Emiola Oriola
Director, Tartan Scholars Program
Bio
Emiola Oriola Jr. is a dedicated higher education leader with over a decade of experience championing student access, student success, workforce development, and organizational strategy. He is committed to building a vibrant culture of belonging and creating sustainable ecosystems that empower students and connect them to the right resources, relationships and rhythms needed to thrive on campus and beyond.
Oriola’s professional experiences include serving as the senior director of program innovation and impact at Vibrant Pittsburgh, spending a decade at the University of Pittsburgh as the inaugural director of the Office of Inclusion and Belonging, the Office of Interfaith Dialogue and Engagement, and associate director of the INVESTING NOW Pre-College Program, and guiding comprehensive initiatives in college access, cohort mentorship, and student care networks. He has worked extensively with cross-campus partners and student advisory bodies to ensure diverse student voices remain central to institutional life and programmatic stewardship.
In his leadership roles, Oriola has focused on developing robust systems of student development across campus, building strategic community and stakeholder partnerships, and advancing innovative programs that foster inclusive student engagement, holistic growth and retention.
In recognition of his work as an educator and leader, Oriola received the 2024 Distinguished Early Career Award Recipient from the University of Pittsburgh's School of Education, the 2020 Racial Equity and Interfaith Cooperation Award from Interfaith America, the 2017 New Pittsburgh Courier Men of Excellence Award, and was named a 2016 Pittsburgh Magazine and PUMP 40 Under 40 award recipient.
Oriola holds a BA degree in psychology from the University of Pittsburgh, an MA degree in theology from the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, and an Ed.D. degree in out-of-school learning from the University of Pittsburgh.