Universities Announce the Appointment of Three Women to Diversity Positions

Mary Grace A. Almandrez was appointed vice president for diversity and inclusion at Syracuse University in New York, effective June 1. Since March 2020, Dr. Almandrez has served as associate vice president for community, equity and diversity and chief diversity officer at the University of Rhode Island. Earlier, she spent seven years at Brown University, where she served in a number of leadership positions, including associate vice president and dean of students.

Dr. Almandrez earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of San Diego. She holds a master’s degree in human resources development from McDaniel College in Westminster, Maryland, and a doctorate in educational organization and leadership from the University of San Francisco.

Christine Navia, has been named vice president for inclusive excellence at Marquette University in Milwaukee. As vice president for inclusive excellence, Dr. Navia will lead the Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion, effective July 1. She has been serving as chief diversity officer at Texas A&M University Corpus Christi.

A native of Chicago, Dr. Navia earned her bachelor’s degree in political science from Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota, and her master’s and doctoral degrees in higher education from the University of Michigan.

Salome Nnoromele was appointed interim vice president for diversity and inclusion at Ohio University. She has been serving as associate dean of campus operations on Ohio University’s Southern Campus in Ironton for the past five years. Previously, she served as executive director of student affairs and founding chair of the African/African American studies program at Eastern Kentucky University.

Dr. Nnoromele is a graduate of the University of Utah, where she majored in English literature. She earned a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in nineteenth-century British literature from the University of Kentucky.