During his time at Iowa State, George Jackson saw the diversity of cultures among the different colleges. As director of Minority Student Affairs, now known as Multicultural Student Affairs, he saw the many struggles minorities endured within their colleges and the university.

Jackson had a vision, and he made sure to make it a reality.

“He thought it was important to have someone inside the college to navigate through things,” Carmen Flagge, multicultural liaison officer for the College of Human Sciences, said.

While Jackson served as the director of Minority Student Affairs, he realized that each college had its own unique dynamics, making it difficult for Jackson’s organization to keep up. But then he had an idea: place a person in each college to help strengthen the declining relationships between the Minority Student Affairs and the colleges.

Jackson turned his vision into a proposal and presented his idea to the deans of Iowa State.

The deans all approved his idea, and in 1994, all of the colleges at Iowa State began a pilot program installing the first multicultural liaison officer at Iowa State.

Jackson wanted his vision to be something that would serve all students on campus.

Today, the officers are considered an extension of the Multicultural Student Affairs services and provide assistance and support to students.

Carmen Flagge, a former student with a bachelor’s in political science and a former Cyclone Aide, loved her positive experience at Iowa State and wanted to stay after her undergraduate studies to continue the trend.

“My passion was to affect students of color coming to Iowa State,” Flagge said.

Flagge began her career in the Office of Admissions and was involved in the Multicultural Vision Program and Hixson Opportunity Award, now known as the Hixson Scholar Award.

In the Summer of 2015, after about eight years of working in the Office of Admissions, Flagge moved her attention to the opening for the multicultural liaison officer in the College of Human Sciences.

“I had missed working with current college students,” Flagge said. “I saw this as an opportunity to get back to that work.”

When Flagge started her new position she saw that it fit well with what she had been searching for.

Over the last five years, Flagge has witnessed the recorded growth in multicultural students in the College of Human Sciences.

Flagge said 12.5 percent of students at Iowa State are multicultural.

She also said that the current climate regarding diversity in other universities, and around the nation, could affect the way Iowa State models its own multicultural programs.

“The last 18 months have had impact on how people treat one another,” Flagge said. “It would be naive not to think there isn’t an impact.”

Flagge considers helping multicultural students become successful as the No. 1 priority for her and other multicultural liaison officers. However, each officer performs a different role to ensure the success.

Her daily duties consist of building relationships with not only students but also professors and faculty within the college, and leading the efforts in having discussions within the college about inclusion, equity and diversity.

Flagge, like all officers, is an adviser for an organization in her college. She is the diversity coordinator for the Diversity, Equity, and Community committee, which promotes and suggests strategies to improve equity and promote equality for everyone in the college.

“No two days are ever alike,” Kenyatta Shamburger, director of Multicultural Student Affairs, said.

Each of the officers has their own set of responsibilities. Flagge, in her college, tackles diversity and equity, among her officer duties.

LeQuetia Ancar, multicultural liaison officer for the College of Engineering, also serves as assistant director of Engineering Student Affairs Services. It provides assistance in academic, professional, retention and social-cultural development, workshops and networking opportunities for multicultural and female students.

Monica Howard, multicultural liaison officer for the College of Veterinary Medicine, uses her role to help mentor students pursuing traditional and nontraditional careers in veterinary medicine and overall have an interest in the field.

Elizabeth Martinez-Podolsky, multicultural liaison officer for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, uses her position to foster and sustain an inclusive environment that can be acceptable for anyone.

The diversity program has shifted its focus to reaching out to members of the LGBT community and veterans.

Der Vang, multicultural liaison officer for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, oversees all academic, social and professional programs for students of color in the college.

Vang also oversees the Bridging Opportunities in Leadership and Diversity (BOLD) Learning Community in the college. 

Brenda Thorbs-Weber is the multicultural liaison officer for the College of Business.

When not tending to her officer duties and not working as an academic adviser, she serves as an adviser to the Multicultural Business Network, a student organization that helps students connect with potential employers and develop critical skills in their field.

Thorbs-Weber also coordinates the Lunch and Learn and Snack & Chat programs, which helps students get adjusted to Iowa State and the surrounding community.

By establishing a welcome reception, peer mentoring program, portfolio workshops and advising the diversity council in the College of Design, Audrey Kennis, multicultural liaison office for the College of Design, fulfills her duties of providing as many opportunities for multicultural students as possible and helping students who are underrepresented.

Shamburger meets with all officers monthly to discuss concerns and programming to help students. 

“I think it’s a great way to holistically support students,” Shamburger said. “A great opportunity to help students navigate.”

Shamburger isn’t entirely sure of the future role of the officers. He and the officers are aware that the students’ needs are different, and with a new campus climate survey prepared for next school year, the officers will use the information received from the survey to guide them.

One idea she is considering is placing a multicultural liaison officer in graduate school programs. 

“There’s some opportunity as we continue to grow,” Shamburger said.

To Shamburger, the possibilities are endless.

Flagge sees the opportunity of having multicultural liaisons as a way to see what’s happening with students and believes that there are things that only her role is able to do.

“We’re here to be resources,” Flagge said. “Being able to see what the real tangible needs and barriers are and helping.”