Loyola University Chicago

Javier Cervantes

Javier Cervantes was appointed the Director of Student Diversity & Multicultural Affairs in September of 2008.  Previously, Javier worked for Oregon State University for nearly seven years as the Director of the CASA (Center for Access and Success in Academic) Latina/o of OSU. Javier has focused his career on increasing access and retention of Latino students and underrepresented communities at the university level. Javier has degrees from East Los Angeles College in Journalism; the University of Oregon in Political Science; Portland State University in Public Administration; and is currently working on a doctorate at Oregon State University focusing on community college leadership where he is doing qualitative research of documented and undocumented Latinos with community college degrees and/or certificates and its impact on their placement in the workforce.

His passion is his work on projects geared at increasing cultural and diversity awareness, social justice, and equality. The son of Mexican immigrants in search of better opportunities, Javier is the first in his family to graduate from high school and college.   In addition to his rural upbringing in Oregon, Javier also has a strong connection to living in urban settings, having lived in East Los Angeles, while his parents moved back to their homeland.

Javier has been married to his lovely wife Leslie for three years.  Leslie and Javier enjoy that they both work in education and are deeply committed to access issues and equity in higher education.

Benjamin Harris

Coordinator
Leadership and Program Development
Phone: 773.508.3929 
E-mail: bharri7@luc.edu

Benjamin began as a coordinator in the Department of Student Diversity & Multicultural Affairs in late 2004. He earned his M.S. degree in English from Illinois State University (2004) and a B.A. degree in Communication Studies and Sociology from Elmhurst College (2001). After being an active student leader as an undergraduate, working in the departments of Student Life, Residence Life and Multicultural Student Affairs, he became interested in working in higher education. While pursuing his master's degree in English, he took advantage of an opportunity to continue working in Multicultural Student Affairs as a graduate assistant. Benjamin also serves as the advisor of the Tennis Club.

Risë Nelson Burrow, M.Ed.

Coordinator
Student Retention and Academic Success
Phone: 773.508.3948 
E-mail: rnelsonburrow@luc.edu

Risë Nelson Burrow coordinates the STARS and LUCES Programs, various heritage month celebrations and provides other opportunities and resources to the LUC community towards student success. Risë earned her Master’s degree in Higher and Postsecondary Education from Teachers College-Columbia University (2004), and she completed her Bachelor’s degree in both English and Multiethnic American Studies at Northeastern University (2002). Serving as a mentor-educator, she seeks to empower our students as they navigate their paths through Loyola and encourages the development of the campus community. Risë is particularly interested in the intersection of Multicultural Affairs and Service Learning, women’s leadership and development, LGBTQ advocacy, mixed race and transracial adoption issues.

Sharon Chia Claros

Coordinator
Diversity and Social Justice Education Initiatives
Phone: 773.508.8858 
E-mail: sclaros@luc.edu

Sharon Chia Claros coordinates the Diversity and Social Justice Education Initiatives and the Safe Space Program, plans awareness months and weeks and provides training to student group leaders around issues of diversity and social justice. After the completion of her Bachelor’s degree in Human Development (2003) at the University of California, Riverside, Sharon went on to obtain her dual teaching credential in K-6 & Special Education, Moderate to Severe Disabilities (2004). She earned her Master’s degree in College Student Personnel (2006) from Western Illinois University. As a life long learner and scholar-practioner, Sharon is passionate about the intersections of identities (Race, Class, Gender & LGBTQ) and its relation to Social Justice and the perpetuation of systems of oppression. Through education, self-awareness and mutual learning partnerships with each other, Sharon hopes to foster an environment where individuals can authentically have intentional dialogues, build solidarity and become true social justice allies.

Gabriela Ortiz

Administrative Assistant 
Department of Student Diversity & Multicultural Affairs
Phone: 773.508.3909 
E-mail: gortiz1@luc.edu

Gaby is the Administrative Assistant of the Department of Student Diversity & Multicultural Affairs.   She received her Bachelor’s degree in English Literature from the University of Chicago in 2005.  After graduating from college, Gaby worked with community organizations and theater companies in and out of Chicago to develop leadership, community organizing, and arts education programs for youth. She is passionate about theater as a tool for education and empowerment, social justice issues, and media reform.

