Shelli DeRobertis
Staff Writer
A welcoming smile from Maria Grandone-Llorente greeted everyone who attended the welcome reception held in her honor on Tuesday in the President’s Dining Room. She has been appointed the new executive director of the Institute for Multicultural Research and Campus Diversity at the University of La Verne.
Dick McDowell, provost and vice president for academic affairs, helped to welcome Grandone-Llorente by acknowledging her many qualifications. “(She will be) a major strength for the University of La Verne,” he said. “We should see continuing strengthening support for the diversity on the academic side.”
“People may not realize the University has so many institutions to it,” McDowell said, and elaborated on the IMRCD. “It is active in obtaining grants and working with other people in the University.”
A native of Puerto Rico, Grandone-Llorente earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Pontifical Catholic University in Ponce, Puerto Rico. She left her family to pursue her master’s in adult and continuing education, and her doctorate in philosophy from Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas.
Her education and the work she has done are areas in her life she is extremely proud to have succeeded in, by having “made the transition personally and professionally.”
Prior to joining ULV, Grandone-Llorente was associate dean of Intercultural Relations at Concordia University in Irvine. There she worked directly with students on a daily basis as she assisted those who sought scholarships and internships. Every student that she helped was able to receive the internship or scholarship they applied for.
Full of enthusiasm, Grandone-Llorente explains her reasons for becoming a part of ULV.
“I always wanted to work for a Hispanic institution, and we’re committed to diversity issues,” she said. “You don’t see that in many places.”
She states she was impressed at how important it was to President Morgan and the interviewees that the college have a strong multicultural diversity. This helped her to conclude that she and ULV are a good match.
The Search Committee’s members certainly thought so, as they worked together to narrow the search to candidates who closely fit the needs of the university.
The committee was comprised of various members including: Leticia Arellano and Hector Delgado, College of Arts and Sciences; Anita Flemington and Shawn Johnson, College of Education and Organizational Leadership; Keisha Bentley, Multicultural Institute; Loretta Rahmani, Dean of Student Affairs; Matt Witt, College of Business and Public Management; Dean Fred Yaffe, College of Arts and Sciences and Trustee Cecilia Morris.
“We wanted someone who would be tough,” said Bentley, who gave a speech on behalf of the Search Committee. “We knew Maria would be.”
“I am very excited and delighted to be here. It’s like a dream come true,” Grandone-Llorente said.
Grandone-Llorente claims her secret for success, is no secret at all.
“I usually just go with the flow,” she said.
“Good things happen to those who work hard and smart.”
Shelli DeRobertis can be reached at sderobertis@ulv.edu.
Shelli DeRobertis
