University of Missouri-Columbia
Senior Advisor to the President for Diversity Director, Office for Inclusion & Intercultural Initiatives Paulette Granberry Russell, J.D.
Ms. Russell has been employed since 1998 with Michigan State University as the Senior Advisor to the President for Diversity and Director, Office for Inclusion and Intercultural Initiatives. She is responsible for facilitating the development and sharing of effective strategies to advance a diverse and inclusive campus community and is responsible for assessing the effectiveness of such efforts. In 2006, she helped lead university efforts to assess the impact of the passage Proposal 2, an amendment to the State’s constitution banning discrimination and preferential treatment based on race, ethnicity, color, sex, and national origin in public education, employment and contracting. Ms. Russell also chairs various all-university committees responsible for diversity support programs and directs university compliance with federal and state non-discrimination laws and regulations. She has made numerous presentations and consults on equal opportunity, affirmative action and diversity efforts in higher education and beyond.
In September 2002, she was invited to the Durban Institute of Technology, Durban, South Africa to present workshops on affirmative action and diversity programming in post-apartheid higher education, and in January 2005 she served as a panelist on affirmative action and diversity initiatives in U.S. higher education in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Prior to joining Michigan State, Ms. Russell worked for over 17 years for the State of Michigan as a labor relations specialist with the Office of the State Employer. Ms. Russell also worked as staff to the Michigan Equal Employment and Business Opportunity Council (MEEBOC), established by Executive Order of Governor James Blanchard, and in 1996, she was appointed Assistant to the State Equal Opportunity Workforce Planning Council established by Executive Order of Governor John Engler.
Ms. Russell is a licensed attorney in the State of Michigan and also consults on labor and employment law matters.