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Skidmore College
Office of Student Diversity & Inclusion

MEET OUR STAFF

A white woman stands on top of a mountain at sunrise.

Hillary Montague-Asp, Ph.D. (she/her)
Director, Office of Student Diversity & Inclusion
Phone: (518) 580-8103
 
Dr. Hillary Montague-Asp (she/her) is a white, queer, fat, cisgender femme from a professional class family, and has a chronic illness that is sometimes disabling. Hillary is a social justice educator and DEI practitioner with over a decade of experience doing equity-centered work to support marginalized students in higher education. She uses relational and reflexive approaches in her own self-work and in her work with students, staff, faculty, and community members to support personal growth, professional development, and to co-create critical communities of care. She is a formally trained intergroup dialogue facilitator and coach and has worked with students and facilitators on semester-long dialogues focusing on race, sexuality, and/or gender. Hillary has also taught courses at the undergraduate and graduate level on social (in)justice in the US education system and ableism & disability justice. She recently co-authored a book chapter on ableism & disability justice in Teaching for Diversity and Social Justice, 4th edition (Routledge, 2022). Hillary holds a B.A. from the University of Colorado – Boulder where she studied women & gender studies and sociology and an M.Ed. and Ph.D. in social justice education from the University of Massachusetts – Amherst.
 
In her free time, Hillary loves talking and learning about all things social justice, being outdoors (particularly in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado), spending time with her partner and 4 cats, watching women’s college basketball, and making music with friends. Hillary’s office (Case 203) is stocked with tea/cider/hot chocolate, snacks, candy, and fidget toys - please stop by and say hello! 

osdi student staff members

Photo of white student staff person with red shoulder-length hair standing against the wall
Elise (they/them)

What’s a hidden talent or hobby you have that most people wouldn’t know about?
I love to garden! My mom and I have a pretty good sized strawberry patch, herb garden, grape arbor, and flower patch. We love to make jam with the fruit we grow and use the herbs in our cooking.

If you could only eat one cuisine for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Probably Lebanese. I’m a huge fan of falafel, hummus, manaeesh, Farrouj meshwi,and kinafa. One of my family members is from lebanon and he makes the most delicious toum garlic sauce.

What’s your favorite way to unwind after a long day?
I love to watch movies and crochet with my cat beside me.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
All you can do is all you can do.

What’s one thing on your bucket list that you’re determined to accomplish?
Learn how to quilt, and then make a giant quilt. 

Picture of Ivory, a Black student staff member with medium-length locs outdoors
Ivory (he/him)
What’s a hidden talent or hobby you have that most people wouldn’t know about?
A hidden talent of mine is that I can dance exceptionally well.
 
If you could only eat one cuisine for the rest of your life, what would it be?

If I had to choose one meal to enjoy for the rest of my life, it would be a classic: red beans and rice with cornbread and fried chicken.

What’s your favorite way to unwind after a long day?
After a long, busy day, I like to unwind by retreating to my room, listening to music, and taking time to relax and recharge in my own space.
 
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
I live by the principle of authenticity, always striving to be true to myself. Two quotes that resonate deeply with me are: 'Always be yourself' and 'If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything,' by Malcolm X.
 
What’s one thing on your bucket list that you’re determined to accomplish?

Maintaining a strong credit score is a priority for me.