Elizabeth Ortiz, Ed.D, joined DePaul University in 2002 and is currently the vice president of Institutional Diversity and Equity. Serving 18 years as a Senior Diversity Executive Officer, Dr. Ortiz has implemented institutional diversity, equity, and inclusion policies, programs, and initiatives. Before joining DePaul, she was the director of Affirmative Action and Diversity at Northern Illinois University. Her college and university experience spans more than 35 years in both public and private higher education. She has worked on diversity initiatives in several areas including recruitment, retention, training, programming, and addressing climate issues for diverse students, faculty, and staff.
Dr. Ortiz has also worked extensively on higher education issues and building institutional capacity to address structural racism. Throughout her extensive career, she has worked with educators, policy leaders, community representatives, and others committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in higher education. She is a sought-out consultant, lecturer, and workshop presenter on DEI issues and operationalizing organizational DEI strategy.
Her professional service includes community and professional boards, emphasizing DEI best practices in recruitment and retention initiatives for diverse student and workforce populations. Dr. Ortiz currently serves on the board of Niagara University, co-chair of the Consortium of Senior Diversity Officers in Higher Catholic Higher Education, and Public Policy co-chair of the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education (NADOHE). Ortiz was also one of the contributing authors of NADOHE's Framework to Advancing Anti-Racism Strategy on Campus. Past board service includes serving on the board of the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education (NADOHE), the Illinois African-American and Latino Higher Education Alliance (IALHE), and she served 12 years as past-president of the Illinois Latino Council on Higher Education (ILACHE). She has a bachelor's degree in business management from Calumet College of St. Joseph, and a master's and doctorate from Northern Illinois University in Leadership and Educational Policy Studies.
Dr. Ortiz has participated in several leadership fellowships to include the 2015 American Council of Education and a 2019 HACU Liderazgo Fellowships. Dr. Ortiz has been awarded numerous recognitions for her service to social justice and DEI transformational change. Awards include the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Excellence in Leadership Award for Educational Change by the Illinois Commission on Diversity and Human Relations, Most Powerful and Influential Woman of Illinois by the National Diversity Council, National Association for Diversity Officers Outstanding Board Service Award, the YWCA Women of Distinction Award, and was honored as a "Who's Who in Hispanic Chicago" in the Education Category in 2014, 2015, and 2019.