Virginia Diversity Network

Dr. Catalina Piatt-Esguerra is the Programs Manager for UVA’s School of Education & Human Development’s (EHD) inaugural Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). In this role, she works to support the vision of the Office to create and sustain a more equitable environment at the EHD through diverse recruitment efforts, integration of DEI into the school’s core mission, and enhanced programming, professional development, and policy design for faculty, staff, and students.

Prior to joining UVA, she worked at the Miller School of Albemarle, where she taught Spanish and served as the school’s first Coordinator of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. In this role, she worked in a variety of areas—ranging from curriculum consultation, residence life crisis management, faculty professional development and student support— aimed at making the Miller School a more inclusive teaching and learning environment.

She earned her Ph.D. from the University of Michigan in 2019, where she also worked as a Student Success Coach for first-generation students of color in the Office of Academic Multicultural Initiatives and co-led orientation programming for incoming students through the Office of New Student Programs. While at Michigan, she also worked in the Rackham Graduate School with their Program in Public Scholarship and their Graduate Professional Development programs. In 2018, she completed the Rackham Graduate's School Professional Development Certificate in DEI while serving on the Advisory Committee to the U-M Vice Provost for Equity and Inclusion. Her experience spans secondary and higher education spheres, and she is equipped to empower educators at all levels to build their capacities and skill sets in DEI.