Lizette Rivera

Dr. Lizette Rivera brings over 12 years of experience in higher education to her role as the DHSI. She is originally from Chicago and completed her Doctorate of Education in Community College Leadership from National Louis University. Her dissertation title is Exploring the impact of the MassTransfer program: A look at Latina/Latino student transfer success at a two-year Hispanic-Serving Institution into a four-year Non-Hispanic-Serving university in Massachusetts.

As a first-generation college graduate and Chicago native with Puerto Rican roots, Dr. Rivera is deeply committed to equity and inclusion. Her family originates from Puerto Rico, and she is an enrolled citizen of the Iukaieke Guainía, Borikén (Guainía Taíno Tribe of Puerto Rico). She is an Army Veteran, having served under Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and was deployed to Joint Task Force Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. She is actively involved with the United Confederation of Taíno People (UCTP) and was appointed the UCTP Liaison for Illinois in March 2024.