2023-24 Fellows of HACU’s Leadership Academy/La Academia de Liderazgo Announced

SAN ANTONIO, Sept. 11, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities is pleased to announce the 50 fellows who will be part of the fifth cohort of its Leadership Academy/La Academia de Liderazgo. The program is designed to increase diverse representation in executive and senior-level positions in higher education.

“Our leadership academy fellows have already proven the value of the Association’s efforts to increase diverse representation within the upper echelons of higher education by assuming top positions at colleges and universities across the nation,” said HACU President and CEO Antonio R. Flores. “Students benefit from having leaders from a wide range of backgrounds, and this fifth and largest cohort to date brings a range of professional and life experience that can meet the challenges of our multicultural institutions of higher education.”

Fellows participate in an array of leadership development activities preparing them for leadership roles in the full spectrum of institutions of higher learning, with an emphasis on Hispanic-Serving Institutions and Emerging HSIs.

The one-year fellowship program includes webinars and three seminars. The first seminar will be held in October 2023 in conjunction with HACU’s 37th Annual Conference in Chicago, Illinois. The second seminar will be held in Washington, D.C., in April 2024, at HACU’s National Capitol Forum. The third seminar will take place in Salamanca, Spain in the summer of 2024, at HACU’s International Conference.

The Leadership Academy faculty consists of current and former presidents, chancellors and senior administrators and brings over 100 years of combined experience in serving various sectors of higher education, including private/public universities, community colleges and faith-based institutions. Mentorship with a university president or senior-level administrator is a key component, as well as the development of a special project designed to have an impact at the Fellow’s current institution.

Special thanks to Capital One and American Federation of Teachers (AFT) for their support in providing fellowships to selected recipients.

The Fellows and their home institutions are:

• Bergen Community College, Yessika García-Guzmán, Ph.D.
• California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, Marbeya Makekau, Ed.D.
• California State University, Bakersfield, Claudia Catota, J.D.*
• California State University, Fresno, Larissa Mercado-López, Ph.D.
• California State University, Long Beach, Daniel Montoya
• Calumet College of St. Joseph, Alyssa Rodríguez
• Central New Mexico Community College, Felecía Caton García, Ph.D.
• Chemeketa Community College, Marshall Roache*
• Cochise College, Abraham Villarreal*
• College of Southern Idaho, Monze M. Stark-Magaña
• College of Southern Nevada, Esther Pla-Cázares
• Community College of Aurora, Reyna M. Anaya, Ph.D.
• Dallas College, Dina M. Sosa-Hegarty, Ed.D.
• Dallas College, Juan Carlos García
• Hudson County Community College, Yeurys Pujols, Ed.D.
• Indiana University Northwest, Amy Díaz**
• Kean University, Marvin Adames, J.D.
• Keiser University, Norma Pastor, M.D., D.H.S.
• Los Angeles Mission College, Laura Cantú, Ed.D.
• Malcolm X College, City Colleges of Chicago, Barbara Meschino
• Malcolm X College, City Colleges of Chicago, María I. Gutiérrez
• Miami Dade College, Magda J. Castineyra*
• MiraCosta College, Freddy N. Ramírez, Ed.D.
• Moreno Valley College, Sandra Martínez
• Mt. San Antonio College, Giovanni D. Rodríguez
• National University, Pablo I. Fabián, J.D.
• Northern Arizona University, Hilda Ladner
  
• Our Lady of the Lake University, George A. Williams, Jr., Ph.D.*
• Purdue University Northwest, Elizabeth Babcock Depew
• San Antonio College, Jacob-Aidan Isaiah Martínez, Ed.D.
• San Diego State University, Emilio C. Ulloa, Ph.D.
• South Texas College, Rodney H. Rodríguez, Ph.D.*
• Texas A&M University-Higher Education Center McAllen, Edelmiro F. Escamilla, Ph.D.*
• Texas A&M University-San Antonio, John D. Sánchez*
• Texas A&M University-San Antonio, Vanessa C. Torres*
• Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Sonya Castro-Quirino, D.Bioethics
• The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Alma D. Rodríguez, Ed.D.*
• University of California, Merced, Rudy M. Ortiz, Ph.D.
• University of California, San Diego, Alberto “Beto” Vásquez, Ed.D.
• University of California, Santa Cruz, Ebonée Williams, Ph.D.
• University of Central Florida, Cyndia Morales Muñiz, Ed.D.
• University of South Florida, Valeria García, Ph.D.
• University of South Florida, R. Anthony Rolle, Ph.D.
• University of Texas at Arlington, Minerva Cordero, Ph.D.
• University of Texas at San Antonio, Erica T. Sosa, Ph.D.
• University of Texas at San Antonio, Mary G. Hernández
• University of the Incarnate Word, Javier E. Lozano, Ph.D.
• University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Alberto Maldonado
• West Texas A&M University, Priscella Correa, Ph.D.
• Western Oregon University, Dominique Vargas

* Capital One Fellowship recipient
** American Federation of Teachers (AFT) Fellowship recipient
More information about the HACU Leadership Academy/La Academia de Liderazgo is available at www.hacu.net/leadershipacademy.

About HACU
The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, founded in 1986, represents more than 500 colleges and universities in the United States, Latin America, Spain and school districts throughout the U.S. HACU is the only national association representing existing and emerging Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs). The Association’s headquarters are in San Antonio, Texas, with regional offices in Washington, D.C and Sacramento, California.

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