Marsha McGriff Named Vice Chancellor for Equity and Inclusion

Chancellor Javier Reyes has announced that Marsha McGriff has been named Vice Chancellor for Equity and Inclusion. The announcement was made in the email below, which was sent to the university community on April 2.

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Dear Campus Community,

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I am pleased to announce that following a national search Marsha McGriff has been selected to serve as our next Vice Chancellor for Equity and Inclusion.

Dr. McGriff has held leadership positions in higher education for more than two decades, most recently as Chief Diversity Officer and Senior Advisor to the President at the University of Florida’s flagship campus in Gainesville. Previously, she was Associate Vice President for Inclusive Excellence at Ball State University and for 19 years served in several leadership roles at Indiana University.

She is a recognized leader in developing strategies and action plans to advance inclusive excellence in higher education, and we are so pleased that she will be bringing that expertise to UMass Amherst. We value her vision and skills as our community strengthens its commitment to inclusive excellence and equity and integrates it into the fiber of campus life.

Dr. McGriff received her bachelor’s degree in political science as well her master’s degree in education from Tuskegee University in Alabama, and earned her doctor of education degree from Creighton University in Nebraska. She also has a professional certificate in the Principles and Techniques of Fundraising from Indiana University’s Lilly Family School of Philanthropy.

I also want to extend my appreciation to the search advisory committee co-chaired by John Kennedy, Vice Chancellor for University Relations, and Alaina Macaulay, Senior Director for Inclusion and Strategic Engagement. Members of the committee included:

• Sergio Breña, Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
• Jamilla Deria, Director of Fine Arts Center
• Arwen Duffy, President, UMass Amherst Foundation
• Haivan Hoang, Associate Professor, Department of English
• Francis Lo, Grants and Contracts Coordinator, Partnership for Worker Education
• Pius Mhapsekar, Graduate Student Senate Representative, College of Engineering
• Tanyi Muanya, Student Government Association Representative, Commonwealth Honors College
• Cheryl Ponder, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Advocacy, Inclusion and Support Programs
• (Courtney) Terrance Proctor, Skilled Laborer
• James Roche, Vice Provost for Enrollment Management
• Hava Siegelmann, Professor, Co-Chair, Status of Diversity Council
• Allison Vorderstrasse, Dean, Elaine Marieb College of Nursing

Marsha will begin her role as member of our leadership team on July 1. Please join me in extending her a warm and enthusiastic UMass welcome.

Sincerely,

Chancellor Javier Reyes