Meet the Staff

Adela Caceres
Director of Office for Social Justice and Diversity
Pronouns: she, her, hers, ella
973-655-7130
Student Center, Room 112

Adela Caceres is a LatinX professional who currently serves as the Director of the Office for Social Justice and Diversity (OSJD) at Montclair State University. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the College of New Jersey and obtained her master’s degree in Counseling from Montclair State University. She also obtained her Family Development Credential from Rutgers University and the Certificate for Executive Non-Profit Leadership from Fairleigh Dickinson University. Ms. Caceres has worked in the helping field since 2002 serving diverse populations in the areas of addiction, mental health, intimate partner violence, prevention education, advocacy and non-profit management. From 2010 to the present, she has served in various leadership roles developing and growing key programs in underserved communities throughout northern New Jersey providing educational programming and interventions for high risk populations. From 2015 through 2020, Ms. Caceres served on the Advisory Board for the Counseling Department at Montclair State University with a strong commitment to aiding in the development of curriculums that would best prepare our rising professionals in the helping field. In 2019, she joined Montclair State University as an adjunct instructor teaching graduate level courses in the Counselor education program and in 2020, the Counseling department recognized Ms. Caceres with the alumni Outstanding Professional Achievement in Clinical Mental Health Award. In January 2022, she joined the Montclair State University community in the full time capacity as the Director of the OSJD and continues to lead her team, creating leadership opportunities for the student population and further developing the mission and vision of the program through the lens of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

Darius W. Edwards
Assistant Director of Office for Social Justice and Diversity
Pronouns: he/him
973-655-7563
Student Center, Room 113 E

Darius W. Edwards is a seasoned higher education and student affairs practitioner working over a decade in the field. With experiences in many functional areas including residential life, student involvement, college access + retention, service-learning, conduct, and diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging – Darius provides a well-rounded approach to holistic student development.

In his role as Assistant Director, Darius supports the mission, vision, and values of the Office for Social Justice + Diversity through curating social + educational DEIB experiences, developing an intersectional approach to student services + resources, supervising graduate + undergraduate students, and facilitating cross-departmental collaborations. He joins Montclair from Stockton University and Virginia State University and serves on the directorate board of the Pan African Network of ACPA: College Student Educators International, and the Board of Directors for the African American Heritage Museum of Southern New Jersey.

Beyond work, Darius is a son, grandson, big brother, Dog and Plant dad, proud two-time HBCU alumnus, South Jersey native with southern Baptist roots, an avid-traveler, ballroom spectator, shower singer, semi extreme couponer, and lover of all things BLACK.

Karina Escobar
Program Coordinator for Student Access to Community Services
Pronouns: she, her, hers, ella
973-655-4153
Student Center, Room 113 A

Karina Escobar is a fellow Red Hawk and obtained her BA in Family Science and Human Development at Montclair State University. She later attended Columbia University to receive her Masters in Social Work. She has experience working with underserved communities; in particular, working in forward-facing roles where her work impacted students, staff, faculty, individuals, families, and community stakeholders. She has driven programs and initiatives to strengthen the communities she served via research, advocacy, community collaboration, and prevention education.

In her role as Coordinator for Student Access to Community Services, Karina plans to support student success and increase access to community resources in order to further equity and inclusion. Throughout the campus community, Karina aims to reduce the stigma of accessing services by highlighting the Red Hawk Pantry and Rocky’s Closet. She hopes to create a welcoming environment and encourage utilization where resources can provide relief.

Stephanie Lopez
Program Associate
Pronouns: she, her, hers, ella
973-655-7916
Student Center, Room 112

Stephanie Lopez is our newest member of the team and currently serves as the Program Associate for the Office for Social Justice and Diversity. She obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Communications and Media Studies from Caldwell University as a first generation graduate and EOF scholar and is in the process of perusing her Master of Arts in Higher Education. She has experience working in university settings in the areas of undergraduate admissions and public relations working closely with incoming students as well as community stakeholders. Stephanie is excited and is passionate about working with the university’s diverse populations and is enthusiastic about her role at Montclair State University.