Faculty Fellow

Biography

Marta Elena Esquilin is the Associate Dean of the Honors Living-Learning Community and Assistant Professor of Professional Practice in the History Department within the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Rutgers–Newark. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology from the University of Vermont in 1999, and her Master’s Degree in 2003 from Teachers College, Columbia University in Higher Education Administration. In 2005, under the leadership of Dr. Derald Wing Sue within the Counseling & Psychology department at Teachers College, she was a co-author of the seminal article, “Racial microaggressions in everyday life: Implications for clinical practice”.  American Psychologist, 62(4), 271-286.  From 2005 to 2015, Marta served as the Director of Social Justice and Intercultural Programs within the Office of Multicultural Affairs at Columbia University.  Prior to her role at Columbia, she worked at The Posse Foundation and in a variety of community-based organizations focused on youth development, college access & equity, and community building. 

In addition to her work within Higher Education, Marta is a conflict professional and organizational consultant. Her work spans across multiple sectors and environments including secondary schools, non-profit organizations, social service agencies, corporate settings, and higher education institutions around the United States.  She has served as the Board Chair of CLAGS (Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies), the oldest LGBTQ research center in the country, and currently serves on the board of the Newark LGBTQ Center. Marta’s passion and current work center around creating environments that encourage the positive development of all people, with a specific focus on navigating difficult dialogues and leveraging restorative approaches to conflict. She is particularly interested in raising awareness about how microaggressions operate to create hostile environments for people with marginalized social identities within work and school settings.  To this end, she has developed trainings and assessment tools aimed at increasing cultural competence, addressing the impacts of microaggressions, and giving people practical tools and skills for managing conflict across difference. 

Fellowship Project

As a microcosm of the world, Rutgers University–Newark is one of the most diverse college campuses in the United States. This diversity of thought and experience is one of our greatest assets but has also been a source of tension. Over the past few years, national and global conflicts have intensified, creating a perfect storm on college campuses where tensions across differences can rapidly escalate. Colleges and universities are designed to encourage intellectual growth and the free exchange of ideas; however, increased levels of divisiveness have negatively impacted our ability to remain in dialogue with those who think differently. This shared capacity is necessary to realize our country’s democratic principles, and to reach our fullest potential as a nation. More specifically, our ability to dialogue across differences and work collaboratively is essential for problem solving across a variety of spheres and sectors.

The Conflict Chrysalis: Navigating Spaces, Places & Identities aims to build a for-credit interdisciplinary Dialogue course at Rutgers–Newark. This project is intended to increase the skills and capacity of all RU-N undergraduate students to engage in challenging dialogues across a range of differences. Furthermore, this course will enhance all students' confidence and ability to work through generative conflict within their respective disciplines, classrooms, workplaces, organizations, and communities. 

As a global campus, Rutgers University–Newark is uniquely positioned to cultivate the knowledge, skills, and capacities needed to navigate conflict across differences. We have the opportunity to foster a shared culture grounded in respect, belonging, resilience, and intellectual inquiry. Realizing these values requires intentionally equipping our students with the skills to engage constructively in challenging conversations and navigate complex group dynamics. Dialogue skills are essential for success in today's interconnected world. By developing these competencies, we can strengthen our campus community, enrich teaching and learning, and prepare graduates to become global citizens equipped to address our nation's and world's most pressing challenges.