Patty Alvarez, PhD, MS

Chief Student Affairs Officer and Vice President

Patty Alvarez was promoted to vice president while retaining the title of chief student affairs officer of the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) in February 2024. Alvarez, who joined UMB in 2018, has more than 25 years of experience working in student and academic affairs at several universities.  

 Alvarez has leadership responsibilities for programs and services that support UMB student success, including the SMC Campus Center, event services, and business services; student counseling services; recreation, wellness, and fitness; Intercultural Center; student pantry and emergency fund; writing services; student leadership development; student communications and assessment; disability support and accommodation services; University Student Government Association and student organizations; and shared oversight of international services. 

Alvarez closely collaborates with the student affairs deans in each school and partners across the University. She is an adjunct faculty member in the Graduate School and co-chairs UMB’s Diversity Advisory Council and President’s Council for Women. She also collaborates with the University System of Maryland (USM) in convening USM’s vice presidents of student affairs monthly. 

In March 2024, she will begin a two-year term on the Advisory Services Steering Committee of the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators-Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education, advising and supporting the continued enhancement and growth of self-assessments, reviews, resources, and materials for effective and high-quality student affairs and services divisions. 

Before joining UMB, Alvarez worked at the University of Dayton; Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI); the University of Maryland, College Park; and Cornell University. 

At Dayton, she led diversity strategic planning efforts for the Division of Student Development, played a leadership role in developing and supporting a comprehensive student life component for the China Institute, and led the Office of Multicultural Affairs in supporting the academic success of racially and ethnically underrepresented students and developing intercultural education experiences for the campus community. She also served as an adjunct faculty member in the Department of Counselor Education, where she taught multiple courses for graduate students enrolled in the higher education and college student personnel programs.  

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