Next Phase of the OME & Introducing OACES

Dear students,

As we near the start of the fall semester, I am writing to share exciting news about the next chapter for the Office of Minority Education (OME) and the Undergraduate Advising Center (UAC).

The UAC, created in 2023 to provide a transformative academic advising experience, represents one of our most significant investments in support of MIT’s undergraduate students. As the UAC took shape, it became clear, from extensive conversations across the community, that both the UAC and the OME could be strengthened and their missions further advanced by bringing the OME within the UAC.

Here are the details of this new plan.

I want to thank co-chairs Kristala L. J. Prather ’94, the Arthur Dehon Little Professor, Sadé Abraham, and the members of the transitional working group for the thoughtful discussions that led to the new name and mission. I also want to thank Diep “yip” Luu, senior associate dean and director of the UAC, for serving as interim director of the OME for over a year.

The OACES team will spend the coming months refining its strategic plan, seeking advice from students, faculty, staff, and alumni, and reaching out to the campus community, all while settling into its new space and running current programming.

Fittingly, these energizing changes come as the OME marks its 50th birthday; I hope you will join us for a celebration of its legacy and to honor its new era as OACES.

And, I encourage you to stop by the transformed space in Building 11 on Sept. 3 for the UAC’s first open house of the year.

Warm regards,

Dave

David L. Darmofal
Vice Chancellor for Undergraduate and Graduate Education and Jerome B. Wiesner Professor 

Transitional Working Group Members

Faculty

• Kristala L. J. Prather ’94 (co-chair), Arthur Dehon Little Professor; Professor of Chemical Engineering; Head, Department of Chemical Engineering

• David L. Darmofal SM ’91, PhD ’94 (ex officio), Vice Chancellor for Undergraduate and Graduate Education and Jerome B. Wiesner Professor

• Christine Ortiz, Morris Cohen (1933) Professor in Materials Science and Engineering

• Joaquin Terrones ’99, Faculty Lecturer, Literature

Staff

• Sadé Abraham (co-chair), Associate Dean, Undergraduate Advising Center, and Director of OACES

• Hector Arroyo De La Paz, Program Coordinator, OME/OACES

• Eboney Hearn ’01, Executive Director, MITES

• Diep “yip” Luu (ex officio), Senior Associate Dean and Director of the Undergraduate Advising Center

• Jordan Sell ’23, Staff Associate, Undergraduate Advising Center

Students

• Riley Contee ’25

• Srihitha Dasari ’26

• Oluwadara Deru ’26

• Eduardo Hernandez ’28

• Farin Liani ’26

• Hailey Polson ’26

Alumni

• Nicole Diamond ’00

• Danielle Geathers ’22

• Tomas Gonzalez ’80, SM ’83

• Michelle Harton SM ’83

• Guadalupe Hayes-Mota ’08, MBA ’16, SM ’16

• Holly Mayes-Carter PhD ’77

• Reggie Van Lee ’79, SM ’80 

Q&A on OACES

What is OACES?

The Office of Academic Community, Empowerment, and Success (OACES, pronounced “oasis”) combines the current staffing, budgets, and programs of the OME and the UAC’s Advising & Student Belonging (ASB) into a new UAC pillar. The mission of OACES is to build on the pioneering work of the OME, which long supported the academic empowerment and success of historically marginalized and underrepresented student communities. Expanding upon this legacy, OACES will champion the success of students who have faced challenges on their paths to or at MIT, including but not limited to students who are first-generation, low-income, transfer, underrepresented, or underserved. Open to all students, OACES is committed to fostering academic excellence; personal and professional growth; and strong, connected communities that empower students to thrive as leaders in academia, industry, and society.

Who is the director of OACES?

The director of OACES will be Associate Dean and Director Sadé Abraham, who led the Advising & Student Belonging (ASB) pillar in UAC and, over the past academic year, served as interim deputy director of the OME.

Where will OACES be located? What will happen to the current OME space?

The entire UAC staff, including OACES, will be located in Building 11, first and third floor, currently being renovated into a new space set to open early this fall. Integrated within the Advising & Academic Achievement (AAA) pillar in the UAC, the OME’s TSR^2 (The Talented Scholars Resource Room) will become the foundation of an effort to make tutoring more available for all undergraduates. TSR^2’s physical home will be in the OME’s former space in Building 4.

What will happen to OMESAC & OMEFAC? Who will advise OACES?

A new Advisory Council, reporting to the vice chancellor for undergraduate and graduate education, will provide strategic advice about OACES and related OVC efforts and be an essential way for current and future leaders to remain aligned with what today and tomorrow’s students need to thrive. This council will include students, alumni, staff, and faculty. The OME’s previous faculty advisory council (OMEFAC) will be integrated into the new Advisory Council. The OME’s previous student advisory council (OMESAC) will remain and be renamed as part of OACES.