Ofelia Miramontes, former professor of education and associate vice chancellor for diversity and equity at the University of Colorado at Boulder, died today in Boulder. She was 60.
A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. on July 10 at Koenig Alumni Center on the Boulder campus, located on the southeast corner of Broadway and University Avenue.
"Ofelia was a wonderful and respected faculty member, administrator, leader and friend," said Interim Chancellor Philip DiStefano, former dean of the School of Education and a long-time colleague. "Her enthusiasm and commitment to the university and in our community has left a legacy that will benefit students, faculty and staff for years to come."
Miramontes, an accomplished researcher and teacher, joined the CU-Boulder faculty in 1985 and gained tenure as an associate professor at the School of Education.
In 1998 she assumed the newly created position of interim associate vice chancellor for diversity and equity to provide dedicated leadership for campus diversity. She was named to the permanent post in 2000.
Miramontes led the development of the campus diversity plan, "Blueprint for Action." She was instrumental in creating the CU Leadership, Excellence, Achievement and Diversity Alliance, an academic excellence program that has led to increased recruitment and retention of students from diverse backgrounds. In addition to furthering many other diversity efforts on the Boulder campus, Miramontes, along with her husband William Barclay, established the CU-LEAD Opportunity Scholarship program.
Miramontes' research and teaching focused on linguistic diversity and first and second language acquisition. She was the author of numerous publications and books. An expert in bilingual programs, she was actively involved in the development of programs for language minority students in public schools.
In January, the Ofelia Miramontes Seminar Room was dedicated in her honor at the School of Education.
"Ofelia's courage and passion for her work were remarkably beyond everyone else's," said Lorrie Shepard, dean of the School of Education. "She will be missed because she taught us so much."
Miramontes earned a bachelor's degree in Spanish from San Diego State University, a master's degree in social science from the United States International University in San Diego and a doctorate in education from Claremont Graduate School.
She was the recipient of several prestigious awards, including the 2000 Latino Americans Who Make a Difference Award from the Denver-based newspaper Urban Spectrum, the 2004 President's Diversity Award from the University of Colorado Office of the President, the CU-Boulder Equity and Excellence Special Recognition Award and the CU-LEAD Alliance Faculty Appreciation Award.
Information on memorial contributions will be available through the CU-Boulder Office of Diversity and Equity at (303) 735-1332.