By Michael Walsh

The void at chief diversity officer at Central Connecticut State University has been filled after a search ended in the university hiring Rosa Rodriguez to fill the position beginning Jan. 10.

An announcement was made regarding the hiring at Wednesday’s Student Government Association meeting by SA/LD Director Scott Hazan on behalf of Student Affairs Vice President Dr. Laura Tordenti.

Rodriguez has over 20 years of higher education experience and has held numerous positions including equal opportunity and diversity director, special assistant to the vice president and interim associate vice president for student affairs at Metropolitan State University in Minnesota. Rodriguez also spent time at St. Cloud Technical College holding positions including counselor, students affairs manager and vice president for student affairs.

“The university is really excited,” said Hazan on Wednesday. “This is somebody I think is super qualified.”

Rodriguez has experience in affirmative action, diversity and anti-racism training.

“I wasn’t on the search committee but I did interview a lot of the candidates and I think the university did a good job here in hiring this candidate,” said Hazan.

The university spent the past few months interviewing candidates, an involved process which included having each candidate be available for students, faculty and the general public for questions.

While the position of chief diversity officer has been filled in the interim by Ernest Marquez, the position has been vacant since Moises Salinas, the school’s first chief diversity officer, was removed from the position in March stemming from an incident that led to Salinas’ arrest in August on charges of sexual assault.