Yvette Murphy-Erby, the first woman to serve as vice chancellor for diversity and inclusion on the U of A campus, passed away Sunday, May 25, 2025, at the age of 62.

Murphy-Erby began her career at the U of A as an assistant professor of social work in 2004. While teaching students and conducting research, she advanced in administrative duties, too, becoming director of the Bachelor of Social Work program, interim director of the African and African American Studies Program, associate director of the School of Social Work and then director of the school in 2011.

She earned tenure and promotion to associate professor in the School of Social Work in 2010 and became a full professor in 2013, which was a significant achievement that meant the world to her.

She also became an associate dean of the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences in 2013 and was the first Social Work faculty member at the U of A to occupy a role in central administration when she became a vice provost and later vice chancellor in 2017, as well as a founder of the IDEALS Institute.

"During her more than 20 years of service to the University of Arkansas, Yvette Murphy-Erby made a lasting difference in countless lives, and her impact on students and colleagues will continue to resonate for many years to come," said Chancellor Charles Robinson. "We offer our deepest sympathies to her family and to everyone who had the privilege of knowing her."

Romona West, assistant dean of Student Success, Inclusive Excellence and Strategic Initiatives for Fulbright College, agreed, adding that "Yvette Murphy-Erby was a transformative leader on campus, in the community and every space she occupied."

"She believed in our collective impact to make a difference in this world and was a true trailblazer," West said. "The founding of the IDEALS institute on the U of A campus was one of her proudest accomplishments, along with the Portraits of Progress celebration. She often talked about the work of diversity, equity and inclusion being a journey and not a destination."

A Leader in Campus Involvement

Murphy-Erby had a deep passion for and a long-standing and firm commitment to facilitating a culture and climate that is diverse, equitable, inclusive and antiracist.

"For Dr. Yvette Murphy-Erby, phrases like 'collective impact' and 'inclusion includes YOU' were more than words — they were the foundation of her mission," said Angela Mosley-Monts, who served as associate vice chancellor under Murphy-Erby and later as interim vice chancellor after her.

"She believed equity starts when every person is seen, heard and valued. Through her visionary leadership, she cultivated spaces where overlooked voices gained strength and where dignity and justice were extended to all," added Mosley-Monts, now the U of A's director of training, compliance and equal opportunity programs.

Murphy-Erby had extensive expertise in leading organizational change and was an accomplished scholar whose work centered on child, adolescent and family well-being, particularly relating to traditionally underserved populations and the child welfare system.

Yvette Murphy-Erby applauds recipients of the Silas Hunt Legacy Award during 2018 ceremonies.

After serving as a vice provost in the former Office of Diversity and Inclusion, Murphy-Erby was appointed the U of A's first ever female vice chancellor for diversity and inclusion in 2017, shortly after the office was enlarged to become a division. She held that role until 2023 before returning to a full-time faculty role in the School of Social Work.

Prior coming to the U of A, Murphy-Erby spent 20 years as a social worker, service that infused her academic teaching with real-world examples of how the field of social work improves the lives and communities of those whom they serve.

Research in Social Work

Her early work also drove her to look at research and scholarship with clear outcomes in mind. Murphy-Erby published numerous articles in a variety of peer-reviewed journals and co-authored the first book in the social work field about the intersectionality of race, class and gender.

Alishia Ferguson, director of the U of A's M.S.W. program and associate director of the School of Social Work, worked alongside her for 17 years and credits Murphy-Erby for keeping her at the university.

"Dr. Yvette Murphy-Erby was a proud social worker who practiced in the fields of child welfare and domestic violence for many years before joining academia. She made it very clear every day that social work was her profession, reminding students at graduation to champion the profession," Ferguson said. "She was an outstanding leader in our field, using her knowledge, values, skills and 'self' to work herself into a seat at the table where decisions are made."

During her work at the university, she and colleagues received more than $17 million in external funding awards from such agencies as the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation and the Health Resources and Services Administration, as well as state government and foundations.

She served on the board of directors for the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation and received numerous awards for her leadership, mentoring and support of excellence and belonging — including in 2013, when she was awarded the Health and Human Sciences Pacesetter Award by her alma mater, the University of North Carolina, Greensboro. Murphy-Erby was also a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.

Someone Who Touched All

Murphy-Erby recently received the 2025 Black Employees and Colleagues Resource Group's Legacy Award, which is given to those who "have left an indelible mark on the organization and its members … achieved personal success and lifted others, leaving a legacy of excellence and mentorship that will influence future generations … [whose] long-standing commitment and profound influence resonate as a testament to their deep commitment to the group's values and mission." 

"This award meant so much to her," Mosley-Monts said. "And she completely embodied every aspect of it."

West agreed, adding that "Yvette mentored and helped everyone she could and always had an open ear and made space for everyone. She never met a stranger, and her kind demeanor and wisdom were valued and appreciated."

"She will be missed but never forgotten. Her legacy will live on, and her positive impact will continue to be visible and felt by the people, organizations, the scholarship and the research she touched," West said.

Yvette Murphy-Erby as an undergraduate student at the University of North Carolina, Charlotte.

Murphy-Erby earned a B.A. from the University of North Carolina, Charlotte; an M.S.W. from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill; and a Ph.D. from University of North Carolina, Greensboro.

A homegoing service will be held for Murphy-Erby on Saturday, June 7, at 1 p.m. at St. Luke AME Zion Church, 709 Church St. in Wilmington, North Carolina.

The service will also be streamed live on Facebook.

Flowers may be sent to John H. Shaw's Son Funeral Home at 520 Red Cross St., Wilmington, North Carolina, 28401.

Cards and condolences may be sent to her family via Kevin Anthony Erby at 3669 N. Dupont Ave. in Fayetteville, Arkansas, 72704.

Tributes to Murphy-Erby from the U of A Black Alumni Society and the Black Graduate Student Association at the U of A can also be viewed online.