Wesley E. Heath, Ph.D.

“Wes has been a major asset and resource for our college as we continue the work in creating an inclusive environment for our students. He has always been a colleague that I can reach out to for guidance, resources, and meaningful feedback and assessment of programs and initiatives. Specifically, there are several core projects and presentations that we invited Wes to engage with and help guide the process. For the LSU College of Agriculture, Wes led a Safe Space training, NCBI, and an Anti-Racism/Allyship training for the dean's office staff. He was also a key reviewer and contributor to the college's Diversity & Inclusion Resource Modules that were created as resource discussion guides for students, faculty, and staff in the College of Agriculture. We have also reached out to Wes to help us think outside the box in how we incorporate cultural representation and celebration into our Ag Residential College programming. One example of this was a collaboration on promoting Latinx Heritage Month programming through a Nutrition & Food Science cookie decorating event for students. Wes is not only a great resource for our college but he also serves on many committees across campus (Staff Retention and Recruitment committee (member), Annual Diversity Training subcommittee (chair), Staff CARES Resources subcommittee (chair), LGBTQ+ Resource Center Planning committee (member), Latinx Resource Center Planning committee (member), Gender Inclusive Housing committee (member)) and was recently recognized with the 2020 Outstanding Staff Service award at LSU. I think what I admire the most about Wes is his ability to connect with others. He has a way of finding the common connection among everyone he interacts with and makes people feel welcome. He is a strong leader and has a committed attitude to deliver high quality work and provides encouragement for others to step outside of their comfort zone, to be vulnerable, and to want to learn more about how to better serve our student populations. ”

“Wes Heath exemplifies what it means to be an ally and advocate for diverse students, faculty and staff. He not only talks the talk, but he definitely walks the walk. When I joined the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion as the Director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs in July 2018, I was fortunate to have such an awesome team member who ensured that the office continued to thrive even while the directorship was unfilled for several months. On our campus, Wes is viewed as the expert on policy and inclusive practices that directly impact LGBTQ+ faculty, staff and students. He is a superb trainer who has expanded the trainings/workshops our office offers to campus partners (cross-cultural communication, inclusive language, leadership and intersectionality, Anti-racism allyship) while also growing the Safe Space training program. He is also a National Coalition Building Institute (NCBI) facilitator for our campus-wide team. Wes is a founding member of our LGBTQ+ Faculty and Staff Caucus and is also a member of our Latinx and Black Faculty & Staff Caucuses. He serves on the following Diversity Roadmap committees: Staff Retention and Recruitment committee (member), Annual Diversity Training subcommittee (chair), Staff CARES Resources subcommittee (chair), LGBTQ+ Resource Center Planning committee (member), Latinx Resource Center Planning committee (member), Gender Inclusive Housing committee (member). Wes is a member of the Student Conduct Policy Review committee and has served as University Hearing Panel Chair. He is also a Lighthouse Advocate. Wes is compassionate and also highly competent, a great combination for someone who is committed to working as a DEI professional. He is also one of the most organized people I have ever worked with, and we frequently rely upon his expertise for logistics (especially for large-scale events). Wes is a strong leader who inspires others to go the extra mile because he leads by example. ”