Dwight K. Hamilton appointed Chief Diversity Officer

President Kathleen McCartney has appointed Dwight K. Hamilton, the associate vice president of affirmative action and Title IX officer at Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Mich., as the college’s chief diversity officer. Hamilton will begin working at Smith on February 23, 2015.

Hamilton, who has a long history of leadership in roles addressing gender equity, institutional diversity, social justice and compliance, will bring to Smith a strong background in higher education and legal issues.

“Dwight Hamilton brings a breadth of experience and personal commitment to campus diversity work,” McCartney said. “I look forward to his leadership in developing programs that will strengthen Smith’s long commitment to social justice, diversity, equity and inclusion.”

In his role at Smith, Hamilton will serve as a member of McCartney’s cabinet and oversee the Office of Institutional Diversity and Equity. Charged with guiding the development of all diversity and equity-related initiatives and programs at the college, Hamilton will develop programming, lead complaint investigations, oversee institutional compliance, and contribute to the recruitment and retention of diverse faculty, students and staff.

At Grand Valley State, Hamilton has overseen the creation and revision of policies around sexual misconduct, religious accommodation, sexual assault response, transgender inclusiveness, and procedures that resulted in increased hiring of women and underrepresented racial groups. In recognition of his work around gender equity, he was named an honorary member of the Beta Delta Chapter of Iota Iota Iota, the honor society for women’s studies.

“I’m proud to join Smith,” Hamilton said. “And I look forward to working with a community that has been dedicated to advancing equality in all areas since the institution’s founding.”

Alongside his administrative roles at Grand Valley State, Hamilton taught courses on human resources policies and procedures for the university’s School of Public, Nonprofit and Health Administration. Prior to his work in higher education, he practiced law in Grand Rapids, Mich., with a focus on civil litigation and contract law. He has also worked as a litigator in state and federal courts.

Hamilton graduated from Michigan State University with a B.A. in criminal justice and received a J.D. from Wayne State University Law School in Detroit. He is a member of several professional organizations, including the National Association of College and University Attorneys, the American Association of Affirmative Action, the Association of Title IX Administrators and the American Bar Association.