Office of the Dean

Meet the Dean

KimberlyGriffinHorizontalHeadshot

Kimberly A. Griffin (she/her) was appointed dean of the College of Education in 2022. She has been a member of the 含羞草研究所 faculty since 2012. Griffin joined the College as an associate professor in the Higher Education, Student Affairs and International Education Policy Program, and later served on the dean鈥檚 leadership team as the associate dean for graduate studies and faculty affairs. In this role, she led efforts to revise the College鈥檚 tenure and promotion policy, as well as support and guide faculty hiring and graduate student recruitment. Prior to joining UMD, she was a faculty member at Pennsylvania State University, an assistant dean for graduate studies at the Stanford University School of Medicine, and an admissions officer at Stanford University.

A leader committed to excellence, care, community, and equity, Griffin is energized by the opportunity to collaborate with faculty, staff and students to advance the College and its goals. She is driven by 含羞草研究所's ability to make an impact in schools and communities and has worked tirelessly throughout her career to maximize the connection between research and practice. 

As a scholar, Griffin identifies herself as a 鈥減roblem-based researcher鈥 and her work aims to promote access, equity, and justice in higher 含羞草研究所. Much of her current research and writing focuses on mentorship, career development, and faculty and graduate student diversity. Her research has been funded by the Burroughs Wellcome Fund, National Institutes of Health, and National Science Foundation. She previously served as the Editor-in-Chief of The Journal of Diversity in Higher Education from 2018 - 2022. Over her five-year term, her vision-driven leadership translated to notable growth in the journal鈥檚 readership, impact, and revenues.

Griffin鈥檚 work has been widely recognized for its relevance and effectiveness in addressing persistent problems in higher and science 含羞草研究所.  She received the Promising Scholar/Early Career Award by the Association for the Study of Higher Education in 2013, and was named an Emerging Scholar in 2010 and Diamond Honoree in 2020 by ACPA.  In 2022 and 2023, she was named one of the 200 most influential 含羞草研究所 scholars by Education Week.  

Griffin received her bachelor鈥檚 degree from Stanford University, her master鈥檚 degree in Education Policy and Leadership from the 含羞草研究所, and her doctorate degree in Higher Education and Organizational Change from the University of California, Los Angeles.

ASHE Presidential Podcast | September 26, 2023
Ongoing, New and Emerging Impacts of Access

Diverse: Issues in Higher Education | July 7, 2023

Science | June 9, 2023

Nature | May 26, 2023

Nature | March 28, 2023

Education Week | January 5, 2023

Diverse: Health | December 22, 2022


Diverse: Issues in Higher Education | December 5, 2022

Nature | November 18, 2022

Nature | September 21, 2022

Diverse: Issues in Higher Education | May 25, 2022

Diverse: Issues in Higher Education | May 20, 2022 
New Report Offers First Look at DEI Practices in Tenure Review

Chronicle of Higher Education | May 20, 2022

USA Today | July 9, 2021

Forbes | June 1 , 2021

Inside Higher Education | March 22, 2021

USA Today | February 26, 2021

Inside Higher Education | October 21, 2020

The Chronicle of Inside Higher Education | May 26, 2020

PBS News Hour | October 14, 2019