Liz Tovar, Ph.D

Executive Officer & Associate Vice President, Division of Access, Opportunity, and Diversity
Senior Associate Athletics Director Student-Athlete Academic Services
Biography

Tovar bio as of 3.21.24

Tovar Speaking

Dr. Liz Tovar was named Executive Officer and Associate Vice President of the Division of Access, Opportunity, and Diversity on February 1, 2021. The position reports to the president and provost and serves on the President's Cabinet.

In her role, Tovar oversees the Division of Access, Opportunity, and Diversity (DAOD) while also serving as senior associate athletics director overseeing Student-Athlete Academic Services. The Division of Access, Opportunity, and Diversity comprises the Office of Civil Rights Compliance (OCRC) and the Office of Access and Support (OAS).

Dr. Tovar began her career at the University of Kansas (KU) in Lawrence, Kansas, where she also received undergraduate, master's, and doctoral degrees in psychology, clinical psychology, and educational leadership and policy studies, respectively. Before joining Iowa in 2013, Tovar managed student services and advised student-athletes in academic, personal, and professional development at Northern Illinois University, and worked at The Ohio State University in their Student-Athlete Support Services Office. At Iowa, Tovar supervises daily operations within academic services and manages academic and personal support services for approximately 650 student-athletes across all 21 UI sports programs. Under Dr. Tovar's leadership in athletics, Iowa student-athletes continue to graduate at an all-time high of 89 percent. Dr. Tovar launched the Hawkeye Life Program, centering student-athlete growth on six pillars of excellence: leadership, community engagement, academic success, career development, health & well-being, and diversity & inclusion. Tovar was an integral member of the $6 million renovation of the Gerdin Athletic Learning Center.

Dr. Tovar serves on the Board of Directors for United Way of Johnson and Washington Counties, Chair of the NCAA Region Five Postgraduate Scholarship Committee, Board of Trustees for KU Endowment, and is a member of the AAU Chief Diversity Officer Steering Committee.

Authored by Liz Tovar, Ph.D

Note from Liz on the intersection of Freedom of Expression and DEI

Friday, April 7, 2023
The Intersection between Freedom of Expression and DEI.

April 2023 Note from Liz

Monday, April 3, 2023
April Note from Dr. Liz Tovar to our Campus charting a path forward for DEI at Iowa.

Note from Liz on Trans Day of Visibility

Friday, March 31, 2023
On this Trans Day of Visibility, the University of Iowa and the Division of DEI want everyone in our LGBTQ+ community to know that during these challenging times, you matter to us!