Hundreds of college diversity officers opened their national conference Thursday in Philadelphia with a moment of silence for those who had been forced out of their jobs and for offices and programs that had been shut amid President Donald Trump’s orders for colleges to halt DEI efforts. “This isn’t the first time higher education and other sectors have faced backlash when expanding access and opportunities,” Emelyn A. dela Peña, president of the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education, told the professionals gathered at the Marriott in Center City. “Our field has always evolved in response to external pressure....