The George Washington University's Multicultural Student Services Center(MSSC) recently welcomed three dynamic staff members: Director Vanice L. Antrum, Assistant Director Hannah Youssef and Program Coordinator for Race, Ethnicity & Culture Hailey Williams. Under Antrum's leadership, the expanded teamwill shepherd the MSSC's longstanding mission of care, community, advocacy, education and empowerment while taking the Center into the future. The team will build robust programming, support services and educational opportunities from an intersectional and holistic lens, focused on race, ethnicity and culture and gender and sexuality.

"A diverse student body deeply enriches GW's academic and research community by introducing broad perspectives and fostering thoughtful dialogue," said Provost Christopher Alan Bracey. "I am pleased that we have introduced new staff in the Multicultural Student Services Center who will provide critical support, services and educational opportunities for our students."

Since 1969, the MSSC has been dedicated to building a welcoming, enriching and inclusive environment at GW. As part of the Office for Diversity, Equity and Community Engagement (ODECE), the center provides structural support for students and student organizations, partners with faculty, staff and alumni and serves as an integral partner to the D.C. community.

"This year marks the 55th anniversary of the MSSC and is a critical time for the team and university to be unwavering about our commitment to supporting historically marginalized students and offering the services, opportunities and experiences that students deserve at GW," Associate Vice Provost for Diversity, Equity and Community Engagement Jordan Shelby West said.

The center actively supports student organizations in planning and executing impactful cultural heritage celebrations for the GW community. Additionally, the center hosts beloved traditions such as the MSSC Block Party, Gratitude Dinner, Queer Prom and more. In 2023, the MSSC relocated from its original townhouse on G Street to an accessible, modernized space on the fifth floor of the University Student Center.

The new team members join Senior Student Program Coordinator Elise Greenfield, who is entering her third year at GW, and Graduate Assistant Amaya Bullock, who is starting her second year in the Center. In addition, 10 undergraduate student staff are returning this fall. The center will hire a program coordinator for gender and sexuality, an administrative assistant and a graduate student in September.

As director, Antrum will lead the MSSC in its critical role as a physically and emotionally safe home for students, where they feel affirmed, valued and respected. Antrum will manage the center's operations and enhance its programming, assessment, support services, fundraising, alumni and community relationships and commitments to deepen and expand its impact and reach.

"Vanice is a strategic, deliberate, and intentional visionary with a deep level of care for students," West said. "Her leadership experience positions her to build and support a strong team who will exponentially grow the MSSC in meaningful ways. Vanice's vision for the future of the MSSC will have a tremendous impact on students, the GW community and the D.C. community. Her clear commitment to meeting students where they dream and supporting them in building their futures is clear."

Antrum arrives from Salisbury University, her alma mater, where she served as director of multicultural affairs in the Office of Diversity and Inclusion. In this role, she oversaw campus-wide diversity programs, provided training and support for faculty, staff and students and developed strategic initiatives to enhance the campus climate for underrepresented communities. As co-developer of Salisbury's new First-Generation Sea Gull Scholars Program, she helped create the university's first programmatic effort to support all undergraduate first-generation students.

Prior to her return to Salisbury, Antrum held a progression of positions at Georgetown University, most recently as associate director of the Center for Student Engagement. Her career has also included working in student activities and leadership, new student orientation, residential education and more. An active member of several committees and organizations, Antrum has received numerous awards for her contributions to student life and diversity initiatives, including the Ignatian Care Award for Student Affairs at Georgetown University and the Outstanding Staff Member from Salisbury University's Student Government Association. She holds a Master of Education and a Bachelor of Science in information systems from Salisbury University.

Assistant Director Hannah Youssef arrives from New York University, where she was program associate of the Office of Diversity, Equity and Belonging in the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development. In this capacity, she designed and instructed the First-Year Student Leadership Seminar; organized study away and experiential learning initiatives; executed the school's Scholar-in-Residence Program; spearheaded basic needs insecurity resource development; and served on the NYU Global Inclusions Officer Council. She also worked at the Graduate School of Arts and Science's Office of Academic and Student Affairs, where she designed and implemented LGBTQ+ and BIPOC centered programming, food insecurity data collection and resource development, and served on the school's diversity and pedagogy and teaching committees. As assistant director, she will support the MSSC from a viewpoint centered on community-building, empathy and authenticity.

Youssef holds a master's in higher education and student affairs from NYU Steinhardt and a bachelor's in international justice and human rights from UMass Amherst, where she also worked for the Women of Color Leadership Network, Upward Bound and Shaha: The Storytellers social justice education theater group.

Program Coordinator for Race, Ethnicity & Culture Hailey Williams arrives from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), where she was a graduate intern in affiliate organizational management equity and inclusion. There, she spearheaded relationship-building initiatives and supported the development of equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging programs. She also worked at Syracuse University's Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs as a project coordinator in the BIPOC Mentoring Program, where she conceptualized the program's mission and framework, recruited and managed mentor-mentee pairs and orchestrated all aspects of program management, including communication, events and mentoring oversight. Among other positions, she also was program director for "She the People" at the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, designing and implementing a summer program to educate young women of color about government, politics and law.

Williams holds an accelerated Master of Public Administration and a B.A. in Policy Studies & Political Philosophy from Syracuse University, where she graduated summa cum laude and was a member of Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society.