Robin R. Means Coleman, PhD is vice president and associate provost for institutional diversity and inclusion, chief diversity officer, and the Ida B. Wells and Ferdinand Barnett Professor of Communication Studies at Northwestern University. In her roles, Coleman implements diversity accountability processes by working collaboratively with Northwestern’s 12 schools and colleges on three campuses.

Previously, Coleman was on the faculty at Texas A&M University, the University of Michigan (U-M), the University of Pittsburgh, and New York University. At Texas A&M, she was the vice president and associate provost for diversity. She served as associate dean of social sciences in the Rackham Graduate School at U-M as well as chair of the department of communication studies.

Coleman was a fellow in the Institute for Educational Management at Harvard University and has earned a certificate in diversity and inclusion from Cornell University. She is a graduate of the American Council on Education Leadership Academy; the University of California, Berkeley Executive Leadership Academy; and the National Intergroup Dialogue Institute. She was also a fellow in the NADOHE Standards of Professional Practice Institute. Coleman holds a certificate in leadership and performance coaching from Brown University/ACT.

An award-winning media studies scholar, Coleman’s work focuses on provocative narratives of social justice and the cultural politics of Blackness. She is the author of “Horror Noire: A History of Black American Horror from the 1890s to Present” and “African American Viewers and the Black Situation Comedy: Situating Racial Humor.” She is the co-author of “The Black Guy Dies First: Black Horror Cinema from Fodder to Oscar” and “Intercultural Communication for Everyday Life.”

Coleman is also the editor of “Say It Loud! African American Audiences, Media and Identity” and co-editor of “Fight the Power! The Spike Lee Reader.”