Robert Shorty joined GVSU in 2024 as Vice President for People, Equity, and Culture serving as the university's inaugural Chief People and Inclusion & Equity Officer. In this position he connects people-centered operations including human resources, inclusion and equity support, Office for Civil Rights and Title IX and the employee ombuds.

He began his career as a social worker before moving into corporate human resources and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) leadership, including as senior director of human resources and global head of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for Nike's Supply Chain. He also worked in human resources leadership at Target, McDonalds and Starbucks. His work in the private sector included developing programs to expand access to higher education for frontline employees and partnering with high school students as well as adult learners with exploring corporate opportunities at the organizations he has worked with.

Robert earned a Doctor of Philosophy in Organizational Development from Benedictine University in Lisle, Ill., and holds a Master of Human Resources Management (MHRM) degree from Keller Graduate School in Chicago. He received a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Illinois State University in Normal, Ill.