UF names Marsha McGriff chief diversity officer and senior adviser to the president

The University of Florida announced Wednesday that Marsha McGriff, Ed.D., had accepted the position of chief diversity officer and senior adviser to the president.

McGriff will assume her role effective Dec. 6.

McGriff — currently associate vice president for inclusive excellence at Ball State University, in Muncie, Ind. — fills the chief diversity officer position previously held by Antonio Farias.

“I’m thrilled that Dr. McGriff will be joining the University of Florida,” said UF President Kent Fuchs. “She is a proven leader with more than two decades of experience in developing and leading strategic initiatives to further diversity and inclusion in higher education. I look forward to working with her to advance UF as a university that is second to none in welcoming, celebrating and supporting all students, faculty and staff.”

Previously, McGriff served as director of the Hudson & Holland Scholars program as well as director of student services and admissions at the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University.

McGriff said her work has been driven by her passion to help and inspire students, and her desire to make a meaningful impact in the world. She added that joining the UF community is the opportunity of a lifetime and looks forward to having an impact in all the communities the university serves.

“Building, supporting and cultivating inclusive campus environments takes the collective work of everyone,” McGriff said. “It takes strong relationships, collaborations and trust. That is the work that I find most exciting and look most forward to implementing at the University of Florida. I am passionate about building a campus where the intrinsic work of all individuals is respected and celebrated, and I look forward to serving and supporting the campus as we work together to become a national model for inclusive excellence.”

McGriff received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Tuskegee University in Alabama and her Doctor of Education in Interdisciplinary Leadership from Creighton University in Omaha, Neb.