Northwestern University Vice President For Student Affairs Dies

EVANSTON, IL — Northwestern University Vice President for Student Affairs Patricia Telles-Irvin died Monday following "long and valiant battle with cancer," according to President Morton Schapiro.

Telles-Irvin, 63, was a native of El Paso, Texas, a psychologist and a first-generation college graduate. She studied education at Duke University and earned a doctorate in counseling psychology from Boston University. She joined Northwestern in the summer of 2011 and stayed on the job until taking a leave of absence Saturday, according to a university spokesperson.

Her mother was born in 1916 and not allowed to go beyond eighth grade, Telles-Irvin said in a staff profile. Her father was unable to finish college himself, but he encouraged her family to pursue higher education and remember it meant "we had the responsibility of giving back to other or helping others achieve similar dreams," she said.

"I hope that I have served as a role model and mentor to others who aspire to complete their degrees, especially those who have been discouraged by others who tell them that it can’t be done," Telles-Irvin said.

In an email to members of the Northwestern community, Schapiro said Telles-Irvin was especially committed to improving the lives of student who came from underrepresented communities. She worked to make sure every Northwestern student felt at home — not easy in a world that has become "increasingly stratified and uncivil," the university president said.

"When I think of the finest of Northwestern values — humility, empathy, and humanity — I picture Patricia," Schapiro said. "She gave us her heart, and we will always be in her debt. She never wavered in finding the best in all of us."

From 2004 to 2011, Telles-Irvin worked as vice president for student affairs at the University of Florida, where she led the university's efforts to address binge drinking. Before that she held several different positions at Florida International University and was a practicing psychologist and assistant professor at the University of Texas in San Antonio.

According to the Association for University and College Counseling Center Directors, Telles-Irvin was the first Hispanic president of the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators, where she also previously served as board chair.

Telles-Irvin was preceded in the job of as vice president for student affairs by Bill Banis. After she went on a leave of absence two days before her death, Schapiro appointed Julie Payne-Kirchmeier, associate vice president and chief of staff for student affairs to be acting vice president.

Schapiro said planning for a public memorial service is underway. Telles-Irvin is survived by her husband and son.