A Sense of Belonging
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hen Melissa Thomas-Hunt returned to the faculty of the Darden School of Business ahead of the 2021–22 academic year, the school not only welcomed a familiar face, but it hailed the arrival of a seasoned academic, an experienced businessperson, and a forceful advocate for diversity.
Melissa Thomas-Hunt, a former professor, senior associate dean, and global chief diversity officer at Darden, is now the John Forbes Distinguished Professor of Business Administration at Darden with a joint appointment at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. The Forbes Professorship, named for a founding member of the Darden School faculty and its first director of admissions John Douglas Forbes, benefited from a match through UVA’s Bicentennial Professors Fund. The professorship was funded by the late Frank M. Sands Sr. (Darden ’63) and his wife, Marjorie R. Sands.
Thomas-Hunt rejoined the faculty after a stint at Airbnb, where she served as global head of diversity and belonging and led strategy and execution of global internal diversity, inclusion, equity, and belonging programs for the company’s 5,000 employees.
In appreciation for her efforts, Airbnb announced a $1 million pledge over the next five years to establish a new Darden initiative to support research in the areas of diversity, equity, inclusion, connection, and belonging: the Airbnb Melissa Christian Thomas-Hunt Research Fund for Global Connection and Belonging.
“The impact MTH has had on Airbnb can be felt in nearly every corner of our company,” said Airbnb Co-founder and CEO Brian Chesky. “I’ve personally learned so much from her, and she has helped me become a better leader. But what’s remarkable is the sheer number of people at Airbnb who would probably say the same thing. This commitment will ensure that our work together continues for many years to come.”
Thomas-Hunt will lead the fund’s academic research effort at Darden and continue to serve Airbnb as a senior adviser for connection and belonging at the company. In addition, she will serve as a special adviser to Darden Dean Scott Beardsley and Batten School Dean Ian Solomon. She will also work in concert with Martin Davidson, Darden global chief diversity officer, on Darden's diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.
“We are incredibly grateful to Airbnb for its commitment to advance knowledge in this critical area and its strong support of Melissa as she transitions back to Darden,” said Beardsley. “Airbnb’s generous gift is a building block for Darden’s aspiration to create a new Initiative for Inclusive Leadership, Equity, and Leveraging Difference that aims to serve as a hub for academic scholarship, pedagogical innovation, and applied social action.”
Our very viability depends on activating our curiosity and demonstrating vulnerability so that we can recognize and leverage our collective humanity as we seize opportunities and attempt to solve our thorniest global problems.
—Melissa Thomas-Hunt
“In a multitude of ways, my prior time at Darden laid the foundation for the work I would do advancing diversity and belonging at Airbnb,” said Thomas-Hunt. “Now, as we all begin to learn our new normal in a world that is wrestling with a pandemic, we emerge with a deepened sense of the importance of creating connection between individuals. Our very viability depends on activating our curiosity and demonstrating vulnerability so that we can recognize and leverage our collective humanity as we seize opportunities and attempt to solve our thorniest global problems.”
Previously, when Thomas-Hunt served on the Darden faculty, she taught courses in the areas of leadership, team dynamics, and negotiation. From 2016–17, she held the role of global chief diversity officer at Darden before taking a position as vice provost for inclusive excellence at Vanderbilt University.
Thomas-Hunt’s return to the Darden faculty comes as the school continues to make sustained efforts in the areas of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. Advancements include new resources to bolster the experience of Darden’s diverse, global community; a commitment to attract talented, diverse students from across the globe; and faculty thought leadership on diversity, equity, and inclusion, including new courses and more diverse protagonists in Darden cases in the classroom.
In 2020, the Darden Annual Fund added a new Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Initiatives designation, allowing Darden supporters to directly support efforts to build an inclusive culture of excellence. To date, roughly $350,000 has been raised by donors to support this critical work.
Consistent with its mission, the Darden School will continue to chart the progress of efforts to increase global diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging as part of its commitment to excellence and to develop future responsible leaders from all walks of life.
Darden plans additional fundraising to help establish the new initiative led by Thomas-Hunt.
“In collaboration with Airbnb and many talented researchers at UVA and elsewhere, I’m so pleased that I get to explore how we create connection within organizations and on platforms that bring humans together,” she said. “I am grateful for the resources that Airbnb’s gift and my chair will unlock as we press forward in this endeavor.”
For more information on how to support this effort, contact Samantha Hartog, interim vice president for advancement, at HartogS@darden.virginia.edu or 434-982-2151.