Prior to joining MassArt, President Grant held numerous leadership positions in which she oversaw key social justice and civic engagement initiatives. As the Senior Administrative Fellow for Civics and Social Justice at the Martin Richard Institute for Social Justice at Bridgewater State University, Dr. Grant developed new community and national partners and led a campus racial justice task force to identify and address factors influencing systemic racism on campus and the wider community. While President and CEO of the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate, Dr. Grant furthered the Institute’s commitment to civic engagement, participatory democracy, civil discourse, and inspiring the next generation of citizens and leaders through strategic planning, identifying new financial support, and forging new partnerships for success and sustainability.

Achievements at UNC Asheville

As Chancellor of the University of North Carolina Asheville Dr. Grant elevated investment in the arts and pushed the University to build critical community relationships. She led the establishment of the STEAM Studio, a state-of-the-art 12,000 square foot makers’ space providing hands-on experiences for aspiring makers, engineers and entrepreneurs, and secured $700,000 in funding from the Mellon Foundation to connect UNC Asheville arts and humanities programming with the greater Asheville community. Additionally, Dr. Grant renewed partnerships with Mission Health, Black Mountain College, and the Center for Craft, Creativity and Design, and spearheaded an effort to welcome and re-engage the greater Asheville African American community and neighboring Cherokee Nation with the UNCA campus.

Transformational Leadership at MCLA

During her twelve-year term as President of the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA), Dr. Grant dramatically raised the profile of the institution while also strengthening ties between the College and the City of North Adams. She led the establishment of MCLA Gallery 51, a unique collaboration of MCLA, MASS MoCa, North Adams, and area business and community leaders, serving as a creative hub, a gathering place, and an incubator of innovation. These efforts in turn led to the DownStreet Art and Open Studios initiatives and later the Partnership for North Adams, an economic development initiative to revitalize Main Street. At the same time, Dr. Grant spearheaded numerous fundraising campaigns, including $54 million in state capital bond funding to build the Center for Science and Innovation, as well as grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Massachusetts Cultural Council.