Jesse M. Bernal, Ph.D. Bio
Grand Valley State University

Jesse M. Bernal, Ph.D. is the Vice President for Inclusion and Equity at Grand Valley State University. Dr. Bernal joined Grand Valley in 2015 and oversees the university’s coordinated efforts to advance diversity and campus climate. The Division includes oversight of Civil Right compliance functions, including ADA, Title IX, and Affirmative Action, social justice education, and social justice student service centers including Disability Support, LGBT Center, Center for Women and Gender Equity, Multicultural Affairs, and Campus Interfaith Resources, as well as the Kaufman Interfaith Institute, a K-12 Pathways to College office, and community engagement and employee relations functions. In addition, Dr. Bernal is an adjunct faculty member in the Adult and Higher Education Program in the GVSU College of Education.

He serves on several local, state, and national organizations’ boards and committees, including Hispanic/Latino Commission of State of the Michigan, Grand Rapids Public Museum, West Michigan Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids, National Association of Chief Diversity Officers in Higher Education, and Chair of the Michigan Association of State Universities Chief Diversity Office Committee, among others.

Prior to arriving at Grand Valley, Dr. Bernal served as a senior diversity officer at Santa Clara University and at the University of California Office of the President, as well as other academic and student affairs roles in the UC system. He received his Ph.D. from UC Santa Barbara, and continues his research on education policy and law, organizational climate, and inclusive hiring.