Maryland has hired Cynthia Edmunds as its senior associate athletic director for diversity, equity and inclusion/organizational effectiveness, the athletic department announced Thursday.
The hiring comes in the wake of protests ignited by the police shooting of 29-year-old Black man Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin, as well as continued calls for racial justice after the high-profile killings of several Black Americans.
“Cynthia brings over 25 years of experience in higher education,” athletic director Damon Evans said in a news release. “Her tenure at the University of Maryland has proven her to be one who recognizes the need and value of diversity, equity and inclusion as a means to build capacity, enhance alignment and transform experiences.