Shelley Wilson Gentile, director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA)

Rollins College recently named Shelley Wilson Gentile director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA).

Gentile has more than 20 years of experience in higher education and student affairs, spearheading everything from cultural programs to campus activities to new student orientation. Most recently she was an independent contractor working in various marketing, research, and communications roles. She was previously director of leadership and diversity programs at Stetson University, managed the Center for Multicultural Affairs and the Women’s Center as part of her role in the Dean of Students Office at Eastern Michigan University, and was the first director of multicultural affairs at Albion College.

“One of the hallmarks of a college education, in particular a liberal arts education, is the experience of meeting so many different kinds of people—people you never would have known otherwise,” Gentile says. “My ideal is a campus community that thrives on diversity of heritage, identity, and perspective, and I was drawn to Rollins because I truly believe in the College’s goal of creating global citizens. As OMA director, my goal is to develop and provide tools and resources for making Rollins a community where encounters between people who are different from one another truly enhance the college experience.”

Gentile received her bachelor’s degree in linguistics from University of Michigan and her master of liberal studies in interdisciplinary technology from Eastern Michigan University. She also completed graduate coursework in counseling and college student personnel at the University of Florida.

In her new role, Gentile will focus on establishing OMA and Chase Hall as a welcoming location for all, as well as a “home base” for those with an affinity toward any or all of OMA’s organizations and programs. She will also work with an array of campus partners to foster cultural competency across campus and with faculty to formulate strategies and identify resources for curriculum development.

By Lauren Bradley

Office of Marketing & Communications
For more information, contact news@rollins.edu