, she spent a year as an exchange student at Smith, living in Wilder House. Young is also returning to western Massachusetts, having lived in the area in the late 1990s while working as an attorney for the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination, in Springfield, and an assistant district attorney for Hampden County. She was also an adjunct professor of law at Elms College.

Young completed her law degree at the University of Notre Dame, and a master’s degree in educational leadership at Salem State College in Salem, Mass.

The Office of Institutional Diversity was created in 1996 with the belief that diversity in all aspects of the educational environment is necessary for achieving the highest level of academic excellence. In her leadership position, Young will catalyze strategic thinking about ways to advance diversity at Smith. The office administers affirmative action policies, equal opportunity policies and grievance procedures relative to equity issues. All matters pertaining to civil rights and disability support services are also handled by the office.