Xochitl Delgado Solorzano to Lead Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Efforts at Honors College

Chieko Hara

Xochitl Delgado Solorzano

Xochitl Delgado Solorzano was named assistant dean for diversity, equity and inclusion within the Honors College, effective this past July 1. She will continue to serve as director of the Honors College Path Program, which recruits and mentors students from underrepresented populations. She reports to Lynda Coon, dean of the Honors College. 

In her new role, Delgado Solorzano will develop and implement the Honors College vision for diversity, equity and inclusion and will play a vital role in securing funds for these efforts. She will work with the Honors College team to address all aspects of operations, from creating content for honors seminars and forums to diversifying the college's faculty, staff, student body and community partners.

"Promoting Xochitl Delgado Solorzano is part of a movement on campuses across the U.S. to move beyond talking to making structural changes that promote a more diverse and inclusive community in academe," Dean Coon said. "I have the utmost confidence in Xochitl to tackle this important work, which will make us a national leader in merging honors and DEI efforts at public institutions. I would also like to thank Yvette Murphy-Erby, vice chancellor for diversity and inclusion, for advocating for units at the U of A to add DEI assistant deans. Such a move will uplift the entire institution." 

Raised in Springdale, Delgado Solorzano is a lifelong believer in the importance of giving back to one's community and has dedicated her career to advocacy and education. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish from Hendrix College, then completed a master's degree in Spanish from the University of Kansas, followed by a master's degree in public service from the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service. Over the years, her work has taken her from Springdale to Little Rock to Accra, Ghana, where she led the implementation of a financial literacy program at two schools in the Greater Accra region. She also served as a consultant for the Hispanic Women's Organization of Arkansas and as a program associate at the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation. Through research and administrative support, Delgado Solorzano helped enable these institutions to better serve diverse populations across the state of Arkansas. 

As director of the Honors College Path Program, she has played a key role in securing two National Science Foundation grants supporting students interested in pursuing careers in STEM fields and exploring interdisciplinary innovation. She has also worked to expand private support for the Path Program and recruited outstanding students who excel at the U of A and beyond. 

"Adding this assistant dean position demonstrates the commitment of the Honors College to become a place where all students feel included and welcomed. We recognize that we have a long way to go to reach this goal, but as a unit, we are ready to do the hard work," Xochitl Delgado Solorzano said.