Craig Pickett, Jr. serves as inaugural Director for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion within the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture. He collaborates with offices across the Institute and University to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) in the university’s research, outreach, and educational missions, as well as chair the newly established UTIA Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council. Furthermore, he provides strategic leadership and administrative oversight in developing and enhancing efforts to create and sustain a culture that embraces, promotes, and prioritizes equity, diversity, and inclusiveness in the broadest meanings for all staff and students. He is facilitating best practices for enhancing inclusivity and engagement across UTIA, including the ten AgResearch and Education Centers and the extension offices in all 95 counties throughout the state of Tennessee. He is currently earning his PhD in Higher Education Administration from the University of Tennessee, with his research focusing on the lived experiences of second-year African American male college students and their ability to maneuver barriers associated with the sophomore slump at PWIs. In his spare time, Craig is an active member of the Knoxville Community, where he focuses on youth development. He serves as Board Member for Girl Talk, Inc., a local non-profit that focuses on the academic, personal, and professional development for hundreds of elementary, middle, and high school girls throughout Knox County. He also serves as an Advisory Council Member for the Knoxville Area Urban League, National Achievers Society, a scholastic organization for hundreds of underrepresented high school scholars throughout Knox County Schools. He serves as a Mentor for Emerald Youth Foundation. Lastly, he serves as the Board Co-Chair for the United Way of Greater Knoxville’s Young Leaders Collective, a group focused on addressing social issues within the Knoxville community, and identifying ways to promote social, cultural, and economic success for all citizens. One of his favorite quotes, by Marian Wright Edelman, states “Service is the rent we pay to be living. It is the very purpose of life and not something you do in your spare time.”