Carese Bates (she/her) serves as the Program Manager for the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University, where she oversees the school’s strategic plan for DEI and advises the school’s leadership and faculty on strategies to support inclusive excellence framework. She is also a part-time faculty member instructing first-year students. Carese has held various leadership positions in higher education, including advising diversity committees and experience in training around identity development, implicit bias, social justice, and anti-racism. As a DEI Educator, she is centered on creating inclusion and equity tools to shift the culture and empower a sense of belonging. Born and raised in Durham, NC, Carese holds a  BA in psychology from Winston-Salem State University and a MA in school counseling from Clark Atlanta University. She is pursuing her doctorate in Human Services with a specialization in Higher Education from Walden University. She earned a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Workplace Certificate from the University of South Florida.