Karess Gilcrease is the Early Student Engagement Coordinator for the Diversity, Outreach and Inclusion Office in the College of Engineering. She works diligently with our DOI Student Organizations, she provides assistance with many year-long initiatives (i.e. PREFACE, EHLC, etc.), and leads annual programs  (i.e. National Engineers Week, Student LEADership Retreat, Engineering Wellness).

Prior to her time here, she worked as an Academic Success Coach and Instructor for the Office of Retention and Student Success Initiatives at The Ohio State University Newark campus. During this role she oversaw many different learning communities including; the Scarlet and Gray Excellence Learning Community designed to support underrepresented students (ex: American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latinx, Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Island, multiracial) with a focus on multicultural engagement and assisting in the transition to Ohio State Newark. She also oversaw the Global Citizens Learning Community a program for students transitioning from high school to college who are interested in meeting and learning about people from other countries and cultures and seek to actively engage with a world community. She also currently serves as the Executive Secretary for the Licking County NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People).

Karess received her B.A. in Pan African Studies from Kent State University. During her time at Kent State, Karess grew as an advocate for diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice. She produced a television series and radio show devoted to the afore mentioned topics, as well as higher education, politics, and popular culture. Karess also co-chaired the Justice for Racial Equality series and sat on Student Engagement Team at Ohio State Newark to help establish more diversity programming across campus. Karess has a background in higher education, multicultural engagement, and social justice. She has also held positions at Denison University, where she served as the Program Coordinator in the office of Multicultural Student Affairs, and within the I Know I Can program, where she served the students at Columbus City Schools. Karess is dedicated to the mission of inclusive excellence at the Ohio State University and beyond.

“I am no longer accepting the things I cannot change. I am changing the things I cannot accept.”

 Angela Y. Davis