Broad Institute welcomes Kedrick Perry as new Chief Equity Officer

Kedrick Perry has joined the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard as chief equity officer. He is a member of the executive leadership team and oversees the Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Allyship (IDEA) Office, directing the continuation of Broad’s critical equity and inclusion priorities. Perry comes to Broad from Loyola University New Orleans, where he served as vice president for equity and inclusion, leading university-wide efforts to support and sustain inclusive excellence.

“Kedrick will help strengthen all the great work going on at Broad to create deeper and more meaningful inclusion and engagement,” said Todd Golub, director of the Broad Institute. “He brings a wealth of knowledge and insight and I look forward to partnering with him as we continue to build a diverse and inclusive community and culture."

“I'm tremendously excited and honored to be joining Broad,” Perry said. “For me, this job represents the culmination of almost two decades of work promoting DEI, access, and opportunity. I absolutely love working in DEI, even with all of its challenges, and I hope my passion for creating environments in which all community members can be their authentic selves and thrive is contagious."
 
"Kedrick is an accomplished leader with extensive experience leading equity and inclusion efforts at complex academic institutions. His passion and enthusiasm for expanding opportunity, knowledge, and access across diverse groups shined through in our conversations, and we're thrilled that he'll oversee the continuation of Broad's important DEI work," said Lex Jackson-Presley, chief people officer at Broad.

Perry brings more than 15 years of experience working on and leading institutional equity and inclusion efforts at academic institutions. He has focused on strategic planning and providing access and opportunity in complex, decentralized organizations, including recruiting, retaining, and mentoring highly talented and diverse graduate student populations.

Perry earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, a master’s in public administration from North Carolina State University, and a doctorate in higher education administration from the University of Virginia, where he studied logic modeling and academic motivation. He began doing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) work early in his career. While pursuing his doctoral degree, Perry served as assistant director of graduate diversity programs at the University of Virginia, where he designed and implemented diversity initiatives to promote cross-cultural dialogue. 

After receiving his doctorate, Perry joined Suffolk University as director of the Prelaw Undergraduate Scholars Program and the McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program. For the prelaw program, he recruited undergraduate students from diverse backgrounds and developed and delivered programs that prepared students to apply for and succeed in law school and the legal profession. He also developed and gave bias training for faculty, staff, and law student mentors. For the McNair program, he led efforts to prepare underrepresented, low-income, and first-generation undergraduates for success in doctoral studies.

Perry then worked as head of diversity and outreach for the National Science Foundation’s Center for Energy Efficient Electronics Science and executive director of the Grand Challenges Scholars Program at the University of California, Berkeley. He spearheaded initiatives that increased the participation of women, racial and ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, and first-generation individuals at the center. 

Most recently as vice president for equity and inclusion at Loyola University New Orleans, Perry was a member of the executive team, where he led a DEI strategic planning effort to integrate DEI into all facets of university operations. He built and led a DEI team, developed and helped implement equity plans and standards across campus, provided guidance to leadership on DEI matters, and worked with leaders, staff, and students to promote a culture of belonging.

At Broad, Perry aims to bring people-oriented, inclusive, and equity-minded practices that will further engage the Broad community. “Our ability to quickly adapt and be successful requires us to bring diverse solutions to society. This is work that can only be done with the very best talent that represents the communities we aim to serve,” Perry said. 

Broad remains committed to honoring the legacy of René Salazar, our inaugural chief equity officer who passed away in October 2022, and to carrying his vision of inclusive excellence forward.

“I honor the work that has already been done by Dr. Salazar and the IDEA Office, and I look forward to building upon this strong foundation to further our purpose, increase levels of belongingness, and strengthen the sense of community our colleagues and other stakeholders deeply value," Perry said.