Mario Lucero, MA

Mario Lucero (he/him) serves as the Director of Engagement, Programming & Operations at UIC’s Office for Engagement. In this role, Mario leads educational programs and initiatives for students, faculty, and staff to help advance the mission to “educate, collaborate, and elevate”. Mario represents the office as a key communicator and accessibility liaison to support the university community. He also teaches DLG 120 with the Dialogue Initiative and is the Advisor for the SACNAS (Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science) graduate group at UIC. Some of his favorite memories (and passions) with previous roles at UIC were facilitating Arts-Based Civic Dialogues with the Latino Cultural Center and co-leading the Reimagining Masculinities [Dialogue] Initiative.

Prior to UIC, Mario led consultancy work with the Nova Collective in Chicago, diversity and inclusion efforts at Fermilab, and 10 years teaching at Triton College’s Adult Education Program.

If you know Mario, you know that he has a ridiculous houseplant collection, and that he loves adventures with friends revolving around biking, soccer, tennis, dancing, and camping. Most importantly, Mario grows the best nopales in Chicago, straight from his grandmother’s garden in the borderlands. For context, although Mario was born in El Paso, Texas, Mario grew up in the western suburbs in a low-income, divested barrio known as the “The Jungle” where he discovered his passion for art and community at an early age. This influenced his pursuit of a Master of Arts in Latin American and Latino Studies in 2013 at UIC, and he also holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Media Arts & Design, 2008.

Today, Mario is an active resident in North Berwyn, a board member of the Oak Park-River Forest Community Foundation, and a proud husband and father of four (five, if you count his street cat, Ohtli).