Vice President for Belonging Georgina Dodge to Retire

University of Maryland President Darryll J. Pines sent the following message to the campus community on Thursday: 

It is with deep appreciation that I share the retirement of Georgina Dodge, vice president for belonging, after seven years of exceptional service to the University of Maryland. Georgina has been a thoughtful and steady leader, guiding our efforts to build a more inclusive and connected campus community, and serving as a trusted member of the university’s leadership team.

Since joining Maryland, Georgina has strengthened Belonging & Community at UMD by growing its team and bringing additional units under its leadership, including the Office of Multi-ethnic Student Education, TerrapinSTRONG and the Office of Civil Rights and Sexual Misconduct. She also established key campus-serving roles, including a full-time Americans With Disabilities Act coordinator and Equal Opportunity Employment (EEO) officer.

Georgina worked to centralize systems for communication and decision-making across previously separate units, fostering greater coordination across campus. She led the launch of the Belonging and Community at UMD Survey—the university’s first campuswide climate survey in several years—and supported the development of infrastructure for units to create action plans to continue this work over time.

Her leadership also included serving as the campus lead for the implementation of the Bowie State University-University of Maryland Social Justice Alliance and the 1856 Project. She co-chaired the university’s policing task force and helped guide the implementation of the 25 Critical Issues identified by Black student leaders. Throughout her tenure, she also served as a connector across campus through initiatives like the TerrapinSTRONG Partners network and the EEO Council.

Georgina has represented the University of Maryland through national organizations, including the Association of American Universities, the Big Ten Academic Alliance and the Association of Title IX Administrators.

Georgina will continue in her role through July 4. I am grateful that Stephanie H. Chang has agreed to serve as interim vice president. She has served as the assistant vice president for belonging since 2023, providing leadership on strategic initiatives within Belonging and Community, including Bias Incident Support Services, the LGBTQ+ Equity Center, the Nyumburu Cultural Center and TerrapinSTRONG Education.

Georgina leaves a meaningful legacy at Maryland. Please join me in congratulating her on this new chapter, and wishing her well in retirement! 

Sincerely,