The Voice of Hispanic Higher Education - Fall 2021

OF HISPANIC HIGHER EDUCATION

VOLUME 30 | NUMBER 3 | FALL 2021

HACU announces fellows for third cohort of its Leadership Academy/ La Academia de Liderazgo

H I S P A N I C

A S S O C I A T I O N

O F

C O L L E G E S

&

U N I V E R S I T I E S

# G i ve2H ACU o n 11. 30. 2 1 November 30 is #GIVINGTUESDAY Your donation to HACU’s year-end giving campaign helps Champion Hispanic Higher Education Success. www.hacu.net/donate

HACU President and CEO Antonio Flores with 2019 HACU conference scholarship recipients

Follow us and tag @HACUNews #Give2HACU

TABLEOFCONTENTS MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT OF HISPANIC HIGHER EDUCATION VOLUME 30 | NUMBER 3 | FALL 2021 The Voice of Hispanic Higher Education is published quarterly by the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, 8415 Datapoint Drive, Suite 400, San Antonio, Texas 78229.

The Voice of Hispanic Higher Education reserves the right to edit all materials submitted for publication. We are not responsible for returning any unsolicited materials such as photos, brochures, etc. We also reserve the right to refuse publication of any unsolicited material.

Publisher Antonio R. Flores, Ph.D. HACU President and CEO Senior Vice President for Programs and Operations Lisa Alcorta, Ph.D. Editor Norma Jean Revilla-García njgarcia@hacu.net Assistant editor/writer Chris de Hoyos chris.dehoyos@hacu.net Lupe Flores news@hacu.net

HISPANIC ASSOCIATION OF COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES GOVERNING BOARD 2020-21 Monte E. Pérez, Chair Former President Los Angeles Mission College Sylmar, Calif.

Olga Hugelmeyer Superintendent of Schools Elizabeth Public Schools Elizabeth, N.J.

Sue Henderson, Vice-Chair President New Jersey City University Jersey City, N.J.

Joe Mella Finance Division Goldman Sachs New York, N.Y.

Margaret Venable, Treasurer President Dalton State College Dalton, Ga.

Juan Sánchez Muñoz Chancellor University of California, Merced Merced, Calif.

Mike Flores, Secretary Chancellor Alamo Colleges District San Antonio, Texas

David Méndez Pagán Rector Universidad Ana G. Méndez Recinto de Gurabo Gurabo, Puerto Rico

2

HACU NEWS 3 CAPITOL HILL NEWS

5

MEMBER NEWS

8

News and photos courtesy of HACU-Member Institutions

HACU ANNOUNCES FELLOWS FOR THIRD COHORT OF ITS LEADERSHIP ACADEMY/LA ACADEMIA DE LIDERAZGO

10

THE “CAMINOS: THESIS COMPETITION” PROGRAM AT TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY

13

NORCO COLLEGE USES TITLE 5 GRANT TO STEER STUDENTS TO SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION

14

“EL PROCESSO ES BONITO” WAUBONSEE COMMUNITY COLLEGE HELPS LATINX STUDENTS REALIZE “BEAUTY IN THE PROCESS” 15 SMALL GRANTS LEAD TO LASTING IMPACTS

16

Félix V. Matos Rodríguez, Past Chair Greg Peterson Chancellor President The City University of New York Chandler-Gilbert Community New York, N.Y. College Chandler, Ariz.

Michael D. Amiridis Chancellor University of Illinois at Chicago Chicago, Ill. Adela de la Torre President San Diego State University San Diego, Calif.

Howard Gillman Chancellor University of California, Irvine Irvine, Calif.

Emma Grace Hernández Flores President Universidad de Iberoamérica San José, Costa Rica

Garnett S. Stokes President The University of New Mexico Albuquerque, N.M. Andrew Sund President Heritage University Toppenish, Wash.

Federico Zaragoza President College of Southern Nevada Las Vegas, Nev. Ex-Officio: Antonio R. Flores President and CEO HACU

CONTACTING HACU HACU National Headquarters 8415 Datapoint Drive, Suite 400 San Antonio, TX 78229 Tel: (210) 692-3805 Fax: (210) 692-0823 Website: www.hacu.net Email: hacu@hacu.net

Subscription Rates:

The subscription rate for nonmembers of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) is $35 for one year and $50 for two years. For members, the rate is $28 for one year and $40 for two years. Information and subscription available at www.hacu.net.

