Job summary
Catalina Piatt-Esguerra is the Associate Dean of Organizational Strategy and Effectiveness at the University of Virginia Library. She serves as member of the Library’s Senior Leadership Team. She directs the implementation of a wide array of workforce culture programs—including the Library’s onboarding program (You Belong Here), its early-mid-career L.E.A.D. program, the Welcome Ambassador Team, and staff trainings and connection opportunities. Additionally, she supports faculty hiring processes and partners in strategic planning and change management initiatives. Her work focuses on organizational culture and climate, staff sense of belonging, and best practices of inclusion-focused work process and infrastructure. She has additional expertise in strategy and vision, leadership development, and capacity-building, along with project management and events coordination.
Professional profile
Prior to joining UVA Library, Catalina held positions as Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) at UVA’s School of Education & Human Development and as a Spanish Instructor and DEI Coordinator at the Miller School of Albemarle. While at UVA, she co-founded the University’s first Latinx Employee Resource Group (ERG) to enfranchise and connect Latinx employees across the institution. Before coming to UVA, she worked in several roles at the University of Michigan, including Graduate Success Coach in the Office of Academic Multicultural Initiatives, Orientation Lead for the Office of New Student Programs, and Program Fellow for the Rackham Graduate School. She holds a Ph.D. in Romance Languages and Literatures from the University of Michigan, an M.A. in Foreign Language Studies from American University, and a B.A. in Hispanic Studies from The College of William & Mary. She is also the founder/owner of Aligned Impact Coaching & Consulting, a practice that works with professionals at all stages, navigation transition and change, in higher education and the non-profit sectors. She is also an alumni recruiter for Michigan’s Each One, Reach One minority-focused campaign and a member of NCCI.