With over 20 years of experience in higher education, nonprofit leadership, and research consulting, Dr. Lizette Rivera brings a distinctive, results-driven approach rooted in cultural awareness, advocacy, and strategic insight. As an Indigenous Latina and Army veteran, Dr. Rivera is deeply committed to fostering equity and inclusion across educational and community spaces. She holds a Doctorate of Education, focusing on Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), and her dissertation, “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,” addresses critical issues in higher education access and success for Latinx students. A proud first-generation college graduate with Puerto Rican roots and a Chicago native, Dr. Rivera is an enrolled citizen of the Iukaieke Guainía, Borikén (Guainía Taíno Tribe of Puerto Rico). She is also actively engaged with the United Confederation of Taíno People (UCTP), where she serves as the UCTP Liaison for Illinois (appointed March 2024).