Penn State's new multicultural counselor and diversity advocate Denise Hinds-Zaami officially took office July 1, after the position was vacant for about a year.

The multicultural counselor and diversity advocate position is responsible for both hands-on counseling and responding to the Report Hate Hotline, a method for dealing with sensitive issues via telephone, e-mail or the police department.

"Whichever way it goes, it will get back to me. I'll investigate, log information, then intervene," Hinds-Zaami said.

The hotline deals with sensitive issues including gender, race and religion-based discrimination.

Vice Provost for Educational Equity Terrell Jones said he was confident in Hinds-Zaami's abilities.

"I think there is an opportunity to help people who have been victims of hate crime and hate actions and do everything possible to make those people understand," Jones said. "She is bright and easy to talk to ... I think we got someone really good."

Hinds-Zaami said she would like to evaluate diversity issues within the university before the fall semester.

"First I want to do a thorough observation of what is going on. I'm not from this area, so I am not familiar with all the policies," Hinds-Zaami said.

Jones said he told Hinds-Zaami to take her time in assessing the community.

"I know from what I've seen ... that tolerance for hate is progressive [at Penn State]," Hinds-Zaami said.

Sara Ryan, former Allies president and a member of the search committee that selected Hinds-Zaami, said Penn State has made progress, but there is a lot of work to be done.

"The diversity advocate position is a step toward addressing climate issues and being proactive about addressing climate issues," Ryan said.

Hinds-Zaami said flow charts and observations of administrative duties have led her to believe that the university as a whole has ideals similar to those of Penn State's Multicultural Resource Center.

"It's nice to talk about it, but now let's live it," she said.

Hinds-Zaami said her position cannot be done by one person alone.

"Students, faculty, administration and staff must pitch in," she said. "They have been here longer than I have, so they have to have observations of their own."

Hinds-Zaami also said she wants to interact with student groups on campus as well as create groups to promote sensitivity.

"It's not about accepting me, it's about acknowledging me," Jerrilynn Hiller (junior-finance) said. "There
are racisms here though, especially with getting jobs and stuff, but I don't really think programs will help. If you don't care about it, you'll never really care."

Ryan said Hinds-Zaami will provide a face for students who are victims of "bias related" crimes on campus.

"We hope to advocate to the administration on behalf of those victims about issues existing on campus and in the community," Ryan said. "We hope she'll be someone to assess problems and bridge gaps that exist ... if we have sort of a middle person to understand student perspective and the administration, we can help to reach a conclusion that is better for everyone."

Before coming to Penn State, Hinds-Zaami served as two-term president of the Association of Black Psychologists and worked at her own psychotherapeutic practice. She has also taught psychology at Hunter College in New York and Metropolitan College of New York, Manhattan.