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Our Team

Office of Investigations and Civil Rights Compliance

All of the staff within the Office of Investigation and Civil Rights Compliance are Designated Reporters.

 

Nicole Commissiong

Nicole Commissiong
Associate Vice President, Chief Civil Rights Officer, & Title IX Coordinator
Office of the President
oicrc@uoregon.edu

 

Vanessa Crakes

Vanessa Crakes
Manager of Investigations
541-346-3123
vcrakes@uoregon.edu

 

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Deborah Berman-Montaño
Data Analyst & Case Coordinator
541-346-8136
berman@uoregon.edu

 

Photo of Shane Lesher

Shane Lesher
Compliance Specialist
541-346-0326
slesher9@uoregon.edu

 

Sam Rutledge

Samuel Rutledge
Senior Investigator
541-346-8224
samuel@uoregon.edu

 

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Vivian Wright
OICRC Operations Manager
541-346-2978
vwright@uoregon.edu

 

Yi-Yi Younkin

Yi-Yi Chang Younkin
Senior Investigator
541-346-2976
yiyi@uoregon.edu

The Office of Investigation and Civil Rights Compliance also retains the services of external investigators as needed and appropriate.


Deputy Title IX Coordinators

All deputy Title IX Coordinators are Designated Reporters.

Deputy Title IX Coordinators serve an integral function in supporting the work of the Title IX Office among various constituencies and across campuses. Reports of gender discrimination, sexual harassment and sexual violence can be made directly to Deputy Title IX Coordinators, who will connect students and employees with appropriate resources as well as the Title IX Coordinator. Deputy Title IX Coordinators are Designated Reporters.

Deputy Title IX Coordinators can may also assist with training on Title IX reporting obligations, can serve as a resource for questions and concerns related to Title IX policies and processes procedures, and can connect individuals with accommodations and resources both on and off campus. Deputy Title IX Coordinators meet regularly with the Title IX Coordinator to discuss concerns related to their constituencies and bring important issues to the attention of senior leadership.

Chief Deputy Title IX Coordinator

 

Vanessa Crakes

Vanessa Crakes, Chief Deputy Title IX Coordinator
Manager of Investigations
Office of Investigations and Civil Rights Compliance
541-346-3123
vcrakes@uoregon.edu

Deputy Title IX Coordinators

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Connie Brady, Deputy for Lundquist College of Business
Associate Dean
Lundquist College of Business
541-346-3496
cbrady@uoregon.edu

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Dianna Carrizales-Engelmann, Director for Equity and Inclusion
Assistant Dean for Administration
College of Education
541-346-5407
dcarriza@uoregon.edu

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Nedzer Erilus, Director of Housing for Residence Life & Educational Initiatives
University Housing
541-346-7503
nerilus@uoregon.edu

Jimmy L. Howard

Jimmy L. Howard PhD., Deputy for Undergraduate Studies
Assistant Dean of Students for Prevention and Response
Office of the Dean of Students
541-346-1134
jhoward8@uoregon.edu

Valerie Johnson

Valerie Johnson, Deputy Athletic Director
Intercollegiate Athletics
vjohns10@uoregon.edu

Sarah Keiski

Sarah Keiski, Assistant Dean for Student Affairs
School of Law
541-346-1810
skeiski@uoregon.edu

Sarah Kutten

Sarah Kutten, Deputy for UO Portland
Director of Students Services 
UO Portland
503-412-3704
skutten@uoregon.edu

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tia north, Deputy for Graduate Studies
Director of Diversity and Inclusion
Division of Graduate Studies
541-346-5129
deigradstudies@uoregon.edu
Pronouns: she/they

Anna Schmidt-Mackenzie

Anna Schmidt, Deputy for SSEM
Associate Vice President & Chief of Staff
Student Services and Enrollment Management
541-346-2674
schmidta@uoregon.edu

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Maya Watts, Education Program Coordinator
Oregon Institute of Marine Biology
541-346-7277
mwolf1@uoregon.edu


Appellate Officers for Title IX Student Conduct Processes

All appellate officers are Designated Reporters.

Appellate Officers are tasked to review final outcomes from OICRC processes under the Standard Operating Procedures: Student Misconduct.

Appellate Officers receive training on TIX, sexual harassment and sexual violence, procedural due process, and administrative review. Appellate Officers review student conduct cases for procedural fairness and error, potential bias, sufficiency of information, whether sanctions were commensurate with findings, and new information not known previously that could alter the outcome. 

Currently Serving Appeals Officers

  • Yvette Alex-Assensoh, PhD/J.D., Vice President of Equity and Inclusion
  • Jennifer Espinola, J.D., Associate Dean for Student Affairs and Law School Dean of Students
  • Rebecca Ivanoff, External Appeals Officer
  • Valerie Johnson, Deputy Athletics Director, Senior Woman Administrator, and Deputy Title IX Coordinator
  • Sarah Keiski, Assistant Dean for Student Affairs, School of Law
  • Anna Schmidt, Associate Vice-President & Chief of Staff, Student Services and Enrollment Management
  • Kathie Stanley, Associate Vice President/Chief of Staff, Student Life
  • Sandy Weintraub, Senate Secretary and Advisor to the President

Support for Students

OICRC staff work closely with partners in the Care and Advocacy Program (CAP) in the Office of the Dean of Students to support students. The team of CAP Confidential Advocates provides free and confidential support to students who have experienced sex and gender-based harassment and violence. Students may access free and confidential support via the SAFE website and 24-hour hotline. For information about all of the available resources, both confidential and non-confidential, please visit OICRC’s resource page.

Information for students accused of sex and gender-based harassment and violence is available via the Respondent Resources page. Free and confidential support is available from the Respondent Resource Coordinator.