A noted expert in diversity and inclusion issues will be the keynote speaker at the 2012 annual conference of the Michigan ACE Network for Women Leaders in Higher Education.

Shirley M. Collado serves as dean of the college and chief diversity officer for Middlebury College in Vermont. Collado has led a number of initiatives since joining Middlebury in 2007, including establishing the Center for the Comparative Study of Race and Ethnicity, creating the Office of the Dean of Students, and enhancing new student orientation. She also serves as associate professor of psychology.

Prior to her tenure at Middlebury College, Collado served as executive vice president of The Posse Foundation, a nonprofit organization that recruits and trains outstanding young leaders from urban secondary schools and sends them, as teams or posses, to top colleges across the country.

The 2012 MI-ACE Conference will be held May 21-22 at the Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center on the campus of Michigan State University.  Join faculty, staff, and administrators from around Michigan for the conference, which aims to create a better future for all women through empowerment, solidarity and networking.