Bria Marcelo, M.A., is a social justice educator and student affairs professional who focuses on educational opportunities, collaboration, and strategic engagement to create change.

In her higher education career, Bria has held numerous roles centered on identity, equity, inclusion, diversity, and intercultural communication. At Michigan State University, Bria worked closely with Residence Education, the Honors College, the College of Education, and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer (LGBTQ) caucus groups to connect leadership, identity, and student success. While at Brown University, Bria’s primary role was creating co-curricular initiatives for high school students to bridge transition gaps when joining an Ivy League institution. At Oberlin College, Bria oversaw 10 identity-, language-, and commitment-based spaces. As part of this role, her main goal included creating dynamic learning environments outside of the classroom. She partnered with five academic departments and faculty, and members of the multicultural center to achieve this mission. Bria has also spent some time working overseas as she served as Vice Manager of the Foreign Teaching Staff at an English training center in Shanghai, China.

Currently, she serves as the Director of Inclusive Education and Strategic Initiatives (IESI) at the University of Iowa. Her unit helps drive the Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion efforts to shift campus culture to more inclusive welcomes diversity, breaks down barriers to increase dialogue across differences, and is affirming and respectful of all identities. The primary methods employed include educational opportunities, consultation and coaching, events, resource development, and strategic planning support and engagement. Bria is a certified facilitator in Cultural Intelligence, Restorative Justice, and the National Coalition Building Institute. Bria completed her master of arts in Student Affairs Administration at Michigan State University and her bachelor of arts in Sociology, Social and Economic Justice at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Bria enjoys musicals, board games, sports, and spending time with her family in her spare time.

Favorite Quote: “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” – Albert Einstein