F&M Stories
Generous Gift Furthers Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Efforts on Campus
Class of 2000 alum Andrew Roth's contribution will fund diversity, equity and inclusion programming on campus over the next five years.
Franklin & Marshall graduate Andrew Roth '00 has fond memories from his four years on campus. Time spent with Phi Kappa Tau fraternity brothers. Cheering on roommate Jerome Maiatico '00 and other close friends when the Diplomats basketball squad advanced to the Division III Final Four in 2000.
One memory, however, feels a bit absent.
Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programming, he recalls, was not the campuswide initiative found at F&M today. Events recognizing and supporting students of varying cultural backgrounds felt confined to a small handful of campus spaces.
"It was a separation that didn't have to exist," said Roth, head of data and martech strategy for Publicis Groupe, a French multinational advertising and public relations company.
Reflecting on a 20-year career in law and marketing, Roth realized the need for an understanding and support of underrepresented individuals.
A government major at F&M, Roth started his career in private equity first as an attorney, and then in business development and corporate strategy at Blackstone. Prior to Publicis Groupe, Roth served as executive vice president and head of innovation strategy and corporate development at IPG DXTRA.
He recalled a recent conversation with Gretchel Hathaway, F&M vice president for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).
"There was no overt racism that I saw on campus," he said. "But here's something I mentioned to Gretchel: I've learned a lot by speaking with a very good friend of mine, working with his minority-owned business. And I've realized, I don't know anything. There's a lot to learn. You have no idea what people are going through and the only way to begin to realize that is to educate."
Roth's contribution will do just that, funding DEI programs on campus over the next five years. This includes a first-year student orientation curriculum with diversity education, bias awareness, enhancing cultural intelligence, and training on how to host conversations around challenging issues as well as continuing IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility) programs and training for all members of the campus community.
Related Articles
March 6, 2026
New Student Mural Celebrates Historic Women
The Alice Drum Women’s Center has served as a welcoming space to students since 1992, but something was missing. A new mural by Hope Clarke ’27 draws attention to the Center and legacies of pioneering women.
March 2, 2026
[Video] Thinkers, Doers, Diplomats: Maj. Gen. Richard P. Mills ’72 on the Spirit of Service
For Maj. Gen. Richard P. Mills ’72, an F&M education was the launchpad for a storied military career and a lifelong journey of discovery. As he watches today’s Diplomats walking the same paths he once did, Mills sees a familiar pilgrimage toward a future of influential leadership and engaged citizenship.
February 24, 2026
Brett Harwood ’71 Makes $1 Million Gift to Support Jewish Life, Student Experience
A transformational gift of $1 million from Brett Harwood ’71 will support F&M’s vibrant Jewish life programming, foster campus dialogue, fund a faculty position and boost the College’s student retention efforts.