Office Staff

Staff

Renee Wells (She/her/hers)
Chief Diversity Officer

Renee Wells joined the campus community in July 2026 as SUNY Cortland's chief diversity officer. She previously served Queens University of Charlotte as its assistant vice president for diversity, equity and inclusion and chief diversity officer and she brings more than 20 years of higher education experience to the role. 

As a collaborator, Renee works closely with students, staff, faculty and administrators to advocate for inclusive policies and practices; supports the development of culturally responsive and trauma-informed teaching, advising and mentoring; partners with hiring teams on equitable and inclusive search practices; consults with individuals and departments on classroom and workplace inclusion;  provides mediation to address conflict within the campus community; and facilitates restorative justice processes in support of accountability and/or relational repair.

Prior to Queens, Renee served as assistant vice president of education for equity and inclusion at Middlebury College, as director of the LGBTQ Pride Center at North Carolina State University and as assistant director of the Center for Diversity and Inclusion at Michigan Technological University.

A frequent presenter, workshop facilitator and published author, Renee previously chaired the Accessibility in the Academy National Advisory Council for the National Conference on Race and Ethnicity (NCORE) from 2023 to 2025. She earned a B.S. in education and B.A. in English from Auburn University; an M.A. in English from Miami University; and M.F.A. in creative writing from Southern Illinois University.