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Meet Dr. Kyle Reyes, Vice President of Institutional Advancement and former Chief Inclusion Officer at Utah Valley University, whose work sits at the intersection of student success, cultural understanding, and leadership in politically charged times.
In this episode, Reyes explores his groundbreaking framework from his book Lenses of Humanity: How Reflection, Connection, and Empathy Can Heal Our World. Drawing from his own lived experience as a former college dropout and first-generation student advocate, Reyes offers a powerful roadmap for navigating higher education’s most difficult conversations – especially amid national DEI rollbacks.
His discussion with The EDU Ledger host Ralph Newell also unpacks how campuses can continue to support students when identity-based programs are dismantled, why empathy and genuine inquiry matter more than ever, and what it truly means to lead with humanity in polarized environments.
Tune in as Reyes dives into the shifting landscape of student support and practical frameworks for educators in higher education despite political pressures.
KEY POINTS:
● Reyes’s journey from struggling student and graffiti artist to higher-ed leader
● How his mixed-race upbringing shaped his work in intercultural understanding
