Staff Profile

 

Biography

Hugo Yepez (he/they) serves as University of Massachusetts Global’s inaugural Director, Strategic Plan Evaluation and Assessment and Social Justice in the Office of Equity and Inclusion.

Hugo Yepez is a son of southern California’s Paramount located in Los Angeles. He is a 1.5 generation Mexican who identifies as a queer, pangender individual who grew up as the eldest child in a lower-middle class and Catholic household. They navigated higher education as a first-generation college-goer. They have worked and built with students, staff, and faculty for over 7 years and have been a leader in identifying and implementing strategies to manifest inclusive, equitable, just and thriving communities. His community-centered approach to relationship building and cultivating connections have been essential skills in his work to push forward justice, equity, diversity and inclusion (JEDI) efforts. Hugo’s core values are grounded in creating equitable and just environments that challenge and support (un)learning and holistic development of communities. They actively work towards creating inclusive and mutually supportive opportunities that empower folx to transform the world around them through coalition building and action.

Hugo holds a Masters of Education in Postsecondary Administration and Student Affairs from the University of Southern California and a Bachelors of Arts in Psychology and Social Behavior from the University of California, Irvine. Additionally, Hugo currently serves as the Latinx Inclusion Chair for the Gender and Sexuality Knowledge Community and Latinx/a/o Knowledge Community for the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA). They also serve as the Advocacy Chair for the Latinx Network for the Association of College Personnel Administration (ACPA) - Student Educators International.

Find out more about how Hugo Yepez and the team at the Office of Equity and Inclusion are supporting JEDI efforts in UMass Global's article: Recognizing the importance of diversity and inclusion in higher education.