Dr. Sharon Perry Fantini has served as Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Iowa State University since January 2022. As leader of the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, she works to foster unity and collaboration, model the university’s Principles of Community, and prepare students to thrive in a global community.
Dr. Perry Fantini is an experienced administrator with more than 20 years of service in higher education, with expertise in the areas of Title IX, diversity, equity, and inclusion. For Iowa State University, she serves as the liaison for the Association of Public Land-Grant Universities’ Council on Research and Council on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
She also serves as the liaison between Iowa State and the University Innovation Alliance, the leading national coalition of public research universities committed to increasing the number and diversity of college graduates in the United States. She currently is a member of the Advisory Board for the Association of Title IX Administrators and serves on the association’s Legislative Policy Committee. She is a member of the Big 12 Conference Chapter of Diversity Officers, Inc.
Dr. Perry Fantini has experience speaking, training, and consulting with local, regional, and national organizations regarding many diversity and inclusion topics and best practices. In 2023 she presented at Association of Public Land-grant Universities meeting on connecting and embedding diversity, equity, inclusion, and research, and how to establish relationships to build capacity to thrive, not just survive. She was selected to present at the Ohio Department of Higher Education Statewide Title IX Coordinator Meeting, January 2021, on Exploratory Look at Balancing the Current Era of Title IX: 34 CFR Part 106.45(b)(5)(vi) and previously served as a Title IX Expert for College and University Professional Association in Higher Education (CUPA). In this role, higher education professionals can seek advice related to Title IX compliance and the impact on their respective campuses.
She was selected by the Ohio Department of Higher Education to serve on the Chancellor’s Special Committee to review RFP proposals as it relates to services around the annual campus climate survey for colleges and universities in the State of Ohio to have the opportunity for campuses to focus in on underrepresented or marginalized communities on their campus.
As a member of the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education (NADOHE), which is an affiliation of the American Council of Education (ACE). She served on the public policy committee and submitted a briefing to the U.S. Congress via NADOHE for Fisher vs. University of Texas.
She excelled in collaborating on prevention programming and cultural celebrations efforts with the Office of Athletics, including working with the Student Athletic Association Committee (SAAC), aided in earning an honorable mention during the 2021 Award for Diversity and Inclusion from the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and Minority Opportunities Athletic Association (MOAA) for Creating a Culture of Shared Responsibility with Bringing in the Bystander training; student forums; revising the Peer-to-Peer Ambassador training and programming including Implicit Bias and Understanding Cultural Differences and for Creating a Culture of Shared Respect with Awareness Campaigns including These Hands Don’t Hurt, Spread the Word to End the Word, Black Lives Matter, Safe Zone training, Critical Conversations and Unheard Voices for a Cause Silent March.
Previous, to joining Iowa State, she held several faculty and administrative positions at Tiffin University. She served as Tiffin’s inaugural Chief Diversity Officer and subsequently was named Tiffin’s Vice Provost for Equity, Access, and Opportunity and Title IX and 504 Coordinator.
Dr. Perry Fantini earned a Ph.D. in Organizational Management from Capella University. She holds two degrees from Tiffin University: a Master of Business Administration Degree and a Bachelor of Business Administration Degree in Human Resource Management and Organizational Management. She completed certification in Professional Human Resource Management from University of Toledo and the Society of Human Resource Management in 2000.
Currently, her leadership in community engagement includes serving on the Story County United Way Board of Directors and on its Executive Board; Story County College Access Network; The BIG 12 Chapter of Diversity Officers, Inc.; Secretary; Bylaws Committee, and Clarkson University; External Advisory Board for Diversity & Inclusion.