Rhea Roper Nedd, PhD, MA
rnedd@umaryland.edu | 410-706-0615
Rhea Roper Nedd has more than 15 years of experience developing and assessing diversity programs and initiatives to determine effectiveness, in alignment with strategic plans and inclusive practices. She has worked closely with students, faculty, staff, and community partners across institutions in the University System of Maryland (USM) to develop academic and social support networks for diverse and underserved student populations.
Roper Nedd comes to the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) from Towson University (TU), where she was director of the Center for Student Diversity. She had oversight and led the development of identity-based programs for students, faculty, and staff of African American, Asian Pacific Islander Middle Eastern and Desi American, Latin, LGBTQ+, and adult learner populations. She also was responsible for developing the center’s short- and long-term goals based on Towson’s Strategic Plan, Diversity Strategic Plan, and vice president's performance goals.
Roper Nedd has Title IX training and experience as a hearing officer and panel member. She served on Towson’s leadership team, Bias Intervention Team (BIT), and Tiger Advocacy Advisory Team (TAAT), which responded to hate bias incidents and developed/recommended intervention and support plans for student cases.
Roper Nedd previously served students, faculty, and staff at the University of Maryland, College Park (UMCP) for more than 10 years. As the diversity officer for the Office of Undergraduate Studies and a Diversity and Inclusion Taskforce lead, she convened faculty and staff for diversity workshops and trainings on inclusive practices in administrative and academic systems and program development.
During her nine-year-plus tenure as director of UMCP’s McNair Scholars TRiO Program/Academic Achievement Programs, she managed, developed, and coordinated all academic program operations, including faculty-mentor programs to support low-income, first-generation students, and students underrepresented in higher education, to prepare them for doctoral studies. As assistant director of UMCP’s Upward Bound TRiO Program/Pre-College Programs, she developed academic programs, course curricula, and workshops based on intake assessments and performance trends of low-income and first-generation students and their academic and social needs.
During her professional career, Roper Nedd has developed, assessed, and implemented strategic plans and diversity strategic plans in academic and administrative units as well as for nonprofit organizations. Roper Nedd has served as a committee lead and/or reviewer for the following: Towson University Diversity Strategic Plan; USM Strategic Plan as the Governance Committee chair for the USM Women's Forum; UMCP Office of Undergraduate Studies Diversity Strategic Plan; Literacy Council of Montgomery County (Md.) Strategic Plan; and the Maryland Executive Council of Educational Opportunity TRiO Strategic Plan development.
Roper Nedd earned a PhD from Howard University in political science-international relations with a focus on educational development for marginalized populations, exploring corporate social responsibility and public-private partnerships as a development strategy. She also earned a Master of Arts degree in political science–international relations from the Catholic University of America, and a Bachelor of Arts in government and politics from the University of Maryland, College Park. She also has been an adjunct faculty member in political science at Towson and Howard universities and developed, taught, and led multiple education abroad programs to Ghana as faculty director at UMCP.