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Tiffany Reed, Maryville’s new program coordinator for the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, is focused on helping students transition into leadership roles and advancing an inclusive campus culture.

“My main responsibility is being here for our students, being visible,” Reed says. “I thrive on student interaction. Their energy is amazing and is the main reason I’m in student affairs.”

Reed enjoys helping students process their experiences by challenging and supporting them. She often engages students in conversation about what is happening in today’s society.

“I enjoy being available in my office, with the door open or in the Center for Student Engagement, where students can just pop in,” she says. “I want them to know my door is open and I’m willing to be available when they need me.”

Reed, who is from Gary, Indiana, previously worked as a resident director at the University of Pittsburgh. At Maryville, she has taught University Seminar classes for first-year students on social identity and works with staff members on diversity and inclusion training. She oversees several student organizations, including the Association of Black Collegians, Inclusion at Maryville, Hawaiian Asian Pacific Islanders Association and the Latino Student Alliance.

Creating a safe environment for students to explore their personal identities is important, Reed says. “I create a space where they can be themselves unapologetically,” she says.

Reed acknowledges the importance of every member of the Maryville family and invites everyone to share their journey with her. She encourages these conversations by first sharing her own experiences.

“I start with my own story, walking through my professional career into student affairs, being a first generation student, coming from Gary, Ind., understanding my role as a black student and now as a black professional,” she says. “Whether you are a new student, a prospective student or a new staff member, we are all Maryville Saints and that means you are my family. I want to know your story and how you got here.”