Bio
Shorter came to Mary Washington from Bloomsburg University, where she currently serves as Special Assistant to the President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and is a tenured faculty member in the Department of Communication Studies. During her time at Bloomsburg, she led a number of initiatives within the university and across the Pennsylvania state system. As the faculty co-chair of the President’s Commission on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Shorter led a team to build and execute a university-wide diversity, equity and inclusion plan. She also designed and facilitated a diversity, equity and inclusion training initiative to increase knowledge, understanding and advocacy throughout Bloomsburg University.
A native of Maryland and a former McNair Scholar, Shorter holds a bachelor’s degree in communication studies from Frostburg State University and master’s and doctoral degrees in communication from Purdue University. She has taught a variety of courses, including intercultural communication, nonprofit communication and small group communication.
Her past work includes directing the Frederick Douglass Institute for Academic Excellence and chairing the Mid-Atlantic LGBTQA Conference. She is the project lead for the Inclusive Future Faculty Initiative, which was developed in response to her dissertation on the topic, designed as a means of diversifying the professoriate.