Dr. Richard L. O’Bryant has been at Northeastern University for more than 22 years, first as a fulltime faculty member; then as director of the John D. O’Bryant African American Institute – named in remembrance of his father; and now as Northeastern’s Chief Belonging Officer. Dr. O’Bryant provides visionary leadership and manages sometimes dynamic and changing expectations and involvement while advancing growth, development, sense of belonging and success within a large institution like Northeastern. He brings the capacity to leverage relationships throughout our Boston campus and across the Northeastern network to scale to provide, but not limited to, support, inclusion, advocacy, mentoring, cultural activities, encouragement, crisis management, global engagement towards teaching, learning and positive experiences in a networked environment.
In his role as Chief Belonging Officer, Dr. O’Bryant offers leadership and strategic guidance to cultivate a climate of belonging across the global university system. This will span a broad range of diversity efforts, including ethnic identities, religious diversity, cultural groups, and beyond. Northeastern is committed to increasing inclusion and belonging for students, staff, faculty, and alumni. His goal is to intentionally develop a welcoming environment where everyone can thrive academically, socially and professionally. Dr. OBryant invites everyone to bring their authentic selves, their lived experiences and join us in this journey as we seek to grow the rich tapestry of cultures, communities, and experiences that make up Northeastern’s Global Network.
Dr. O’Bryant is an alum of Howard University’s College of Engineering and received his Ph.D. in 2004 from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
