Multicultural Speaker Series Featuring Ryan Saddler

Our aim for this series is to provide an opportunity for individuals and organizations to engage diverse residents and employees from multiple sectors in the Quad Cities region, broaden their networks, and enhance their awareness of diversity issues.

For this Multicultural speaker series, Ryan Saddler will focus on disability as an essential component of diversity. We will discuss why the intersection of race and disability and ways in which we all can be better agents of change. 

About Ryan Saddler: 

Ryan Saddler is in his twenty-eigth year at St. Ambrose University and in August of 2019 was appointed the university’s first Associate Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.  Saddler graduated from St. Ambrose in 1995 with a B.S. degree in Biology and a B.A. in Psychology. He added a Master of Education degree with a Postsecondary Disability Services emphasis from St. Ambrose in 2006 and has worked at the university in multiple roles since 1995. Most recently he has served in the dual capacities of Director of Diversity and Director of the Accessibility Resource Center.
 
Saddler has presented locally and nationally on various topics such as career outcome expectancies and exploration intentions of students with disabilities, disability law for higher education institutions and how our Worldview effects how we see the World and multiple diversity, equity and inclusion topics. 
 
Saddler has also represented the University through a number of professional and community boards and networks. He served ten consecutive years in various capacities including president for ILLOWA AHEAD (Association on Higher Education and Disability); a Tri-Chair of the United Way of the QC - African American Leadership Society; and as the founder of the Friends of MLK, Inc. Davenport, Iowa, Saddler serves as the Board Chair and CEO.