Josefina Landrieu

Biography

Josefina Landrieu, PhD

She/Her

Vice President of Human Resources and Employee Experience

Human Resources & Equity and Inclusion

Josefina Landrieu, PhD, serves as the Vice President of Human Resources and Employee Experience.

Dr. Landrieu oversees both the Human Resources and Equity and Inclusion teams, advancing the university’s commitment to equity, inclusion, anti‑racism, and an exceptional employee experience. Through her integrated leadership, she strengthens strategies related to recruitment, retention, and workplace culture while embedding equitable and inclusive practices across university operations. She guides organizational change, enhances employee engagement, and ensures that HR and institutional policies reflect the needs of a diverse workforce. In addition, Dr. Landrieu leads or oversees investigations involving discrimination, harassment, and retaliation, ensuring that university practices align with legal standards and uphold the institution’s values of fairness and belonging.

Before joining Metro State University, Dr. Landrieu served as assistant chief diversity officer for Minnesota State Colleges and Universities. In that systemwide leadership role, she advanced policy review, equity-centered process improvements, and provided expert consultation on complex diversity, equity, and inclusion matters across the state’s colleges and universities. Earlier in her career, she held a statewide appointment as an assistant professor at the University of Minnesota’s Center for Youth Development, where her teaching and scholarship focused on creating positive learning environments and supporting student success in higher education.

Recognized as an innovative problem solver and collaborative change leader, Dr. Landrieu’s work centers on transforming organizational culture, systems, and structures to meet the needs of an evolving student and employee community.

Dr. Landrieu holds a Bachelor of Arts in political science and international relations from the University of Northern Iowa and both a Master of Arts and PhD in Organizational Leadership and Policy Development from the University of Minnesota–Twin Cities.