Concha Rivera, who has been involved in several major UC Riverside programs, has been named Woman of the Year by Assemblyman Jose Medina, D-Riverside, for his district.

Rivera is the wife of the late Tomàs Rivera, former UC Riverside chancellor, and helped established an endowed chair in his name. She founded the annual Tomàs Rivera Symposium dinner, which provides a forum on the contributions of Chicanos and Latinos in arts, business, medicine, and education.

“Over the course of her life, Concha has made a lasting impact on the Inland Empire,” Medina said. “She has championed arts and education, helping to raise the profile of Riverside and give back to the larger community.”

Medina presented the award at the state Capitol in Sacrament on March 4.

After her husband’s death in 1984, Rivera served as acting director of the California Museum of Photography and later as its director of development for 12 years. She has served on the boards of the Riverside Art Museum and Riverside Community Foundation, and is an emeritus member of the UCR Foundation Board of Trustees.