Diversity & Inclusion

The Alliance for the Advancement of Diversity and Inclusion is a group of NECO faculty, staff, and students who help promote a culture where individuals from all backgrounds feel a sense of belonging and can thrive academically, professionally, and personally.

Several of NECO’s student clubs and organizations have a focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion, including:

Asian Optometry Student Organization
Promotes awareness and acceptance of Asian culture and diversity to improve patient care.

LaVista
Teaches members how to perform an eye exam in Spanish.

National Optometric Student Association (NOSA)
The National Optometric Association promotes the delivery of vision care to underserved communities through consumer education, legislative advocacy, and minority recruitment and retention.

Prism
An LGBTQIA+ and ally organization dedicated to creative inclusivity and diversity within the school and greater optometry community.

Student Alliance for the Advancement of Diversity and Inclusion
Focused on educating the NECO community about social and professional issues affecting BIPOC students.

View all Student Organizations

We’re grateful for the support and guidance of NECO’s Diversity & Inclusion Advisory Council, who guide NECO on best practices to support and accelerate D&I goals.

Brian K. Gibbs, PhD, MPA, is Vice President of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, Chief Diversity Officer, and Associate Professor at Oregon Health & Science University. He is a visionary and highly collaborative leader with an in-depth understanding of local, national, global, historical, and contemporary social justice issues facing higher education and underserved communities.

Mamie W. Mallory is President & CEO of Mallory & Associates, LLC. She is a recognized Civil Rights Leader and an accomplished Program Manager/Engineer in the Federal Government. She is formerly the Assistant Administrator for Civil Rights for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Mary Otiato is the Director of Policy and Strategic Initiatives/Ombudsman, Massachusetts Commission for the Blind (MCB). Mary oversees the Central Registry, MCB’s entry point for consumers and responds to consumer inquiries to improve and redesign processes, programs, policies, and service delivery. She has more than 13 years’ experience in management roles in human services organizations, and previously served as MCB’s Greater Boston Regional Director and Chief of Staff.

Jim Sinocchi is Head of the Global Office of Disability Inclusion at JPMorgan Chase. Jim works with leaders and employees across the firm to set the strategy for driving an inclusive culture for recruiting, hiring, and promoting qualified people with disabilities. He represents the firm in forums at the United Nations, in discussions with members of Congress, and in meetings with government officials and nonprofit entities.

Frances West was IBM’s first Chief Accessibility Officer and is founder of FrancesWestCo, a global strategy advisory company focused on working with business, governments, nonprofits, and startups to operationalize digital inclusion as a business and technology imperative. She is author of “Authentic Inclusion™ Drives Disruptive Innovation.” The book draws on her unique personal background and global business experience in technology innovation — from her personal journey as a first-generation, non-English speaking immigrant to her professional path as a woman in technology.