A native of Davenport, Iowa, Valerie S. Garr, M.A., CDE® is the Director of Diversity-Equity & Inclusion and Coordinator of Supplemental Instruction & Tutoring for the University of Iowa College of Nursing where she advises the Multicultural Nursing Association and co-chairs the College’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee. As a Certified Diversity Executive, Val also co-teaches NURS 3111 Diversity, Equity & Inclusion for the Health Professions, and teaches in the UI Career Leadership Academy Program as well as guest lectures in various health sciences Colleges and at the University of Iowa Hospital & Clinics Nurse Residency Program on health and cultural competence. She is also a member of the Big Ten Academic Alliance Colleges of Nursing Diversity Group. Val also served on the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Diversity -Equity-Inclusion Leadership Network Domain Nine Professionalism sub-committee to help integrate DEI into the AACN Essentials for nursing competencies. Author of her College’s Seven Pillars of Diversity, Val has been employed by the University of Iowa for 35 years and has previously worked in the UI Office of Student Financial Aid; UI Office of Support Service Programs; Opportunity at Iowa-Office of the Provost; and UI Office of Undergraduate Admissions as Iowa’s first Director of Diversity Relations & Outreach where she created the diversity and Spanish sections of the admissions website and developed one of the very first UI diversity recruitment brochures. Val co-chaired the UI Diversity Action Committee (DAC) Minority Recruitment & Retention Sub-Committee which laid the groundwork for the UI Iowa Promise Strategic Plan, that included future diversity initiatives to improve campus climate and services for recruitment and retention. She is a co-creator of the UI Advantage Iowa Award. She co-wrote the proposal to make the UI a campus charter of the National Coalition Building Institute-an international prejudice reduction training program; she co-founded the Iowa Edge Program for newly admitted first year-first generation and underrepresented students; she helped establish the UI’s annual Culturally Responsive Healthcare in Iowa Conference; she served as a member of the health sciences grant team to make the UI a Summer Health Professions Education Program campus; she served on the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) SBIRT-TIPS (Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment) Educational Grant Advisory Committee; she has previously served on the UI Women in Science and Engineering Advisory Board , Women’s Resource & Action Center Advisory Board where she was a co-planner of the Sister Connection Conference for Women of Color, UI Council on the Status of Women Steering Committee, Iowa Women’s Foundation Grant Review Team, UI Council on STEM, and she is a former Vice President of the UI African American Council. Val’s awards include: •September 2023: History Maker, African American Museum of Iowa • August 2022: Paul Mann Memorial Human Rights Award for exemplary contributions toward the advancement of human and civil rights, Iowa State Education Association • April 2022: Inducted into Davenport Central High School Hall of Fame for 16 years of community service to the Quad City Minority Partnership organization she founded that collaborates with Quad City area high schools, colleges, and community members to work with underrepresented and first generation Iowa and Illinois Quad City youth •March 2022: Iowa Deltas Social Action Trailblazer Award for her significant contributions in the areas of service, leadership, and commitment to social justice and advocacy Davenport Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc •April 2021: UI Hancher-Finkbine Medallion •April 2019: College of Nursing Staff Excellence Award • April 2018: Iowa Board of Regents Staff Excellence Award •March 2018: Unsung Hero Award, Iowa Department of Human Rights •May 2016: UI Distinguished Catalyst Award, the first woman to be awarded this distinction; •April 2005: UI Staff Council for Excellence in Service Award •May 2003: Distinguished Educator Award for Commitment and Continuing Efforts to Promote Diversity, UI Multicultural Graduation Celebration sponsored by the Center fir Diversity & Enrichment ( re-named Center for Inclusive Academic Excellence) •April 2003: W.H. Knight Award of Distinction, UI College of Law- Black Law Student Association •April 2093: Afro Heart Award, Afro-American Cultural Center Valerie received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Mass Communication with a minor in African American World Studies and her Master of Arts degree in Student Development in Postsecondary Education, both from the University of Iowa. She has lived in Iowa City for over forty years.