Dr. Nazario y Colón serves as the Senior Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and the Chief Diversity Officer at SUNY. Born in the South Bronx and raised in the highlands of Puerto Rico, he brings a unique and diverse perspective to his role. With over 30 years of experience across various sectors, including higher education, business, the U.S. Military, and state government, Dr. Nazario y Colón is an accomplished administrator. He notably pioneered the position of Chief Diversity Officer at Western Carolina University, a role he held for seven years.

Dr. Nazario y Colón’s scholarly work is primarily focused on the retention of African American faculty and staff, the role of Black culture centers, and the dynamics of multiracial identity development. His extensive board involvements demonstrate a deep commitment to these issues. He currently serves on the board of the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education, and is the past president of the Appalachian Studies Association and a participant in the Appalachian Regional Commission’s Leadership Institute. He is also a key member of the University Press of Kentucky Appalachian Futures: Black, Native, and Queer Voice advisory board.

His past board roles have included Chair of Governor Cooper’s Advisory Council on Hispanic Latino Affairs, member of the Fort Bragg Renaming Commission, and the Kentucky Native American Commission. He also represented Kentucky and North Carolina as the state representative for the NASPA Latinx Knowledge Community and served on the University of North Carolina System Racial Equity Task Force.

A published poet, Dr. Nazario y Colón has contributed to numerous journals and anthologies and is the author of two full collections and one chapbook: The Moor of the Bronx (Finishing Line Press, 2023), Of Jíbaros and Hillbillies (Plain View Press, 2011), and The Recital (Winged City Press, 2011). His doctoral research at Western Carolina University, where he earned a Doctorate in Higher Education Leadership, centered on African American faculty and staff retention. He also holds a Master’s degree in Secondary Education from Pace University and a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish Literature and Latin American Studies from the University of Kentucky.

Dr. Nazario y Colón is a former U.S. Marine, a Division I cross country athlete, a graduate of DeWitt Clinton High School, a life member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., and co-founder of the Affrilachian Poets.