A Guiding Light

Dr. Nance felt God had put her exactly where she was supposed to be. “I thought, if my goal is to make education accessible and available to as many students as possible, then let me do it here. If I look back, no matter what job I’ve had at the University or what role I’ve played, that has been a through line: to make sure that the education that we offer—the whole education, all of the experiences—is available to anyone who is a Villanova student.”

Over the last four and a half decades, Dr. Nance has held multiple titles–from those early days serving as a professor and then chair of the Communication Department to ultimately becoming the University’s first vice president for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer. She has received many awards, established numerous programs, and led and served on too many task forces and committees to count.

She was the founding director of the Center for Multicultural Affairs and led its evolution into the Center for Access, Success and Achievement (CASA), which provides holistic support for underrepresented, first-generation and Pell-eligible students. In 2020, she established the Center for Dialogue, which engages community members in the practice of dialogue by teaching skills and creating opportunities for meaningful interaction and community building through the lens of social justice. In 2023, the center was named in her honor.

“Dr. Nance has passionately worked for a lifetime to create academic spaces that deliver on the promises of freedom and democracy. Villanova is a more Augustinian and more inclusive community because of her, our world is a kinder place because of her, and each of us is a better version of ourselves because of her influence,” says Kristina Ruiz-Mesa, PhD, ’05 CLAS, ’07 MA, who called Dr. Nance a role model and mentor at her retirement celebration on June 9.

Patrick Kennedy ’95 CLAS was a two-term student body president who frequently collaborated with Dr. Nance on diversity programming. "She showed us how to love, to laugh and to inspire others, all in the hard work of guiding the students and the Villanova community toward a greater realization of the mission. Though I never took one of her classes, I learned immeasurably as a pupil of hers. She is a master teacher.'

When asked what tops her list of proudest accomplishments, Dr. Nance says, “I’m proud of my students and the work that they do, because that’s why we do this. I’m proud of CASA because that really is the current embodiment of the vision I had as a graduate student. And I’m proud of the Center for Dialogue because it’s the best expansion of the work of equity and justice that we do in our office.”

She’s quick to credit the support she received over the years, from peers and presidents alike. “The great part about being a faculty member is that I never did anything by myself. I always had the best crew of people around me,” says Dr. Nance. “And no diversity officer, no one interested in justice work at the University, no one interested in inclusion work at the University can do it alone. To have a partner in Father Peter Donohue is an answer to a prayer.”

Another source of unwavering support has been her husband, Kermit Moore, PhD, who also taught at Villanova. For many years they traded off duties as working parents. Although Dr. Nance will teach one course, African American Rhetoric, in the spring, she looks forward to embracing their new roles as grandparents together. “I couldn’t have done half of what I did if it weren’t for my husband. I will always be so grateful because without him I wouldn’t be who I am.”