ABOUT HACU

The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, founded in 1986, represents more than 500 colleges and universities in the United States, Puerto Rico, Latin America, Spain and school districts throughout the U.S. The mission of HACU is to champion Hispanic success in higher education.

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. Additional information is available at www.hacu.net.

HACU Washington D.C. Office One Dupont Circle, N.W., Suite 430 Washington, D.C. 20036 Tel: (202) 833-8361 Fax: (202) 261-5082 Email: dcgr@hacu.net

HACU National Internship Program One Dupont Circle, N.W., Suite 430 Washington, D.C. 20036 Tel: (202) 467-0893 Fax: (202) 496-9177 Email: hnip@hacu.net

HACU Western Regional Office 1107 9th Street, Suite 830 Sacramento, CA 95814 Tel: (916) 442-0392 Fax: (916) 446-4028 Email: wro@hacu.net

Log on to www.hacu.net for the latest up-to-date news and special events.

FALL 2021

1

MESSAGEFROMTHEPRESIDENT

T

hree years ago, HACU launched the Leadership Academy/La Academia de Liderazgo, and this issue of The Voice of Hispanic Higher Education highlights the third cohort of this ground-breaking program designed to increase diverse representation in executive and senior-level positions at colleges and universities.

These leaders, already reshaping higher education, will be equipped to nurture and mentor the rising numbers of Hispanic students across the nation. Join me in also extending our congratulations to the Fellows of the second cohort recently graduated from the Leadership Academy. We are immensely proud of HACU’s newest graduates and incoming Fellows who will be blazing new trails across America’s higher education landscape.

Recently, our Government Relations staff held a virtual Congressional Briefing with a panel of four leaders of our member institutions, who brought to the briefing detailed and expansive information on the challenges that their institutions face. The issues discussed have only been exacerbated by the pandemic, where some of the greatest needs in the area of infrastructure can only be addressed by increased funding. The briefing followed a recent report HACU released on those infrastructure challenges, “Federal Underfunding and Infrastructure Needs of HSIs in the Age of COVID-19.” See page 4 for more details on the briefing as well as report.

HACU staff has also been hard at work preparing our 35th Annual Conference virtual event, Oct. 25-27, 2021, celebrating HACU’s Anniversary under the theme “35 Years of Championing Hispanic Higher Education Success.” The Conference will include over 50 virtual workshops and features the Opening Plenary, where it will be my privilege to deliver the State of HACU address. Other events of note are the International Plenary focused on international education in the Age of COVID-19, and a Town Hall addressing immigration reform and the role of colleges and universities in shaping policy.

In our Member News section, we highlight the accomplishments of some of our members, including 25 fellows from HispanicServing Institutions selected for USDA’s 2021 Class of the E. Kika De La Garza Program. HACU also welcomes our new members, as well as presidents and chancellors recently appointed at HACU-member institutions across the nation.

This issue features four Title V success stories from Texas State University, Norco College, Waubonsee Community College and West Hills Community College District, highlighting how these funds increased student success at these member institutions.

Your stories allow us to demonstrate how Title V funding helps students realize their dreams of obtaining a degree and reinforce the need for continued and increased funding. Please keep sending your news and Title V success stories to news@hacu.net so we can highlight and promote your vital work in supporting our students.

We look forward to your participation at our upcoming Annual Conference as we celebrate 35 years of Championing Hispanic Higher Education Success and next year’s Capitol Forum to be held in the spring. We hope you remain safe and healthy while you enjoy this fall edition of The Voice of Hispanic Higher Education.

Cordially,

Antonio R. Flores

2

HISPANIC ASSOCIATION OF COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES

HACUNEWS HACU National Internship Program accepting applications for Spring 2022 session The HACU National Internship Program is accepting applications from college students for the spring 2022 session, providing paid internship opportunities in the federal government nationwide. The spring internship program dates are Jan. 10-April 23, 2021. The online application deadline is Oct. 29, 2021. HACU has worked with federal agencies to offer virtual internships due to COVID-19 and will continue to adapt the internship program as needed to offer these important career development experiences to students.

HACU launches HispanicServing Institutions IPEDS data dashboard, HSIs list by congressional districts to aid advocates

HACU and Denny’s Hungry for Education Scholarships for 2021-22 Five $2,000 scholarships are available to students in all majors who meet the following eligibility criteria: • Be a full or part-time undergraduate or graduate student attending a two-year or four-year HACU-member institution.

• Must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5.

• Must be a citizen or permanent resident of the United States.

