The LGBTQ Center, which provides students with an accepting and inclusive environment, hired a new assistant director, April Callis, after the position had been vacant since August. Callis was previously a professor at Northern Kentucky University.
Staff writer Danielle Bush spoke with Callis about her new position, what she has done in her past and what the position will entail.
The Daily Tar Heel: How did you hear about the job at UNC’s LGBTQ Center?
April Callis: Basically a year and a half ago, I started volunteering with the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, which is a national organization; and through the work I did with them, I realized that I really wanted to get a full-time LGBTQ job. So about a year ago, I started searching various universities, kind of trying to find a position that would suit my background, that was kind of focused on the education part, and I was really hoping to get closer to my family; and the Chapel Hill job just happened to turn up on a search I was doing in September or October. I immediately applied and was really thrilled when I heard back that I got the interview and eventually the position.
DTH: What are some of your responsibilities as assistant director of the LGBTQ Center?
AC: From what I know from talking to Terri (Phoenix) when I was interviewing and from the job description, I will be helping with educational workshops for students, faculty and staff, helping with some of the events that the LGBTQ Center puts on and then also working directly with the students who come into the center with any issues that they want to talk to me about.
DTH: What are you most looking forward to as you take over this position?
AC: For the last five years I’ve been a professor of anthropology and honors at Northern Kentucky University, and I love working with college students but when you’re a professor, I feel like sometimes my relationship with students stops at ‘why didn’t you turn in your paper on time?’ or ‘this is not what a thesis should look like.’
I am really excited at the chance to build relationships with students that go beyond that because I’ve realized that oftentimes students have so much going on outside of the classroom and maybe they’re more worried about that when they’re in your classroom than writing a paper that might not be the most important thing to them.
