From the President: New Vice President for DEI

March 3, 2025

Dear Southern Community,

I am very pleased to announce that Dr. Sergio Pérez will be joining Southern as the university’s new Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

I thank the search committee members for their diligence in identifying an outstanding group of finalists for this key position, along with all those who participated in the search process by attending listening sessions and open forums and sending feedback on the candidates. And a special thank you to Dr. Kelvin Rutledge, who has provided expert leadership as interim Vice President for DEI while the search was conducted.  Kelvin is exceptionally well connected to our local community and has represented Southern in an exemplary manner.

Sergio has compiled an impressive resume of dynamic leadership in DEI since 2016 at Loras College in Dubuque, IA – most recently heading the College Diversity Office and acting as an advisor to the president. In this role, Sergio was charged with overseeing the institutional diversity committee, with a focus of improving the campus climate and research opportunities for Black, Latinx, and LGBTQIA+ identifying students.

Sergio has a wide range of experience supporting undocumented scholars and those with intersectional identities. Under his leadership, the Loras College Center for Inclusion & Advocacy was awarded the 2019 NASPA Region IV Award for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and received Honorable Mention for the 2020 NCAA Inclusion Award.

Sergio is also the DEI committee chair for Iowa’s League of United Latin American Citizens, the country’s oldest and largest civil rights group for Latinos, and serves as a member of LULAC's National LGBTQIA+ Affairs Committee. For the last two years he was named National LULAC’s Advisor of the Year by the organization in Albuquerque, NM, and Las Vegas, NV.

Sergio’s energy and expertise will be invaluable at a time when many aspects of our work at Southern face challenges from new federal directives. A strong DEI team will play a vital role in helping us to reaffirm and strengthen our historic commitment to Southern’s social justice-driven mission of access, equity, and inclusion.

Please join me and the VPDEI Search Committee in congratulating Sergio and welcoming him to campus! He begins his new senior leadership role on May 30, 2025.

Sincerely,

Dr. Dwayne Smith
Interim President