Mary Ontiveros, the inaugural vice president for diversity at Colorado State University, died late last month in Fort Collins, Colorado, She was 70 years old.
Ontiveros first came to Colorado State University as a student in the fall of 1969 and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in psychology.
Beginning in 1974, Ontiveros served in a variety of leadership positions at the university, including as executive director of admissions, associate vice president in the Division of Enrollment and Access, and as a faculty member in the School of Education. She was named the university’s first vice president for diversity in 2010 and served in that role for 10 years until her retirement in 2020.
“Mary Ontiveros herself was unquestionably one of the people who made a difference,” said Joyce McConnell, president of Colorado State University. “And Mary had this kind of transformative impact not just at CSU but for literally thousands of students who are now alumni making a difference in their own ways.”
The university has established the Ontiveros Latinx Fellowship Program for undergraduate students to help fund education, research, or professional development in Latinx leadership development.