Morgan held leadership roles across the University, including at the Health Sciences Campus, for more than three decades.
Adrienne Morgan, vice president of the University of Rochester’s Office of University Engagement and Enrichment (OEE), has announced she will retire at the end of 2026.
Her decision concludes a nearly 30-year career at the University, where she served as an educator, advocate, and leader, building initiatives that helped members of the community feel welcomed, supported, and able to succeed.
“Adrienne has a rich and deep appreciation for the contributions of all people to our success,” says URochester President Sarah Mangelsdorf. “We owe her our gratitude, and we recognize in her commitment the true URochester spirit of working to make the world ever better.”
In sharing the news, Mangelsdorf announced that Shaun Nelms, the vice president for community partnerships and a special advisor to the president, has been appointed to serve as interim leader of OEE, beginning January 1, 2027.
“We have a strong foundation to build on, thanks to the values-based leadership demonstrated by Adrienne,” Mangelsdorf says. “I’m confident that as we move into our next chapter, we will become a stronger, more supportive community in meaningful ways as we continue to strengthen our programs and initiatives.”
Morgan led equity and inclusion efforts at University of Rochester Medicine in 2019 before stepping in as interim leader of the University-wide office in 2022. After a national search, she was appointed vice president and the Richard Feldman Chief Diversity Officer in 2023.
Before joining OEE, Morgan served as senior associate dean for equity and inclusion for the School of Medicine & Dentistry and was senior director of the school’s Center for Advocacy, Community Health, Education, and Diversity for 20 years. She holds faculty positions as an associate professor in the Department of Health Humanities and Bioethics, the School of Nursing & Health Sciences, and the Warner School of Education & Human Development.
“It has been an honor to be part of the University of Rochester. So much of who I am took shape here,” Morgan says. “I have never believed this work belonged to one person or one office. I’m proud of what we accomplished together, and I leave knowing that the commitment to making every member of this community feel welcomed and supported now lives in many hands across the University.”
Mangelsdorf credited Morgan’s leadership in bringing ideas and energy to an important aspect of the University’s culture. In particular, Morgan established the annual Boundless Together conference, which brings together members of both the University and Rochester communities for presentations and panels on creating cultures that engage all people, and a Constructive Dialogue Practice, a program that helps members of the University community learn how to engage in ways that spark respectful conversations with people who have differing views and perspectives on social, cultural, and political issues.
Morgan also restructured the Presidential Awards for Inclusive Excellence, an annual program announced each spring and sponsored by the Office of the President that recognizes members of the URochester community whose “accomplishments cultivate a profound sense of belonging and thriving for all members of our community.”
“In keeping with our Meliora values, we are committed to fostering a culture that emphasizes positive connections among members of our community, respect for others, and a willingness to engage honestly with ideas and opinions,” Mangelsdorf says.
Nelms to serve as interim VP for engagement and enrichment
As vice president for community partnerships, Nelms leads the University’s strategy for building and sustaining partnerships that link URochester’s academic, research, and clinical strengths with the communities that the institution serves, advancing the goals of the University’s strategic plan.
Prior to his appointment as vice president, Nelms was the founding director of the Center for Urban Education Success (CUES), and he continues to serve as a professor at the Warner School and as an affiliated faculty member at CUES and URochester Medicine’s Department of Pediatrics.
From 2015 until his appointment as vice president in 2023, Nelms served as superintendent of East Upper and Lower Schools, formerly East High School in Rochester. The position was created through a unique partnership between the New York State Education Department, Rochester City School District, and the University.
