Alfred Arteaga, a UC Berkeley professor of Chicano and ethnic studies, died July 4 in Santa Clara of a heart attack. He was 58.

Arteaga, who was well known for his poetry, critical theories and academic achievements, first joined UC Berkeley's English department in 1990 as an assistant professor and remained a prominent academic figure on campus until his death.

He was the first Hispanic to receive a higher degree from Columbia University.

Colleagues and students said Arteaga was an amiable professor and friend.

"I remember his very carefree, loving nature­­-very nice and gentle," said UC Berkeley graduate student Roberto Hernandez, who worked on various research projects with Arteaga. "He was the faculty member that was the most approachable."

In addition to being a professor of both English, Chicano and ethnic studies, Arteaga was a prolific poet who published many works. His latest work, "Frozen Accident," was published in 2006.

Arteaga won a number of literary awards, including the PEN Oakland-Josephine Miles Award for Literary Excellence for his collection of poetry and literary essays, "House with the Blue Bed."

Friends said that despite his success, Arteaga was a humble person.

"Alfred wasn't about self promotion, he was about the promotion of others," said Lorna Dee Cervantes, a fellow poet and lifelong friend.

Though he was hard-working, his dedication to his teaching and poetry did not interfere with his family life, she said.

"His daughters and his family were his whole world-he was a family kind of guy," Cervantes said.

Along with his passion for poetry and literature, Arteaga had many other interests, including race car driving.

"He took off five years to be a race car driver. He had a fast mind and a love for fast cars," Cervantes said.

According to Hernandez, Arteaga first came to UC Berkeley as an assistant English professor, but was denied tenure in 1998. After noticing that there were others tenured who had fewer qualifications, he filed a discrimination lawsuit against the university. He was later tenured at the ethnic studies department.

Arteaga had a history of heart problems. His first heart attack in 1999 followed the tenure battle against UC Berkeley and resulted in a six-week coma.

In 2005, he had another heart attack and underwent stem cell treatment in Thailand in 2006.

Students and colleagues said that despite Arteaga's early death, he left a lasting impact on both individuals as well as the ethnic studies program.

"He was personable and a mentor to many students," said Cesar Lopez, who worked with Arteaga while earning his doctorate. "He had a profound influence on everyone he taught."

Tags: ALFRED ARTEAGA