The Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Alade McKen, is facing allegations of plagiarism in his doctoral dissertation. A report claims that McKen plagiarized material from over 30 authors and Wikipedia for his thesis titled, “‘UBUNTU’ I am because we are: A case study examining the experiences of an African-centered Rites of Passage program within a community-based organization.” Examples provided in the complaint outline instances where McKen allegedly copied passages from various scholarly works without proper attribution. The report also highlights instances of verbatim lifting from sources such as Wikipedia and other academic papers.
McKen, who holds a master’s degree in higher education administration and a diversity and inclusion certificate, assumed the role of Chief DEI Officer at Columbia University Irving Medical Center in September. The accusations of plagiarism against McKen follow similar cases involving diversity officials at other Ivy League schools, including former Harvard president Claudine Gay and Harvard DEI officer Sherri Ann Charleston.
Columbia University has not yet responded to the allegations, and McKen has not provided any comments on the matter. The incident raises questions about academic integrity and the importance of proper citation and attribution in research. As the investigation unfolds, it remains to be seen how Columbia University will address these allegations and what steps will be taken to uphold research integrity within the institution.
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