Kyle Reyes

VP of Advancement Utah Valley University

  • Orem UT

Kyle Reyes's research focuses on multicultural education, cross-cultural communication and arts-based integration.

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Utah Valley University

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Biography

Kyle Reyes, Ph.D., serves as Vice President of Institutional Advancement, CEO of UVU Foundation, and Associate Professor at Utah Valley University (UVU)—the largest university in the state of Utah with over 43,000 students. Before this appointment in October 2022, Dr. Reyes served for five years as VP of Student Affairs and from 2014-2017, Kyle served as UVU’s Senior Diversity & Inclusion Officer. In that role, he led the development and implementation of UVU’s nationally recognized Strategic Inclusion Plan consisting of nearly 40 initiatives focused on making UVU a more inclusive campus. He has been at UVU for 19 years in various offices and programs: TRIO Upward Bound, GEAR UP, Multicultural Student Services, Student Success & Retention, the School of Education, and the Office of the President.

Dr. Reyes is also a tenured Associate Professor of Education at UVU and taught courses in Multicultural Education, Family & Community Partnerships, and Arts-based Integration. His research focuses on arts-based student empowerment; leadership for equity and access; and institution-wide inclusion and diversity strategic planning.

Kyle has consulted with, and presented to, organizations in 27 states* and Canada in various sectors including: K-12 education, higher education, business, community task forces, and faith groups. He has given more than 550 presentations over the past 17 years on issues of diversity, inclusion, art, cultural competence, voice, identity, multiculturalism, and leadership.

In addition to serving on the board of Asian Pacific Americans in Higher Education, Kyle serves on the Utah Governor’s Multicultural Commission. He is the past president of the Utah chapter of the National Association for Multicultural Education. Dr. Reyes has also served as the co-chair of the College Access Network for the Utah System of Higher Education and a member of the board of directors for the United Way of Utah County and American Indian Services.

Dr. Reyes has received a number of awards including: UVU’s Board of Trustees Award; the Exemplary Educator for Diversity Award from the National Association of Multicultural Education (NAME); Inclusion Cultivates Excellence Award from CUPA-HR, Utah Valley Magazine’s Top 40 Under 40; and the top 50 Diversity Executives in the Nation from Diversity MBA Magazine. Kyle received his Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy from the University of Utah and was the recipient of the Bennion Morgan Fellowship.

Industry Expertise

Education/Learning

Areas of Expertise

Multicultural Education
Arts-Based Integration
Student Success and Retention
Leadership
Higher Education
Inclusion & Diversity
K-12 Education

Accomplishments

Equity Core Value Award, Community Action Services

2024

Women's Success Center - Administrator Award, UVU Women's Success Center

2023

David R. Barclay Alumni Award, Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics (LEAP)

2022

Education

University of Utah

Ph.D.

Educational Leadership & Policy

2012

Brigham Young University

M.Ed.

Educational Leadership & Foundations

2006

Brigham Young University

B.A.

Visual Arts - Graphic Design

2003

Affiliations

  • Saprea : Education Advisory Board Member
  • Asian Pacific Americans in Higher Education

Languages

  • English
  • Spanish

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Media Appearances

Beyond ‘Prestige’: New Carnegie Classification Focuses on Student Success

Inside Higher Ed  online

2025-04-24

Kyle Reyes, vice president for institutional advancement at Utah Valley, said he attributes the university’s high ROI for students to the institution’s long-term investment in student success initiatives—and an unwillingness to deviate from its original mission as a broad-access institution. Some of those efforts have included partnerships with K-12 schools; helping students fill out federal financial aid applications; offering scholarships; academic advising; a food pantry; low-cost, on-campus childcare; student research opportunities; paid internships; and completion grants for returning students.

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UVU celebrates First Gen Day with major fundraising milestone

Daily Herald  online

2023-11-11

According to Kyle Reyes, vice president of Institutional Advancement and CEO of the UVU Foundation, the first-generation campaign received a big lift by four donors who each contributed $1 million — Blake and Sandy Modersitzki, Brian and Louise Murphy, Dan and Peggy Campbell, and a fourth donor who requested anonymity. While the monetary target has been met, Reyes said UVU will continue raising funds for first-generation students.

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Utah Valley University receives largest single gift in school history

KSL  online

2022-10-25

"EverGREEN is a truly historical moment for Utah Valley University," said Kyle Reyes, vice president of Institutional Advancement and CEO of the UVU Foundation, in a statement. "UVU's mission is to provide students with educational opportunities, an enriching learning environment for growth, and accelerated paths to achieve their goals. I invite all to join us in this effort to provide even more transformational education experiences for UVU students as they prepare to meaningfully impact the world for generations to come."

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Articles

Visual Counter-Storytelling: Empowering Navigation of Identity in Educational Spaces

National Forum of Educational Administration and Supervision Journal

2018

This article focuses on the aggregate findings of two studies on student identity navigation and empowerment through artistic expression. Through a Critical Race Theoretical lens, the voices, stories, and narratives of students of color were central to both studies. The findings suggest that artistic exploration and expression coupled with meaningful mentoring connections provide strong foundations for students of color to feel a sense of ownership of their education and empowerment to walk with their diverse identities. Through the two artistic programs, students reported feeling: (1) validated in their racial, cultural, linguistic, and artistic identities, (2) empowered by the relevancy of the learning process, and (3) increased confidence through a connection to peers and mentors who shared their identities.

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