Emily LaRee Alvelo

Graduate Assistant  
LUCES Rites of Passage & LGBTQ Awareness & Education
E-mail: ealvelo@luc.edu

Emily LaRee Alvelo graduated in 2005 from Smith College with a BA in Theatre: Set Design and a minor in Psychology. She is currently a second year graduate student in Loyola’s Higher Education program and a Graduate Assistant in Loyola’s Residence Life department for the Southside Kenmore Apartment community. This year Emily will serve as an intern in our department and will primarily work with LUCES Rites of Passage program and LGBTQ awareness and education. Serving as a mentor Emily strives to instill the importance of empowerment, pride, and joy in the lives of each student while celebrating their milestones, achievements, and successes.

Joy Marie Conway

Graduate Assistant
Diversity and Social Justice Education Initiatives 
Phone: 773.508.8849 
E-mail: jconway1@luc.edu

Joy graduated in 2005 from DePauw University with a BA in Sociology and Anthropology. During her tenure at Depauw, Joy was President of the National Pan-Hellenic Council and conducted her thesis research on Arts Activism. After working for two years in non-profit America as a communications and language educator, she decided to pursue her own education further. Joy is currently working toward a Masters in Higher Education degree with a concentration in Student Affairs here at Loyola.  As a Graduate Assistant with the Department,  she is working closely with Diversity and Social Justice training, the implementation of the L.U.C.E.S. Rites of Passage Program and the planning of various cultural awareness months. Joy has aspirations to pursue a Doctoral degree in Social Justice with a focus on issues of collegiate access,  non-traditional learning and holistic personal development.

Laila Al-Chaar

Graduate Assistant
Student Retention and Academic Success
Phone: 773.508.2132
E-mail: lalchaa@luc.edu

Laila graduated in 2004 from Columbia College Chicago with a BA in Arts Entertainment Media Management with a concentration in producing live performance.  After almost 4 years of producing concerts, festivals, mobile tours, and theater in and outside of Chicago Laila decided to take her ambitions back to school.  Laila is currently working toward her Masters in Higher Education with a concentration in Student Affairs at Loyola.  While pursuing her degree you will find her working in the Department of Student Diversity and Multicultural Affairs with S.T.A.R.S, Loyola’s mentoring program for underrepresented students, and loving it! A founder of Columbia’s multicultural student organization, Laila hopes to continue her pursuits in multicultural education and research.

Daena Ramos

Student Intern
Cultural Programs
E-mail: dramos2@luc.edu

Daena is majoring in Advertising and Public Relations. She works for the department as the Cultural Programmer student intern.  Her responsibilities include planning, organizing, and promoting cultural months/events. In March 2008, she won the Gannon Scholars Women in Leadership Award for her leadership on campus and in the community. She is the president of the Nation’s first and largest co-ed Latino fraternity ALPHA PSI LAMBDA, co-founder and captain of Loyola’s NVUS Scorch Dance Group, member of the Multicultural Greek Council, and member of the Latin American Student Organization on campus. Daena also works as a service assistant for Halas Sports Center and during the summer she worked as the Discover Loyola office assistant answering phones and emailing incoming students and parents for orientation. Daena’s passion is dancing. She also loves to sing and act and hopes of one day going to Hollywood or New York to be an upcoming star. Through work and personal interaction, she hopes to make a major impact on someone’s life.

Michael Peralta

Student Intern
Black Men's Initiative
E-mail: mperal1@luc.edu

Mike is a Cuban-Dominican American born in Secaucus, New Jersey but raised in Miami, FL. He is currently in his fourth year at Loyola and is a triple major in Finance, Economics and International Business. Mike works with anything dealing with BMI, including programming, organizing, researching and leading discussions. He is a member of the school's Budget and Finance University Policy Committee and was recently appointed as a Student Representative on the Enrollment Retention and Admissions Committee for Loyola's Board of Trustees. Mike has entrepreneurial aspirations. He also plays intramural basketball. He is interested in strategy, mathematics, current events, and the quest for a more complete "truth".

Shweta Chawla

Student Intern
Diversity Council
E-mail: schawl4@luc.edu

Shweta is a student intern responsible for the Diversity Council. The Diversity Council comprises of student representatives of organizations that are underrepresented in the Loyola community.  Shweta facilitates the collaboration of the diverse organizations by hosting bi-monthly meetings, in which issues that affect the student organizations are discussed and new collaborative events are planned. Shweta is a Senior and a Biology major with a Molecular Biology emphasis and a Bioethics minor. She is currently sequencing and mapping the telomeric region of the Human Chromosome 21 in Dr. Doering's research lab. She is a part of the Honors Program at Loyola and is actively pursuing her goal in life to become a successful medical physician. As the Vice President of South Asian Student Alliance (SASA), she holds the ambition to continually spread awareness of the South Asian culture throughout the Loyola campus. God, family, friends, the medical field, community progression, and dance are her priorities and the passions of her life.