Admasu Zike was appointed interim director of Affirmative Action and Diversity Resources on Tuesday, following the departure of former director Elizabeth Ortiz.

Zike, who has a Ph.D. in political science, currently is the associate vice provost for Academic Support Services, and oversees groups such as the Center for Black Studies, University Resources for Women and the University Resources for Latinos.

He will retain this position during his period as interim director.

Zike has been involved heavily with diversity issues on campus for about 25 years. He helped establish the Presidential Commission on the Status of Minorities and the Illinois Committee on Black Concerns in Higher Education. He has worked on a variety of initiatives and forums, including working on a multi-cultural curriculum task force.

LaVerne Gyant, director of the Center for Black Studies, said Zike’s background should help him succeed.

“Because of the work he’s done in the area, he is very aware of what this campus needs,” she said. “He is very much committed to the ideas of multi-culturalism and diversity.”

The university began AADR in 1999.

The Center for Diversity Resources, a building adjacent to the Human Resource Service Center, houses AADR.

“The AADR does several things: training on affirmative action, planning diversity activities, handling complaints, working with commissions on campus, working with disability issues, women’s issues, gay and lesbian issues,” Zike said. “All that is part of the mission of the unit.”

Steve Cunningham, associate vice president for Administration and Human Resources, helped make the decision to appoint Zike as interim director.

“Admasu was a very readily available candidate. He is well-known to diverse groups on campus,” he said. “AADR has an opportunity to benefit from Admasu’s leadership.”

Zike is not sure what changes he will introduce, or what contributions he will make to the program. He said one major challenge he faces is attracting more diversity in the faculty and staff, but he noted that he will need to assess the current situation before he can change anything.

“It’s already a functioning and well-run unit, and I’ll just be adding to it,” he said. “I accept the job because it is a subject that is important to me. With the director leaving, I didn’t want any momentum to dissipate. At the same time, it’s a very big task.”