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
April 23, 2026
Christian Perry Named F&M’s Executive Director of Community and Belonging
Christian Perry was named executive director of community and belonging at Franklin & Marshall on April 20. Over the past year, he has led the Office of Community and Belonging as its interim executive director.
April 16, 2026
From F&M to Yale PhD, Quantum Pioneer and the College’s Youngest Trustee
Yusong (Sebastian) Deng ’22 is clear about the importance of F&M in his life. He came to the United States from China at 18 and completed F&M’s dual degree program — three years at Franklin & Marshall, two at Columbia University — earning a bachelor of arts with honors in mathematics from F&M, and a bachelor of science from Columbia. He is now a doctoral student in materials science at Yale and the youngest member of Franklin & Marshall's Board of Trustees.
April 15, 2026
NBA's Ali Narracci ’22 Shares Sports Industry Secrets
Working for the NBA is anything but typical. Ali Narracci ’22 wouldn't have it any other way. See the top five leadership lessons she’s learned as assistant manager of global marketing partnerships at the NBA.