UMD Names New Director of Office of Civil Rights and Sexual Misconduct

The University of Maryland yesterday named a Title IX expert, lawyer and seasoned human resources executive as its new Title IX coordinator and director of the Office of Civil Rights and Sexual Misconduct.   

In this role, Grace Karmiol will collaborate with other units around campus to foster a learning and working environment free from discrimination and harassment, including sexual misconduct. She officially starts on March 11.

"She comes to us with breadth and depth of experience that will serve us well in this important position," said university President Wallace D. Loh. "She has a record of developing collaborative relationships with a wide range of campus stakeholders, including student affairs, Greek life, athletics, academic units, campus police, human resources and outside counsel."

Karmiol, who spent much of her professional life in Maryland, is excited to return and merge her experience in civil rights and higher education. At UMD, she will manage the administration of its nondiscrimination and sexual misconduct policies and procedures, as well as oversee and collaborate on critical campus projects, including implementing processes for discrimination complaints, developing campus-wide sexual misconduct prevention and education programs, and producing the annual report on student sexual misconduct and the Student Environment and Experiences Survey.

"I’m really looking forward to meeting with all the stakeholders and focusing on this important work,” Karmiol said yesterday. “I want to make the office somewhere where all faculty, staff and students are comfortable.”

For the past five years, Karmiol served as director of employee relations and Title IX coordinator at Widener University. She spearheaded the launch of its Title IX office, creating policies and procedures and the Title IX website for the university. She also oversaw investigations, created campus-wide bystander intervention and responsible drinking trainings and collaborated with faculty to incorporate prevention messages into curriculum.

Prior to her work at Widener, Karmiol worked for 10 years as an attorney for the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and provided expertise on Title IX and employee relations topics as a consultant. She held similar roles at Oberlin College and Conservatory and American University, where she earned her J.D. She also holds a B.A. from Syracuse University.