Adriel A. Hilton

Adriel A. Hilton is an Assistant Professor of College Student Personnel & Director of the College Student Personnel at Western Carolina University. He previously served as Assistant Vice President for Inclusion Initiatives at Grand Valley State University (GVSU). There, his responsibilities included consulting, advising, and providing support and informational resources on the subjects of diversity and inclusion to all levels of administration, faculty and staff. Additionally, he acted as a liaison to GVSU's Office of Multicultural Affairs, Women’s Center, and the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Resource Center. Hilton also served as the Director for the Center for African American Research and Policy.  He honed his expertise in higher education administration and teaching in his previous position at Upper Iowa University (UIU), where he served as executive assistant to the President and chief diversity officer, and assistant secretary to the Board of Trustees. He was also an adjunct faculty member at both UIU and the University of Northern Iowa during this period. Hilton holds a bachelor's degree in business administration (finance) from Morehouse College, Atlanta; a master's of applied social science (public administration emphasis) from Florida A&M University, Tallahassee; and a Ph.D. in higher education (administration) from Morgan State University, Baltimore. His award-winning dissertation and research was titled, “The Perceptions of Administrators Concerning the One Florida Initiative.”