'A steady force for good': Longtime Utah advocate, educator Debra Daniels dies at 70

SALT LAKE CITY — Longtime Utah women's rights and social justice advocate Debra "Deb" Daniels died last week at the age of 70, the University of Utah said in a release.

Her cause of death has not been announced.

A native of Ogden, Daniels also led the U.'s Women's Resource Center for nearly two decades, from 2003 to 2020.

"Throughout her long career at the University of Utah, Deb Daniels was a trusted mentor and source of wisdom for me and so many other students and professionals," Lori McDonald, vice president for student affairs at the U., said in a statement. "She was a steady force for good on our campus and will be truly missed."

Daniels' journey in higher education started in Logan at Utah State University, where she earned a Bachelor of Social Work in 1979. In 1984, she received a Master of Social Work from the U.

While at the U., Daniels went beyond her work as an instructor, co-facilitating diversity workshops and addressing issues of domestic violence with administrative leadership.

It wasn't just the U. that Daniels touched in her time — far from it.

In her career as a licensed clinical social worker, Daniels led the YWCA's (a nonprofit dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women and promoting peace) program for survivors of domestic violence in what is now the YWCA Family Justice Center, before working as the clinical director of the Rape Recovery Center in Salt Lake City.

In 2003, Daniels took the helm of the U.'s Women's Resource Center, becoming only the third director in the center's 53-year history, with a mandate to bring a "fresh vision to services which had become outdated," the U. said in a release.

With that mandate front of mind, the center soon took on a more "active, practical and engaged" role in the lives of students.

Beyond lives changed through Daniels' reimagining of the center, it also experienced quantifiable growth and success during her tenure.

Under her leadership, programming, fundraising and scholarships all increased.

When Daniels took the reins, the center had only $60,000 in its scholarship fund, just enough for 12 students. By the time she retired in June 2020, the center provided $250,000 a year in scholarships to over 100 students.

"Deb brought her own life experience to her work, personally connecting with students struggling with alienation, oppression, unpreparedness or displacement," Kirstin Maanum, the last director of the Women's Resource Center and current director of the Student Affairs Scholarship Support Hub, said in a statement. "She consistently handled sensitive, potentially volatile situations with a deft and even hand and the utmost care and compassion."

Daniels in 2010 was recognized for her decorated career, receiving the Linda K. Amos Award for Distinguished Service to Women of the University of Utah. In 2013, she received the Salt Lake Branch of the NAACP's Rosa Parks Award.

Daniels is survived by her two sons, her brother and many extended family members and friends.

Related topics