WashU IT Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Interviews

MyDay Lead Internal Consultant

We need to take a cognitive approach to recognize that biases exist and be very intentional about how we navigate around them.

Bernard’s parents came to the St. Louis area in the early 1950s to escape the limited opportunities for people of color in the deep south. They then reached back to bring other siblings from that small southern town, resulting in a large family currently in St. Louis. Bernard grew up in North St. Louis, the youngest of five. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration at Northwest Missouri State and has been married for 25 years with one son.

Bernard started at WashU in 1990 and transitioned into the IT organization in 1996, where he has had various roles, including many leadership positions. Over the course of time, with mentors in place and learning from the successes of others throughout the organization, he has come to view himself as a situational leader. He leads according to the circumstances put in place, being sensitive to the past experiences of those involved.

Director of Information Technology

You have to acknowledge that you have an identity, that you have a perspective that you are bringing to the table; and if you are not dealing with the biases that come out of that, then you are complicit in the adverse outcomes.

Ashby was raised in Knoxville, Tennessee where he also attended The University of Tennessee for his undergraduate degree. He worked there for a time as an admissions data specialist before he and his wife made their way to the Saint Louis area where Ashby pursued a graduate degree at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. Later, he found his way to the WashU Brown School via a friend who was working on a research project there. He has spent the last 12 years with the Brown School, starting in the research center before moving on to administrative and user support for admin systems, and finally into an IT role which became the Director of IT for the Brown School.

Ashby views diversity, equity, and inclusion as an ongoing process that requires deliberate action and daily commitment to self-awareness and introspection. He believes that his perspective alone is not enough and optimal inclusion and the best services for IT consumers is produced by gathering a plethora of unique voices in a space of collaboration.

Manger of Computer and General Services – Olin Business School

There’s a need to hire diverse individuals, different backgrounds and so forth, but you have to consider getting the job done, so it’s a tough thing to do.

Bryant is from Springfield, MO, graduated from Mizzou, served 10 years in the Navy, and has worked in various IT positions. These have primarily been manager positions at multiple organizations including the Federal Reserve Bank, Magellan Health Services, and WashU. He learned leadership skills initially in the military and added to his experience at the Federal Reserve Bank. Bryant firmly believes in the chain of command, however acknowledges that his leadership style has changed recently. Transitioning from a very military style, he has mellowed and improved upon his people skills. Bryant also recently celebrated his daughter’s college graduation.

Assistant Director Shared Infrastructure

It’s important to recognize when we have individuals from varied backgrounds – to meet those individuals where they are when they come to WashU.

An East Coast native, Greg spent the first part of his life in his hometown of Hampton, Virginia, as well as Maryland. Greg then moved to Saint Louis in 1978, and later moved on to earn a 4-year degree from Truman University.

Starting in 1995, Greg began a rich 20+ year career in IT working at noteworthy organizations such as Nestlé Purina and Enterprise before joining the WashU community. At WashU, Greg draws from his many years of leadership that began with leading his high school marching band, all the way to the many team lead positions he has held in his IT career. He places emphasis on meeting with every member of his teams to gather feedback and listen to new ideas. Throughout his career, Greg has found that valuing diversity is one of our greatest assets, and that being inclusive creates an environment rich in unique perspectives, backed by varied individual strengths.

Interim Executive Director – Chief of Staff to the CIO, Portfolio & Project Management Office, IT Vendor Management

It’s so easy to be judgmental. It’s so easy to have preconceived ideas. We have to be very deliberate not to do that and recognize that our own experiences don’t translate to those of others.

Native to the UK, Russell grew up in Scotland and England, and has also spent time living in Brussels, Belgium before moving to the US in 1997. Always fascinated by the sciences, Russell studied microbiology in college, before discovering an enthusiasm for IT during his time working with Shell in the 80s. Beyond his professional life, Russell has a wonderful wife, 2 amazing children, 2 “brown” dogs, and enjoys gardening, woodworking, and electronics. The richness of his experiences living in different countries and being exposed to several unique cultures has given him a unique, deeply attached perspective on diversity and inclusion. Additionally, his background in science has highlighted the importance of listening and introspecting as a leader, taking an approach of empathy where he listens to understand, rather than respond.

Sr. Director Research Infrastructure Services

I think we as an organization could be much more successful if we get to know each other a bit more, right? And get to really understand and accept the person that’s sitting next to us.

A native Saint Louisan, Craig Pohl grew up in North Saint Louis County as one of six children in a Catholic family. While Craig’s community and Catholic school was predominantly white, he found himself empowered and deeply influenced by the diversity that his father prioritized while coaching his church’s soccer team. From his diverse friendships formed in youth sports to his time in SIUE, Craig developed a deep value for how diverse perspectives and ideas create more effective teams. Now at WashU, Craig actively searches for ways to ensure minority groups are being represented and given opportunities within both the research and IT communities.

Application Developer I, WashU IT – Research Infrastructure Services

Associate Chief Information Security Officer

Executive Director, Data Management

It’s important for a leader to sit back and give the opportunity to their team members to express their ideas.

Originally from India, Rooji came to the US approximately 25 years ago, where he earned his Masters and Doctoral degrees. He and his wife, who he met in college, decided to live in St. Louis to be close to family. Here he began his career at a small international company, moved on to a large fortune 50 organization, and then came to WashU. Throughout his journey, Rooji has come to understand the importance of accountability, process, and collaboration.

Application Developer III

Director, Student Technology Services

Diversity counts people, inclusion means people count.

A Boston native who applies her social work background to the realm of technology, Sherry works under the philosophy that you have to seek out diversity, meet people where they are and respect what they can bring to the table. She’s worked hard to build a diverse team and embraces those who have the drive and desire to learn.

Manager of Cloud Services, WashU IT

It is not weakness to allow your perspective to change based on new information and new relationships that you’ve built in your life.

John Bailey credits his immersion in diversity greatly to his work in the IT industry, development in leadership courses, and by actively introspecting and reaching out to people from other groups for their unique perspectives. He has been married for 17 years and has 5 amazing children, whom he greatly enjoys outdoor activities with. John regularly searches for small ways to practice diversity and inclusion with his work team by fostering an environment that allows people of all backgrounds to speak freely on their ideas, beliefs, and perspectives.

Director – A/V & Media Services | Incident Communications Solutions, Interim Director Service Desk

We all have to think in terms of understanding other people’s perspective.

Matt grew up in a small Ohio town with very little diversity during the 60s, before moving to Tampa, Florida during the start of the city’s bussing program in the 70s. His life has taken him from summer camp supervision to high school education to the US Army and right here to Washington University, where he’s been for over thirty years. Listen in to Matt’s interview for more on how his journey helped him grow as a leader and formed his commitment to diversity and inclusion.