Purdue University Northwest invites the community to join in a celebration of diversity, inclusion and Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy.
As part of PNW’s celebration, the university will be hosting community conversations and speakers Jan.15 and 19.
The first community event will take place 12:30 to 2 p.m. Jan. 15, on the Hammond campus. Shontrai Irving, a professor of business law at Purdue University Northwest, will serve as guest speaker.
A PNW MBA graduate, Irving is an educator, attorney and community leader. He has been recognized with several honors from Purdue University, including the Special Boilermaker Award and the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dreamer Award, celebrating his dedication to equity, inclusion and transformational service. A three-time graduate of Indiana University, Irving will serve as the 156th Chair of the Indiana University Alumni Association, representing over 800,000 alumni across the globe.
Irving leads the Leaders in Law, Leaders in Literacy initiative, connecting lawyers, college students and young people to promote literacy, empowerment and civic engagement. His lifelong mission of uplifting others, especially youth, reflects Dr. King’s enduring call to serve, to lead with integrity and to advance justice for all.
The second community event will take place 7: 45 to 9:30 a.m. Jan. 19, on the Westville campus. Kiahna Davis, a Michigan City native and finance and operations executive, will serve as guest speaker.
David has a career spanning corporate, nonprofit and entrepreneurial leadership. She is the CEO of MYB Accounting, Tax and Consulting, where she leads a firm specializing in tax strategy, accounting and fractional CFO services. Davis has served as Indiana Mentor CFO, Hawker-Beechcraft-Cessna division controller, Irwin Union Bank vice president and bank controller and Motorola senior financial analyst.
A graduate of Indiana University-Bloomington, Davis earned an MBA in accounting from Indiana Wesleyan University. As the inaugural president of the African American Legacy Fund of Indianapolis, she has raised over $500,000 for grassroots organizations in her first year. Her civic work includes leadership roles in the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Jack and Jill of America, The Links and on 14 community boards.
The community conversations and guest speakers are part of Purdue University Northwest’s annual program honoring Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy. Learn more here.
