Vera Grbic serves as the communications officer for MIT’s Institute Discrimination and Harassment Response Office (IDHR). She specializes in turning complex information into clear, accessible collateral. Her responsibilities include revamping the IDHR website so community members can quickly locate support and resources, and using newsletters and annual reports to explain IDHR’s work, policies, and complaint‑resolution pathways. Grbic earned a BA in communications (minor in English literature) from the University of Ottawa and an MA in communications from Carleton University, both in Canada’s capital. Before joining MIT in 2021, she worked across federal government, nonprofit, and research sectors. After graduate school she freelanced as a journalist, honing the skill of collaborating with subject‑matter experts to ensure factual accuracy. As a senior communications officer at the National Research Council of Canada, she partnered with engineers and scientists in artificial intelligence, climate research, aerospace, and physiology, translating their work into engaging communications that opened new partnership opportunities. She describes this experience as the “through‑line” that connects her past roles to her current work at MIT.
IDHR addresses discrimination, harassment, and sexual misconduct by providing education, individualized support, resource information, and complaint‑resolution pathways that include both restorative and investigative processes. Grbic develops the office’s annual communications strategy, led a website and annual‑report redesign, and launched the IDHR Data Dashboard. She collaborates with colleagues across MIT to gather newsletter ideas, data and stories for reports, and feedback on materials, often partnering with the prevention‑education team that delivers community training. Grbic emphasizes that a communications professional must constantly learn—researching new topics, finding creative storytelling methods, and meeting experts to broaden perspective. Accuracy is at the core of her approach; creativity must be grounded in fact. Her skill set spans creative communications, social‑media management, long‑form storytelling, event production, report writing, video production, and website management.
Beyond her core duties, Grbic co‑organizes the annual Change‑Maker Awards, which honor MIT members who work to prevent sexual misconduct and combat harassment. She describes the awardees as “true inspirations” and takes pride in highlighting individuals who help build a safer MIT culture.
Key projects:
- Contributed to the development and launch of the latest sexual‑misconduct surveys for students and staff.
- Designed a campaign to clarify IDHR services, encompassing a full website overhaul (content rewrite, navigation tweaks, visual redesign) and a short explanatory video.
- Produced a poster campaign to promote available services. These initiatives gave her a sense of impact by translating community experiences into actionable information.
View of the MIT community: She characterizes it as smart, well‑rounded, hardworking, and deeply research‑driven, with a strong commitment to making the world better.
Activities outside her formal role: Grbic recently joined the MIT Women’s League, attended prenatal yoga classes during pregnancy, played in a campus volleyball league, participated in a children’s clothing swap, and attended two AI conferences organized by MIT. These experiences, while peripheral to her job, enrich her physical health and broaden her learning.
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