• Applicant must submit a 500-word essay about how Denny’s can help bring communities together. If notified of selection, scholarship recipients are required to submit a head shot electronically to HACU for Denny’s press purposes.

HACU joins partnership to expand Hispanic presence in the entertainment world

HACU released additional data and tools on Hispanic-Serving Institutions, based on its 2019-20 IPEDs data analysis released in April. An interactive HSIs IPEDS data dashboard launched on HACU’s Advocacy Center provides a comprehensive overview of the 569 HSIs located across the nation. A downloadable HSIs Quick Facts is also available.

Data shows that HSIs are in 185 congressional districts in 28 states, D.C., and Puerto Rico. There are 362 Emerging HSIs, or eHSIs, in 197 congressional districts in 34 states. HSIs and eHSIs are found in all but 12 states. The data points presented in the dashboard and these two lists are helpful tools for congressional meetings and advocacy on the impact and value of HSIs. For more information, visit hacuadvoacates.net.

HACU is partnering with Endeavor Impact, The National Association of Latino Independent Producers, LA COLLAB and LTX Connect to launch virtual education and development programs to provide Latinx and Hispanic individuals and allies the opportunity to participate in educational courses about the music, entertainment, sports and fashion industries. The two-week program, NXT | LATINX, will be free for all and include an introduction to entertainment, courses on marketing and branding, sports, music, culture, film and TV, and the global entertainment landscape. The program will frame for participants what a successful career entails, and provides tools and knowledge for pursuing future employment.

The program launches on Nov. 8, 2021, and is part of a larger set of partnerships intended to build long-term, culturally competent pathways into the entertainment industry that incentivize cross collaboration and mutual systems of support. Registration and full schedule for NXT | LATINX are available at EndeavorImpact.com.

FALL 2021

3

HACUNEWS HACU and HSIs working on strengthening STEM graduate degree attainment for Hispanic students

HACU announces launch of the U.S. Senate Hispanic-Serving Institutions Caucus and its cochairs

HACU along with the University of California, Santa Barbara, The University of Arizona and the Hispanic-Serving Institution STEM community convened virtually for two planning workshop sessions on “Strengthening Latinx Pathways to Graduate Degrees in STEM.” Keynote addresses were given by Joseph I. Castro, Ph.D., chancellor, California State University and Douglas M. Haynes, Ph.D., vice chancellor for equity, diversity, and inclusion at the University of California, Irvine.

The STEM Industry Panel featured Stephane Lunan, tax technology partner at Deloitte Tax LLP; Lindsey Silva, Ph.D., senior manager, microbiology global QC technology at Genentech; Brittiney Jones, diversity & inclusion consultant, human resources at Oracle; Theresa Friend, senior technical production manager, Genentech; Mariella Juhasz, senior consultant, subject matter expert in engineering evaluations, Corteva Agriscience; Sepi Hejazi Moghadam, head of research and development K12/pre-university education, Google; Marisol Verdugo, program manager corporate security architecture, Oracle; and Luke Visconti, founder and chairman of DiversityInc. More than 135 participants collaborated in two separate meetings as part of this project designed to strengthen pathways for more Hispanic students to pursue graduate education in STEM at HSIs.

Senator Alex Padilla (CA)

Senator Bob Menendez (NJ)

HSI Caucus,”

On Sept. 16, HACU was pleased to announce the launch of the Senate Hispanic-Serving Institution Caucus. The co-chairs of the Senate HSI Caucus in the 117th Congress will be Senator Alex Padilla and Senator Bob Menendez. The purpose of the HSI Caucus is to promote the value of HSIs and the policies and funding support that are needed for these institutions to thrive.

“We are very pleased to be working with Senators Padilla and Menendez on the creation of the HSI Caucus in the 117th Congress,” said HACU President and CEO Antonio R. Flores. “We applaud Senator Alex Padilla and Senator Bob Menendez for their leadership as co-chairs for the

HACU identified 569 HSIs located across the nation in the 2019-20 school year. HSIs are in 185 congressional districts in 28 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. There are also 362 emerging HSIs in 197 congressional districts of 34 states. HSIs and emerging HSIs are found in all but 12 states.

Under the leadership of the co-chairs, other members of the Senate will be invited to join the Caucus, particularly those whose districts are home to HSIs or emerging HSIs.

HACU holds Congressional Briefing on HSI infrastructure support and funding “HSIs made up 17% of all institutions of higher education, demonstrating the vital role these institutions play in educating not just Hispanic students, but students of every demographic that make up the college-attending population,” said HACU President and CEO Antonio R. Flores. “Nationwide, they educate 5.24 million students and any inequities in funding to improve and support the basic functions of a college or university campus affects the quality of learning for all of our students attending these schools.”

