Dr. Brenda J. Allen

Dr. Brenda J. Allen is a tireless champion for diversity, equity, and inclusion in higher education. She was recruited from Howard University to CU Boulder in 1989, and she recently retired as a Professor and Vice Chancellor for Diversity and Inclusion at the University of Colorado Denver and the Anschutz Medical Campus. She currently is a board member of DSST, CIRCLE, and the Colorado Trust.  She also is assisting the Colorado Department of Higher Education to develop an online resource on equity-oriented teaching practices for educators.

Among Dr. Allen’s numerous publications is a groundbreaking book entitled Difference Matters: Communicating Social Identity. She presents keynote speeches and conducts highly-rated workshops for a variety of audiences on topics such as inclusive leadership, implicit bias, empowHERment, and workplace communication. Her retirement plans include working as a consultant with clients who are ready, willing and able to apply her expertise.

Dr. Allen has received numerous awards, including: the first Annual Award for Outstanding Achievement for Commitment to Diversity at CU Denver; a Women in Leadership and Management Award (named in honor of Wilma J. Webb, former legislator and Denver's first African-American first lady); the first Annual Ally of the Year Award from the GLBT Alliance at CU Boulder; and, an Excellence in Leadership Award from the CU system’s leadership program. In addition, her colleagues at CU Denver have established an endowed inclusive leadership fund in her name.