Dr. James McShay (he/him/his)
Dr. McShay is the Vice Chancellor for Equity & Inclusion at the University of Washington Tacoma. In this role, he oversees the Office of Equity & Inclusion and leads institutional level initiatives, programs and research efforts that foster a culture of equity, inclusion, and success for students, faculty and staff at the University. Prior to joining the UW Tacoma community, Dr. McShay directed the Office of Multicultural Involvement & Community Advocacy at the University of Maryland, College Park where he also served on the senior leadership team for the Adele H. Stamp Student Union-Center for Campus Life.
He is the former Director of Undergraduate Education for the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at Iowa State University and served as the Faculty Director for a campus-wide program called Dialogues on Diversity. He has taught undergraduate and graduate courses in multicultural education, ethnicity and learning, antiracist education and multicultural practice in Student Affairs. Some of his research interests include uses of critical pedagogy in K-16 education, intersectional learning & engagement in Student Affairs, and digital learning technologies and critical multicultural education. His published works can be found in the Journal of Multicultural Perspectives; Multicultural Education and Technology Journal; New Directions for Student Services; Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice; and Critical Multiculturalism: From theory to praxis.
Dr. McShay’s administrative responsibilities, teaching, and research have focused on promoting educational practices and interventions that foster college students’ understandings about intersecting identities, power and privilege and how these concepts are shaped by ideologies, social institutions and historical formations within the context of K-16 schools and society.
In his free time, he loves hanging out with his family and his newly adopted dog Eddie, listening to 70s and 80s R&B hits and reading virtually any automobile magazines and journals he can find.
Dr. McShay holds an affiliate faculty appointment in the School of Education at the University of Washington Tacoma.
jmcshay@uw.edu | 253-692-4861
Sara Contreras (she/her/hers)
Sara is celebrating over 38 years with University of Washington. In 1992 she transferred from UW Seattle to work in the then-new Education Program at UWT serving as graduate advisor and program administrator. In 2010 she joined the Office for Equity and Inclusion as the first program administrator for the unit. She received her bachelor’s degree from UW Tacoma as a first-generation graduate. Sara and her two children have lived in Federal Way since 1983. She enjoys spending time with her family, especially her grandchildren.
saracc@uw.edu | 253-692-4776
Nedralani Mailo (she/her/hers)
Nedralani Mailo is the Program Support Supervisor for the Center for Equity & Inclusion. In this role, Nedralani supports diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts across campus. She has a passion for supporting students through their identity development as well as providing services for students to close the equity gap. She is currently pursuing her Masters of Education in Student Development Administration in Higher Education at Seattle University. When she is not at work, you can find her spending time with her family, involved in her church youth community, or enjoying everything the PNW has to offer.
mailon@uw.edu | 253-692-4325
Jimmy McCarty (he/him/his)
Dr. Jimmy McCarty is Director for the Center for Equity and Inclusion. In this role, Jimmy leads diversity, inclusion, and equity initiatives across UWT and its core constituencies. In this work, he builds community with underrepresented student populations, collaborates with faculty and staff across the university, and develops and maintains relationships with a diverse range of community partners across the Puget Sound region. He is also an Affiliate Instructor in the School of Education where he occasionally teaches courses in social justice education.
Jimmy is a graduate of Pepperdine University (BA), Claremont School of Theology (MA), and Emory University (PhD). Prior to coming to UWT, he held administrative and teaching positions at Emory University and Seattle University. Jimmy's research centers on the social ethics of racial justice, restorative justice, and peacebuilding. He has presented this research at national conferences and has published his research in peer-reviewed journals of religion and law. He is a series editor of The Business of Modern Life book series (Cascade) which grew from the framework developed in his co-edited volume The Business of War: Theological and Ethical Reflections on the Military-Industrial Complex.
In his free time Jimmy enjoys walks with his partner Desiree, cooking and eating delicious food, reading a good book, and hanging out with Kima, his adopted Alaskan Malamute.
jwmccar@uw.edu | 253-692-5699
Gabe Minthorn (he/him/his)
Shix pa’chway, haʔł sləx̌il (good day). My name is Gabe Minthorn (Yakama, Umatilla, and Nez Perce) I live and work on the ancestral homeland of the Coast Salish People. In particular, our campus is situated on the traditional territory of the Puyallup. I work for the Center of Equity and Inclusion as the Tribal Liaison.
My role as Tribal Liaison is to serve and support students on campus through recruitment and retention programs. I have worked in Pre-Kindergarten as an elementary Special Education Teacher assistant, taught middle school Personal Wellness, 7th grade English/Social Studies, I was a high school Literacy Coach and Social Studies teacher. I have coached middle school football, wrestling, and basketball, high school football and baseball. I also coached football and club baseball at Haskell Indian Nations University. The communities I serve are the Tribal Communities in the South Puget Sound area and those throughout the Pacific Northwest. I meet with tribes to determine how The University of Washington Tacoma can meet the needs of their students, both traditional and non-traditional, and how we can support the community’s goals moving forward.
I graduated from Blue Mountain Community College with an Associates of Arts Oregon Transfer Degree, Haskell Indian Nations University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in American Indian Studies, and Lewis & Clark College with a Master of Arts in Teaching. My professional journey through education has provided me the opportunity see student growth and development at every stage, leading students into college, careers, or military after high school.
I enjoy spending my free time with my wife Dr. Robin Minthorn and our daughter Roxie. We like to travel to see family and visit new places when we can.
NÁY, huy'. (That's all, until we meet again)
gminth@uw.edu | 253-692-4674
Tanya Velasquez (she/her/hers)
Tanya Velasquez is a second-generation Chinese Mexican American and a first-generation college graduate from the University of Washington Tacoma. She is an Associate Teaching Professor in the School of Interdisciplinary Arts, and a Faculty Development Associate for the Office of Equity and Inclusion. Central to her work is the study of race and racism in the United States and the development of inclusive, anti-bias pedagogies. In 2017 Tanya was awarded Outstanding Faculty by the student body and in 2020 she received UW Tacoma's award in excellence for distinguished teaching. When she’s not grading papers or mentoring students, Tanya enjoys spending time with her family and gardening.
iamtanya@uw.edu | 253-692-5847