After a thorough national search, Utah Valley University has named Kyle A. Reyes as vice president for student affairs, effective November 16, 2017. Reyes replaces Michelle Taylor, who left UVU in August after 23 years of impressive service to accept a position as the president of The Institute for Clinical Social Work in Chicago.
“Dr. Reyes is an exceptionally talented leader with an enormous commitment to student success, which is the heart of the UVU mission,” UVU President Matthew S. Holland said. “While he has a special gift for reaching those from underserved and underrepresented populations, he will undoubtedly connect with and inspire anyone interested in making UVU a national leader in student access, affinity, and accomplishment.”
Prior to this new assignment, Reyes served as UVU’s chief diversity officer and special assistant to the president for inclusion. He developed and implemented UVU’s nationally-recognized, campus-wide strategic inclusion and diversity plan. Over the past three years, Reyes was also an assistant professor in the School of Education. He has taught courses on multicultural understanding and family and community partnerships and has published academic articles on multicultural identities in educational spaces. This past spring, Reyes led intercultural immersive student teaching programs on the Navajo Nation in Arizona.
After eight years in executive administrative positions, Reyes returns to a division where he started his career. During his first six years at UVU, Reyes was director of the Office of Student Success and Retention, Latino Initiative outreach counselor, GEAR UP counselor, and TRIO outreach and assessment coordinator. In every position he has held, Reyes has been committed to providing educational opportunities for all students.
“I feel deeply honored to be given this opportunity to continue my passionate advocacy for students,” Reyes said. “UVU is an institution committed to student success and the division of student affairs provides critical services, co-curricular engagement opportunities, leadership development, and navigational supports to help students achieve academic and personal goals.”
In the coming weeks, UVU will work with Dr. Reyes to begin a robust search process for his replacement as UVU’s chief diversity officer.
Reyes, whose background includes Hawaiian, Japanese, and Filipino heritage, is the first person of color to serve as a UVU vice president. He received a doctorate cum laude in educational leadership and policy from the University of Utah and focused his research on educational access and equity issues for underserved students. He lives in Vineyard with his wife, Michele, and their seven children.