BERKELEY – Dr. Ty-Ron Douglas, Cal Athletics' associate athletics director for diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging and justice, was one of three individuals to earn the 2024 Champions of Diversity and Inclusion, awarded by the NCAA's Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee (MOIC). The award was created in 2015 by the MOIC and is given twice a year to individuals at NCAA colleges, universities and athletics conferences who have shown a commitment to influencing and promoting diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging; advocating for and supporting underrepresented populations; and diversifying pipeline opportunities within college athletics.
 
"It's important that people in the DEIBJ space are recognized for their work because it concretizes and communicates the contributions of critical—sometimes less perceptible—efforts of leaders in our field and in organizations that are vital to the infrastructure of organizations that desire to be excellent," Douglas said. "Said another way, excellent organizations and teams have DEIBJ at the center of their value system, and this requires leadership. I am grounded in my work by the reality that DEIBJ is always about people. At a time when DEI is under attack nationally, we are reminded by recognitions like this one that people are the ones for whom our work advocates, and there are real people engaging in the legitimate and needed field of DEI who are working daily to protect and create space and opportunities for every person to belong and thrive, especially those who have been historically excluded and exploited."
 
Douglas joined Cal Athletics in 2021 and has efforted to ensure that student-athletes and staff have a safe space to express their identities and form communities with individuals from similar backgrounds. He runs the department's Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging and Justice office, which has provided individuals with resources such as educational seminars, employee resource groups (ERG) and training programs.
 
Several campus ERGs have formed under Douglas' leadership, including for the Asian American and Pacific Islander, Black, Indigenous, Latinx, LGBTQ+ and female-identifying communities. In addition, in each of the last two years he has led one of the largest contingents of staff and student-athletes to the Black Student-Athlete Summit – an annual multi-day event that aims to help Black student-athletes maximize their college experience and provide them with networking and professional development opportunities.
 
In February, Douglas organized the historic Champions of Justice event that honored Dr. John Carlos, Dr. Harry Edwards and Dr. Tommie Smith for their contributions to sport and society and included a panel discussion about their 1968 Olympic Project for Human Rights and the iconic Black Power salute from Carlos and Smith on the podium during the 1968 Games. For his efforts in putting on the event, Douglas was awarded the 2024 Chancellor's Outstanding Staff Award.
 
 
"To me, Dr. Ty is not only just the Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging, and Justice, but he is also my mentor and more importantly my friend," said Courtney Boone, a junior on Cal's women's soccer team. "Working with him has helped me recognize the impact and leadership potential within myself. He constantly encourages me to step out of my comfort zone and embrace visibility. It is important to have people like Dr. Ty in the athletic department because he makes everyone feel seen, heard, and understood. He is a person I am beyond blessed to have in my corner."
 
A nationally recognized leader in the DEI space, Douglas has earned other awards, including the 2023 Professional of the Year at the Black Student-Athlete Summit and being recognized by the Pac-12 Network as a trailblazing DEI leader.