Office for Resilience and Belonging
The Office for Resilience and Belonging (ORB) furthers the university’s mission of educational excellence by supporting a campus that values life experiences, ideas, and perspectives.
The education of people of different backgrounds and cultures lies at the heart of The University of Tulsa’s core values and mission. UTulsa is committed to aligning its practices to cultivate a community that reflects these fundamental values and goals.
The Office for Resilience and Belonging works to attract and retain students, staff, and faculty; develop campus-wide programming to create resilience and belonging among all; and cultivate resources that nurture a thriving campus community.
Cultural Connections
Cultural Connections is a coalition of executive leaders from the university’s multicultural student organizations. This group exists to foster collaboration, partnership, and alliance-building among student leaders from diverse backgrounds. Cultural Connections aims to transform how difference is perceived - shifting away from division and competition, and toward mutual support, solidarity, and shared celebration. By uniting across identities, the group helps cultivate a campus culture rooted in collective uplift and belonging.
The Office for Resilience and Belonging is committed to fostering a campus culture where every member of our faculty, staff, and student body feels acknowledged, valued, and that they belong.
Meet the Director
——————————
Dionne Lambert
Executive Director, Office for Resilience & Belonging
918-631-2222
dionne-lambert@utulsa.edu
Dionne Lambert serves as the Executive Director for Resilience & Belonging at The University of Tulsa, leading campus-wide strategies to cultivate inclusive leadership, deepen engagement, and foster a culture of care and accountability. With a multidisciplinary background in higher education, public service, and community development, Dionne brings a relational, equity-informed lens to institutional transformation.
A skilled consultant, facilitator, and educator, she designs learning experiences that explore the intersections of identity, purpose, and connection – supporting individuals and organizations in building the self-awareness and empathy needed to navigate complexity with integrity. Curating a facilitation style from critical inquiry, storytelling, and her creative foundation in the performing arts, Dionne creates spaces where dialogue can be both courageous and constructive for the gambit from senior leadership teams or student groups.
Dionne has partnered with municipal governments, nonprofit collaboratives, and corporate teams to advance organizational growth rooted in belonging, curiosity, restoration, and shared responsibility. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Oral Roberts University, is a recipient of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Community Research for Health Equity grant, and the 2025 Teachers Appreciation Foundation Blue Diamond Dignitary Award.
Whether supporting institutions or individuals, Dionne’s work is guided by one aim: to support communities in becoming more whole – starting from the inside out.
“ORB” Framework for Finding Belonging Early
Starting college is exciting – and sometimes overwhelming. Finding your place takes time, but you can start building belonging from day one. A simple framework using the acronym ORB – observe, reach, build – can help you reflect on things that matter.
Observe
What are you noticing?
- What’s something that made you feel included this week?
- Where do you see others feeling at home—and where is that for you?
- When did you feel seen or valued recently?
Reach
How are you connecting?
Because belonging is a two-way street.
- Who have you introduced yourself to lately?
- What’s something you’ve tried that was new, even if it felt awkward at first?
- Have you found one person or place where you feel you can fully be yourself?
Build
What are you shaping?
You are the main ingredient in creating your own sense of belonging.
- Is there a community or club you’re curious about joining – or starting?
- What kind of campus experience are you hoping to build for yourself this semester?
- What small routine or space have you created that makes this place feel more like ‘yours’?
Contact Us
Office for Resilience and Belonging
In-Semester Hours
Monday-Friday
8 a.m.-5 p.m.
3125 E. Fifth Place
Tulsa, OK 74104
918-631-2327
Follow us on Instagram