Rashad Nelms became interim vice president for the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) beginning July 1, 2024. His responsibilities include:
- Serving as a strategic advisor to the president’s cabinet and senior university administrators,
- Supporting the implementation of Indiana University’s (IU) 2030 strategic plan,
- Facilitating the identification, development, implementation, and monitoring of university-wide DEI performance metrics,
- Formulating DEI university-wide accountability strategies, and
- Developing innovative institutional programs and initiatives.
Nelms was appointed associate vice president for strategy and innovation in the IU Office of the Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (OVPDEI) and associate vice provost for DEI at IU Bloomington in March 2023. He joined IU in October 2021 and served as an Executive-in-Residence in OVPDEI with a portfolio that included diversifying the faculty and leadership appointments across IU, enhancing the knowledge and skills of undergraduate and graduate students to succeed in today’s global workforce, and serving as an executive coach to mid-level and senior university administrators and the OVPDEI management team.
A University of Michigan Law School graduate, Nelms worked for nearly 20 years with the world’s largest humanitarian organization, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), prior to joining IU.
He served in numerous WFP executive leadership positions in more than 25 countries, ranging from managing offices on the Zambian borders of Angola and Malawi to serving as the director of the Corporate Ambassadors Program (which leverages global celebrities and high-net worth individuals like Michael Kors, Drew Barrymore, and The Weekend) to leading multinational personnel in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh.
Nelms is a formally trained, ICF-certified executive coach and speaks several languages.