Eric Rivera Honored by San Diego NAACP

San Diego State University Vice President for Student Affairs Eric Rivera will be honored by the NAACP San Diego chapter for his contributions to the community at the group’s annual Freedom Fund Dinner, to be held Friday, Oct. 12. 

The San Diego chapter of the nation’s oldest and largest civil rights organization has a 44-year tradition of recognizing partners and leaders in advancing human and civil rights. 

Rivera is being honored for his service to the community of San Diego through his work at SDSU. The award commends his commitment to advancing access to higher education and student success and promotion of academic and personal achievement for all students. 

SDSU is nationally recognized for improving its graduation rates for students of all ethnic and racial backgrounds. While the overall graduation rate is 75.3 percent, African American students are graduating at a 72 percent rate, Latino students at 72.5 percent and low-income first-generation students in the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) are graduating at a 71.1 percent rate. 

Recently, SDSU was named a Top 100 degree producer by Diverse: Issues in Higher Education, which ranked the institution No. 17 for its strengths in supporting and graduating minority students. The Top 100 report is the only national report on the awarding of degrees to African American, Asian American, Hispanic and Native American students at U.S. universities and colleges. 

At SDSU, Rivera has played an important role in the university’s development of transformational educational opportunities and in its leveraging of diversity to maximize the success of all students. Under Rivera’s leadership, the Division of Student Affairs significantly expanded learning communities and student support centers, such as the Commuter Resource Center, the Pride Center, the Women’s Resource Center, the Black Resource Center and the Undocumented Resource Area.

Previously, Rivera was a member of the San Diego Community College Trustees' Advisory Board and the City of San Diego Otay Mesa Planning Group. He was appointed by the mayor and City Council to the San Diego Convention Center Corporation Board of Directors from 2002-06 and served on the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce Education Committee for 2003-04. He also currently sits on the San Diego Gas and Electric Advisory Board.

In additional to Rivera, the San Diego NAACP will also honor state Attorney General Xavier Becerra, the California Innocence Project, SDG&E Vice President Eugene “Mitch” Mitchell, Rebecca Paida of the Nile Sisters Development Initiative, the Omicron Iota Sigma Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma fraternity, the San Diego People of Color Quilt Guild and the Mu Sigma Zeta Chapter of Zeta Phi Beta sorority. 

The fundraising dinner will be held at the Kona Kai Resort and Spa. More information about the dinner and making reservations can be found online.