Mary Ann Villareal, PhD

Vice President, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
University of Utah 

As the inaugural VP for Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion (EDI) at the University of Utah, Mary Ann Villarreal provides leadership and strategic oversight across the institution, strengthening community while building belonging and inclusive climate for all. An Air Force veteran with degrees from Mount Holyoke and Arizona State University, she is the former associate vice president of strategic initiatives at California State University, Fullerton.  

A first-generation Latina college graduate, Villarreal has focused on meeting the growing needs of an increasingly diverse campus since her arrival in Utah. To do this work, she established the EDI Strategy Council, launched One U Thriving, and established the Reframing the Conversation panel series (with the Hinckley Institute) to increase dialogue and strengthen the sense of community on campus. She also helped steer the migration of the New Leadership Academy (a program with deep ties to AAHHE) to the university, bringing its unique leadership development curriculum and equity-focused philosophy to the state.  

The current chair of the Board of Directors for the American Association of Colleges & Universities (AAC&U), Villarreal is also serves on the executive committee for the Association of Public Land-Grant Universities’ Council on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and on the TIAA Inclusion Council.