Liliana Madrid Named Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

The Division of Academic and Student Affairs is pleased to announce Liliana Madrid as its first director of diversity, equity and inclusion. Madrid began the new role at NC State this month.

Madrid brings nearly a decade of experience in intercultural advancement and development in higher education, most recently as program coordinator and MI CASA (Mentors Initiating Community Action, Support and Advocacy) advisor at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. She has also served as the assistant dean of students and director of intercultural development at Lafayette College, director of intercultural advancement at Moravian College and director of multicultural student outreach and support at Bay Path University. In addition to her experience in higher education, she also worked as a program specialist for volunteer engagement for AARP-Connecticut and AARP-California, where she planned outreach and diversity events, served as the executive board recruiter for multicultural leaders and developed a strategic plan for diversity initiatives.

Originally from Compton, California, Madrid has now spent most of her professional career on the East Coast, earning a B.A. in political science with a minor in Hispanic studies from Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, and a M.A. in higher education administration from Bay Path University in Longmeadow, Massachusetts. Outside of work, Madrid has coordinated and presented at multiple conferences, including a Student Conference for Leadership Development through the Lehigh Valley Association of Independent Colleges. 

At NC State, Madrid looks forward to working with an even larger and more diverse population of students as well as faculty and staff.

“I’m excited for this new role because I get to come in and listen and to hear what the Division of Academic and Student Affairs’ strengths are, what gaps we need to fill and how I can support our work as the most student-facing division on campus,” Madrid said. “This division is so important because, regardless of each student’s collegiate journey, they are going to come into contact with our offices and departments in one way, shape or another, and it’s especially important that our interactions with them are lasting and impactful.”

“We are extremely pleased to welcome Liliana Madrid to our division and to NC State. I believe she will be a passionate advocate and ally for all of our students, faculty and staff, and I look forward to seeing how she can help us grow and move forward as a more welcoming and inclusive Pack.”

– Lisa Zapata, interim vice chancellor for the Division of Academic and Student Affairs

Madrid is also excited to work with the Office of Institutional Equity and Diversity (OIED) and other campus partners to expand programming, training and more to make NC State a more welcoming place for all students and community members.

“I’m excited because this is a new position and there’s room to really grow and see what else we can do to meet the needs of all of our students,” Madrid continued. “2020 has been one of the most demanding years for folks who are doing this work, and it’s been great to see the attention these types of roles have received. But at the same time, it’s the same work we’ve been trying to do all along. These issues, topics and conversations have been happening for years, and even though we’ve been able to move the needle slowly, there’s still much to be done.”

Lisa Zapata, interim vice chancellor for the Division of Academic and Student Affairs, said Madrid will be a welcome and important addition to the division.

“We are extremely pleased to welcome Liliana Madrid to our division and to NC State,” Zapata said. “I believe she will be a passionate advocate and ally for all of our students, faculty and staff, and I look forward to seeing how she can help us grow and move forward as a more welcoming and inclusive Pack.”

Learn more about the new director of diversity, equity and inclusion role and other initiatives regarding inclusion and wellbeing within the Division of Academic and Student Affairs at https://dasa.ncsu.edu/inclusion-and-well-being/.