Tony Tyler
Director, Student Engagement, Equity and Inclusion

What do you do?
I give guidance to the director of fraternity and sorority life; student leadership programs; and the Student Life Center, including student organizations. I advocate for inclusion and diversity efforts on campus, including advising the multicultural UNITY Roundtable, and thinking strategically about how we can impact inclusion and diversity for students today and well into the future.

This is a relatively new position for you, what were you doing before?
I’ve had more jobs at Drake than I’ve had years at Drake. I started as a hall coordinator for Stalnaker and then moved on to GK. After a couple years as a residence hall coordinator, first for Stalnaker, then for GK, I moved in the Office of Events as director of the Olmsted Center. I then moved in the Student Life Center where I focused a lot more on advising student organizations. And now I’m in this position. I’ve had the whole gambit of student life experiences; no matter what my future career plans, I never want to get too far away from those direct interactions with students.

Why is student life such a good fit for you?
I try to place myself on equal footing with students. I’m not a religious person, but my undergraduate degree still really affects how I think [he received his B.A. in religion with an emphasis in Bible studies from a small Southern Baptist school in Oklahoma]. I have a tattoo of a Hebrew scripture from one of my classes that says, “Act with justice, love with mercy, and walk humbly.” I fail a lot at it, but that’s how I try to live my life and I think students respond to that.

What is your vision for your new position and how Drake can become more inclusive?
The official statement on Diversity and Inclusion at Drake lays out a clear vision for the work we need to do. From a personal standpoint, I want to continue to develop a Drake that benefits every student and gets every student at the center of being included and having an outstanding experience.