The Office for Equity and Diversity is excited to welcome Meligha Garfield (he/him) as the inaugural director for the Black Cultural Center (BCC) at the University of Utah. The BCC works to holistically enrich, educate and advocate for students, faculty and staff through Black centered programming, culturally affirming educational initiatives and retention strategies—and Garfield is here to lead that charge.

Hailing from Rochester, New York, Garfield holds a B.A. in government and a Master of Public Administration from New Mexico State University (NMSU) where he was previously the programs coordinator for the Black Programs Department. He implemented outreach and retention services, served as coordinator and advisor in Black programs and managed numerous departmental programming and events while at NMSU—many of which he hopes to start at the U.