Oscar Dubón, Jr., vice chancellor for equity and inclusion at UC Berkeley, is stepping down from his position in June of 2021.

Having held the position for more than three years, Dubón made significant contributions for BIPOC students, according to a campuswide email. The email credits his leadership for establishing committees to oversee institutional support for Latinx/Chicanx, Asian Pacific Islander and Native American students.

Dubón also made advancements for campus’ disabled community by growing the Disabled Students Program and identifying a space for a community center on campus, the email stated.

“By the time that I transition from the VC role, I will have reached my leadership goals of advancing organizational development — strengthening and distributing leadership,” Dubón said in an email. “So, I feel that this is the right time for the next leader to take the division and campus DEIB (diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging) to the next level.”

During his tenure, Dubón highlighted the success of interdepartmental partnerships. He added that by partnering with divisions such as Student Affairs, he hoped to create greater accessibility to financial aid and mental health resources.

Dubón also extended these partnerships beyond campus to increase opportunities for students, according to the campuswide email. For instance, he led the establishment of the Berkeley Bridge Graduate Summer Fellowships program with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory to help immerse first-year graduate students in research.

“I hope that our students feel more supported and have a greater sense of belonging on campus,” Dubón said in the email. “Ultimately, it’s not about my impact as one leader; rather, it is the collective impact of the E&I Division and our partnerships with other divisions such as Student Affairs.”

Dubón added that he and his predecessor, Na’ilah Suad Nasir, worked to build off of what Gibor Basri, the first vice chancellor for equity and inclusion, had created. Now, according to Dubón, it is time for another vice chancellor to build a “version 3.0” of their collective work.

Having been a faculty member since 2000, Dubón said he wants to pursue research and go back to teaching at the College of Engineering. There, he hopes to design and teach a class that considers the intersection of technology, innovation and belonging.

Dubón added that he will continue to look for new ways to serve the STEM community in equity and inclusion.

“I am truly proud of our E&I division staff for working tirelessly, being so creative and innovative, and giving of themselves in the service of our students — current and future — staff and faculty,” Dubón said in the email. “Despite the weight of these enormous challenges, the division has been able to pivot into meeting the needs of our communities, particularly those experiencing these challenges more severely.”