Emelyn dela Peña is Loyola Marymount University’s vice president for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. She brings to LMU 27 years of experience in higher education and a focus in justice, equity, diversity and inclusion scholarship and practice. Most recently, she served as associate vice provost for Inclusion, Community and Integrative Learning at Stanford University from 2019-2022, where she embedded ethical leadership and equity principles in student engagement and transformed key policies and practices in student affairs.
Before joining Stanford, dela Peña was the inaugural associate vice chancellor for Student Affairs and dean of the Center for Diversity and Inclusion at Washington University in St. Louis, where she partnered with staff and faculty colleagues to embed DEI practices throughout the university and develop coursework that supports the university’s mission around diversity and inclusion. Prior to that, dela Peña served as the inaugural assistant dean for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and assistant dean of Student Life at Harvard College, advising the dean of the college and dean of students on issues concerning equity and inclusion.
She earned her doctor of education from a joint program through the University of California, San Diego; San Diego State University; and California State University, San Marcos. She earned a master’s degree in postsecondary educational leadership from San Diego State University and a bachelor’s degree in ethnic studies from UC San Diego.