Rosemary Kilkenny, Georgetown University’s inaugural vice president for institutional diversity, equity & inclusion, was appointed to this position effective April 1, 2006, by then-President John J. DeGioia, PhD. She laid the foundation for the institutional work of her unit and authored many of the University’s early policies, procedures and practices around diversifying faculty, staff and students and many such policies and practices remain central to the institutional work on social justice, equal opportunity and celebrating difference at Georgetown. Her substantial contributions to the aforementioned areas led to President DeGioia’s addition of the Chief Diversity Officer designation to her title in March 2019. She oversees the Office of Equal Opportunity Compliance and the Title IX Office and established a core group of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Leaders across the campuses including the Doha campus to be a reservoir of knowledge and expertise in the various units where they are based, as well as a source of strength and support for each other.
Vice President Kilkenny’s previous positions included administrative and executive positions in affirmative action, equal opportunity, educational equity and access at Kent State University and State University of New York at Albany respectively. During the arc of her career, she has given many presentations, served on numerous panels, and offered an abundance of workshops at local, regional and national professional conferences related to her expertise in social justice, diversity, educational equity and access.
Vice President Kilkenny currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Jesuit Refugee Service. She has served previously on the Board of Trustees of Georgetown Day School, the Academy of Hope, Sports for Education and Economic Development in Senegal (SEEDS), the Editorial Board of the Negro Educational Review and the American Association for Affirmative Action, now known as the American Association for Access, Equity and Diversity. She was one of eight cofounders of the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education (NADOHE) and served on its Board of Directors and Treasurer.
Rosemary received special recognition awards from a variety of organizations and institutions including the Paul Dean award from her Law School for her distinguished career, as well as a similar recognition from Kent State University, the Patrick Healy Leadership award from Georgetown’s Black Alumni Council as well as the Dean Carol Lancaster Leadership Award. Rosemary received her Juris Doctorate degree from Georgetown University Law Center and her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Kent State University.