Fabrizio Mejia, a strong visionary leader, educator, strategist and advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion, received his BA in Ethnic Studies from UC Berkeley, an MS in Educational Psychology from California State University – East Bay, and is currently pursuing a Doctor of EdD in Education Leadership and Administration at UC Davis.
As a first generation college student, Mejia entered UC Berkeley highly motivated and determined to succeed in his educational and career endeavors. While carrying a full academic load, he accepted an internship position with the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP). As a result of Mejia’s impressionable skills, he was hired as an EOP Peer Advisor, and later assumed the leadership role of Peer Advisor Program Coordinator where he led a team of fellow-peer advisors towards helping traditionally underserved students to navigate the road to academic success. The extensive training that he received as Peer Advisor Coordinator helped to prepare him for multiple jobs at Cal, from academic counseling to managing complex units/departments.
In his 20+ years of helping the University to foster a welcoming campus environment with a culture of belonging, and playing a pivotal role in helping to move the University towards a more diverse and inclusive campus community, Mejia earned the reputation for being one of Cal’s most influential and sought after leaders. “My passion as an equity advocate for communities including disabled, UREM [underrepresented ethnic minority], low-income, transfer, immigrant, student parents, foster youth, veterans, and others continually motivates me to work towards institutional reform that is inclusive for all,” stated Mejia. His exemplary leadership, hands-on experience, and strengths in strategic planning, communication, collaborative problem-solving, critical thinking, and organizational development, prepared him for a number of very challenging and demanding positions at Cal, including his current position as Interim Chief of Staff & Associate Vice Chancellor, Student Equity and Success; Assistant Vice Chancellor, Student Equity and Success; Executive Director, Centers for Educational Equity and Excellence; Associate Director, Centers for Educational Equity and Excellence; Director, Educational Opportunity Program; Assistant Director, Educational Opportunity Program; and Academic Counselor, Educational Opportunity Program.
Mejia gained national recognition for the impact of his work at Berkeley in promoting diversity and inclusion, and has received awards and accolades for his outstanding achievements. Among some of his notable accomplishments where his strategic leadership and coaching have had significant impact is the establishment and implementation of UC Berkeley’s Undocumented Student Program, which provides comprehensive support and services for undocumented students, and has served as a model for other educational institutions; the development and implementation of the nationally recognized Basic Needs efforts at Berkeley, which resulted in the opening of the Basic Needs Center, a Higher Ed policy change making college students eligible for Cal Fresh (a long term food assistance program that awards eligible students up to $281 per month for groceries), and an increase in its eligibility pool from 300 to 10,000 students; the raising of more than 20M over a span of 8 years, resulting in new positions and funding to support equity efforts across the campus; and his invaluable contributions to the University’s first known longitudinal study of students’ first year experience at Cal that examined the self-reported experiences of students to assess how socioeconomic status and academic preparation impact their experiences. Findings from this study helped to heighten the campus awareness about the experience and needs of students as they transition into and move through their first year at Berkeley, and was rated by the Chancellor’s office as one of Cal’s best studies pertaining to the first year experience of undergraduates.
GOALS salutes Fabrizio Mejia for the impact of his strong leadership and advocacy for diversity, equity and inclusion, and his contributions towards helping the University to build a supportive and welcoming campus environment with a culture of belonging.
