The Maryland Equity and Inclusion Leadership Program | About | Program Staff
Program Staff
Self-Paced Program: Maryland Commission on Civil Rights
Dia Drake-Sprague
Dia Drake-Sprague is a Civil Rights Officer with the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights (MCCR) Education and Outreach Division where she provides statewide training on discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations as well as sexual harassment, best practices for diversity and inclusive language in the workplace. Before joining MCCR, Dia worked for 14 years with the Department of Labor – Maryland Occupation Safety and Health (MOSH) where she gained experience in safety and health compliance and workplace discrimination. As a former whistleblower investigator, Dia understands that educating employers and individuals on their rights is an integral part of fostering environments free from unlawful discrimination.
Live Program: Schaefer Center for Public Policy, The University of Baltimore
Kelechi Ekpagu, Ph.D.
Dr. Ekpagu is an Associate Professor in the School of Public & International Affairs, University of Baltimore. She is also a Fulbright Specialist. Dr. Ekpagu has an M.P.A. in public management and finance, and a Ph.D. in public policy, specializing in planning and economic development. At the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, she worked on various community and economic development strategies for assisting low- and moderate-income people and communities. As the Safe Routes to School program coordinator for the State of Georgia, Dr. Ekpagu managed the program’s $17.1 million in federal funding to improve bicycle and pedestrian accommodations for school-aged children across the state and thereby enhance health outcomes, as well. As a program consultant at Global Evaluation and Applied Research Solutions (GEARS) Inc., she provided technical assistance to the CDC and other federal agencies toward more effective and efficient public health programs.
Dr. Ekpagu’s current research is related to urban planning, citizen participation, community development, and public health. Her overall research agenda focuses on improving local governance and enhancing the quality of life for distressed populations, both domestically and abroad. She has presented my work at various conferences in North America, Africa and Asia.
Lorenda Naylor, Ph.D.
Dr. Naylor is an associate professor in the School of Public and International Affairs and the program director for the undergraduate degree in Politics, Policy and International Affairs (PPIA) program. She trains public servants to make a difference in their communities, cities, and country.
Dr. Naylor is on the U.S. Fulbright Scholar Specialist roster and is an international scholar. She has traveled to six continents and over 20 countries. She is a social equity researcher and utilizes a multi- disciplinary framework in her research and teaching. Her research focuses on ensuring democratic values equality, justice, and representation are reflected in public policy outcomes. She has written on the following subjects: affirmative action, diversity, education, health, LGBT, and pedagogy.
Dr. Naylor has distinguished herself as one of the top ten scholars in public administration pedagogy. She has over 30 publications and delivered over 65 presentations. Her work has been published in Public Integrity, Review of Public Personnel Administration, Journal of Public Affairs Education, Journal of Health and Human Services, Journal of Maternal Child Health, Clinical Therapeutics, Journal on Leadership and Development, and the Journal on Comparative Asian Development.
She earned her PhD in public administration from American University, Washington, DC, Masters of Public Health degree from the University of Kansas Medical School, Kansas City, KS, and Master of Public Administration from Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS.