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Dr. Sumun Pendakur

I'm Dr. Sumun L. Pendakur, a DEI Strategist/Consultant/Speaker and the founder of Sumun Pendakur Consulting, a firm that helps organizations and individuals build capacity for social justice and racial equity. With over 20 years of experience in the field, I have been a thought partner, trainer, speaker, and executive coach for more than 300 clients across higher education, non-profit, and corporate sectors.

My mission is to empower individuals at all levels to be transformational agents of change in their spheres of influence. I draw on my research and expertise in racial justice transformation, identity-conscious leadership, and organizational development to design and deliver customized, engaging, and high-impact learning experiences. I am a former board member of NADOHE, the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education, and an award-winning speaker and trainer who has been recognized as one of the top 35 women in higher education by Diverse Issues in Higher Education magazine. I am passionate about creating a more just, equitable, and compassionate world for all.

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I’ve held roles as the Chief Learning Officer at the USC Race and Equity Center, dedicated to advancing scalable racial justice in multiple sectors; as the Assistant Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion at Harvey Mudd College, serving on the President’s Cabinet and directing the Office of Institutional Diversity; and as the Director for USC Asian Pacific American Student Services.

I am a graduate of Northwestern University with a double major in Women’s Studies and History and a Minor in Spanish. I hold an M.A. in Higher Education Administration from the University of Michigan. And I received my doctorate in Higher Education Leadership from the USC Rossier School of Education. My study on institutional change agents received the Dissertation of the Year award (2011).

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I recently wrapped 7 years as the Co-President of the Southern California chapter of NADOHE (SCADOHE). I am on the Coqual Advisory Board, am an executive coach for faculty and administrators through the Kardia Group, and I served as Faculty Coach for the AAC&U’s multi-year TIDES (Teaching to Increase Diversity and Equity in STEM) Institute. I am the co-editor, alongside Dr. Stephen Quaye, of Student Engagement in Higher Education: Theoretical Perspectives and Practical Approaches for Diverse Populations (4rd edition) (2026).

I am the multilingual daughter of immigrants, was raised in the Midwest, and now call Los Angeles, CA, home. I am the wife of actor Sunil Malhotra and proud mommy to Shashi Veer and Shama Shakti.

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Select Recent Keynotes

2024​

  • Virginia Tech Advancing Diversity Annual Conference (January 2024)

  • Palomar College Flex Week (January 2024)

  • Marshall B. Ketchum All University Retreat (February 2024)

  • Harvard Campus-Wide EDIB Forum (April 2024)

  • California Asian American and Pasifika Leaders in Education (April 2024)

  • Higher Education Student Affairs - Central Valley Conference (April 2024)
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Select Facilitation/ Trainings

2024​

  • Ogletree Deakins (Global Law Firm) (March 2024)

  • Glendale Community College (March 2024)

  • FX Networks (Spring/Summer 2024)

  • AEA Consulting (Summer/Fall 2024)

External Reviews

  • Northwestern University Campus Inclusion and Community (October 2020)

  • Stanford University Cultural and Community Centers (2018-19)

  • UC Irvine LGBT Resource Center (2018)

  • UCLA LGBT Resource Center (2015)

  • Claremont Colleges Queer Resource Center (2015)

STAY CONNECTED WITH SUMI

© Copyright 2024 Sumun L. Pendakur. All Rights Reserved.

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