Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Cassandra Boyd is the Director for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) at the Sanford School of Public Policy. In her role as Director, she serves as an institutional resource, promoting strategic diversity efforts by offering faculty, staff, and students effective tools to enhance their understanding of the major trends in the field of DEI and belonging. Dr. Boyd also explores diversity-centered initiatives with university partners to support an inclusive and dynamic learning environment.
Dr. Boyd's career in higher education encompasses more than 15 years of experience in various student affairs and DEI functional areas, including leadership and service, multicultural services, student success initiatives, food insecurity initiatives, and a women’s resource center. Prior to joining Sanford, she served in the Office of Diversity and Inclusion at Coastal Carolina University with increased oversight to execute DEI professional development, advance inclusive pedagogy opportunities, and expand campus-wide recruitment and retention initiatives. She was both an administrator and a faculty member of communication and first-year experience at Lone Star College in Houston, Texas. She also held similar positions at Texas A&M at Galveston and Florida International University.
Moreover, she earned her bachelor’s degree in mass communications from Savannah State University, her master’s degree in higher education administration from Florida International University, and her doctorate in higher education leadership from Sam Houston State University. Her areas of academic interest include access to higher education, student engagement, and inclusive excellence.