Paulette Granberry Russell, J.D., president of the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education since March 2020, is a leading national voice and sought-after presenter on issues related to diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice in higher education and beyond.
Her research interests include gender equity in STEM, campus culture and its impact on marginalized communities, and strategies for dismantling structural racism to create more equitable experiences for faculty, students, and staff of color. Granberry Russell has given presentations and advised institutions and NGOs in countries across Africa and in the U.K. on gender equity, affirmative action, implicit bias and discrimination, strategic diversity initiatives, and inclusive leadership.
Granberry Russell retired in August 2020 from Michigan State University as senior advisor to the president for diversity, emerita. She first joined MSU in 1998 as senior advisor to the president for diversity and director of the Office for Inclusion and Intercultural Initiatives. As MSU’s senior diversity officer, Granberry Russell was responsible for leading and facilitating MSU’s efforts to advance a more equitable and inclusive campus community. She developed cutting-edge education and development programs, led campus climate surveys (quantitative and qualitative), monitored university efforts to increase diversity among students, faculty, and staff, coordinated community outreach efforts, and incentivized innovative DEI strategies through the office’s Creating Inclusive Excellence Grants.
Granberry Russell received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Michigan State University (MSU) and her Juris Doctor from Thomas M. Cooley Law School. She is a licensed attorney with the State of Michigan.
Short Biography
Paulette Granberry Russell, J.D., president of the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education since March 2020, is a leading national voice and sought-after presenter on issues related to diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice in higher education and beyond. Granberry Russell retired in August 2020 from Michigan State University as senior advisor to the president for diversity, emerita, after more than 20 years advising on diversity and inclusion efforts at the institution.
Recent Media Appearances
For media inquiries, including interview requests, please email pr@nadohe.org.
May 15, 2025, Associated Press, "As Trump targets DEI, Republican-led states intensify efforts to stamp it out"
May 15, 2025, Chicago Defender, "Paulette Granberry Russell on the Fight for DEI, Free Speech, and the Future of Higher Education"
May 2, 2025, The New Republic, "Inside Trump’s Bizarre Campaign to Bend the Art World to His Will"
May 1, 2025, MassLive, "'Willing to capitulate’: Cracks emerge in Harvard’s resistance to Trump over DEI"
April 22, 2025, The Chronicle of Higher Education, "Colleges Must Eliminate DEI Programs to Receive Research Funding, NIH Says"