Kedrick Perry

Kedrick Perry, Ph.D., joined the UC Berkeley community in June 2016 as the director of diversity and outreach in the National Science Foundation-funded Center for Energy Efficient Electronics Science. As the director of strategic initiatives, he facilitates and drives key programs from inception phase; scopes and implements special projects — from outreach opportunities to scholars’ programs — to support Berkeley Engineering; and executes a long-term strategic vision as well as meeting short-term objectives. Previously, he was director of the Ronald E. McNair Scholars Program at Suffolk University in Boston, where he prepared underrepresented, first-generation, and low-income undergraduate students for graduate study. Prior to Suffolk University, he worked in the Office of Graduate Student Diversity Programs at the University of Virginia, where he was committed to the recruitment, retention, mentoring, and graduation of a highly talented and diverse graduate student population. He received his doctorate in higher education from the University of Virginia, where he studied logic modeling and academic motivation. Kedrick also has a Master of Public Administration and a graduate certificate in nonprofit management from North Carolina State University and a B.A. in English from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

What exciting projects are you working on?
The National Academy of Engineering Grand Challenges Scholars Program — a combined curricular and extracurricular program with five components that are designed to prepare students to be the generation that solves the grand challenges facing society in this century.

How did your career path lead you to your current role?
I enjoy robust scholars programs, creating and maintaining outreach initiatives, and making our environments more inclusive. My position allows me to do all three and more.

Besides your work, what’s something that you’re passionate about?
Power napping.

If you could learn to do anything, what would it be?
I would love to learn to paint.