University of Missouri announces new diversity official

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- The University of Missouri has named a diversity official to help the four-campus system recover from racial protests at the flagship campus in Columbia.

The school announced Wednesday that Kevin McDonald has been tapped to serve as the first chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer. President Michael Middleton said McDonald would work to "foster more inclusive campus environments."

The creation of the position is one of several initiatives undertaken to address last fall's racial turmoil.

McDonald's starting salary is $235,000.

McDonald previously served as the vice president and associate provost for diversity and inclusion at the Rochester Institution of Technology. He also has worked at Virginia Tech, John Hopkins University and University of Maryland in College Park after working for the U.S. Department of Justice early in his career.