HACU held the virtual Congressional Briefing “Underfunded & Underserved: Federal Underinvestment in HSI Infrastructure” on Oct. 7, 2021, featuring three presidents and one chancellor leading HACU-member institutions to discuss the major infrastructure challenges and obstacles that Hispanic-Serving Institutions are facing during the pandemic and beyond. The panel follows the release of a report by HACU titled, “Federal Underfunding and Infrastructure Needs of HSIs in the Age of COVID-19,” which calls for equitable federal support critical to better equip the growing number of HSIs to serve the burgeoning Hispanic population.

4

HISPANIC ASSOCIATION OF COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES

The briefing featured opening remarks from U.S. Senator Alex Padilla. The panel was moderated by HACU’s Senior Vice President of Policy and Government Relations Lena Rodriguez, Ph.D., and featured the following presenters: • California State Polytechnic University Pomona President Soraya Coley, Ph.D. • Alamo Colleges District Chancellor Mike Flores, Ph.D. • Glendale Community College President Teresa Leyba-Ruiz, Ed.D. • University of La Verne President Devorah Lieberman, Ph.D. The video of the briefing and the HACU HSis Infrastructure Report is available online.

HACUNEWS Co-chairs of the U.S. House Congressional Hispanic-Serving Institutions Caucus for the 117th Congress announced HACU was pleased to announce the co-chairs of the Congressional Hispanic-Serving Institution Caucus on June 24, 2021. The co-chairs will lead the HSI Caucus, a Congressional Member Organization, of the U.S. House of Representatives in the 117th Congress. The HSI Caucus was established in 2017 to promote the value of HSIs and policies that are important to these institutions and to the nation.

“We are very pleased to be working with Members of Congress on the reconstitution of the HSI Caucus for the 117th Congress,” said HACU President and CEO Antonio R. Flores. “HACU is grateful for the bipartisan support of the four members of Congress and for their willingness to co-chair the Congressional HSI Caucus,” added Flores.

HACU members are urged to contacts their representatives and ask them to join the HSI Caucus.

Capitol Hill News Fiscal Year 2022 Appropriations The House passed nine out of the 12 FY 2022 appropriations bills, which includes a total of $341.58 million for HSIs: • U.S. Department of Education, Title V, Part A, Developing HSIs Program: $236.73 million • U.S. Department of Education, Title V, Part B, Promoting Postbaccalaureate Opportunities for Hispanic Americans: $28.85 million • National Science Foundation – Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI Program): $56 million • U.S. Department of Agriculture – Education Grants for HSIs: $20 million

Representative Joaquin Castro (TX)

Representative Mario Diaz-Balart (FL)

The House bill also includes a $400 increase for the maximum Pell Grant.

It also allows DACA-eligible and TPS students to be eligible for Pell Grants.

The Senate Appropriations Committee have started their FY 2022 process by adopting three bills. The current Senate bill includes the following funding for HSIs: • U.S. Department of Agriculture – Education Grants for HSIs: $14 million

Resident Commissioner Jenniffer González-Colón (PR)

Representative Raúl M. Grijalva (AZ)

HACU hosted an Emerging Leaders Summit on Sept. 16 HACU and the College of Southern Nevada partnered to host an Emerging Leaders Summit virtually on Sept. 16, 2021. Students enrolled at HACU-member institutions, located in Arizona, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Washington were among the participants.

The one-day virtual Summit included career development workshops designed for students majoring in STEM, accounting, business, finance, communications and marketing programs. Workshop topics focused on career opportunities, tips for resume writing, interviewing, and securing internships. Students also met with corporate and federal employers in attendance.

Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill The Senate passed the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill (H.R. 3684) on August 10, 2021. Among the initiatives funded in this proposal are some education-related funding for broadband, lead pipe removal in schools and childcare centers, energy efficiency improvements in schools and clean energy school buses.

Reconciliation The House and the Senate also passed its $3.5 trillion budget resolution, setting the stage for the Democrats to craft and attempt to pass an economic package that will expand the social safety net. Also known as reconciliation, this plan includes Presidents Biden’s proposals from the American Jobs Plan and American Families Plan. The reconciliation package includes higher education provisions, such as tuition-free community college, tuition subsidy for qualifying student who attend an HSI or other MSIs, increasing the maximum Pell grant, and research infrastructure investment in HSIs and MSIs. It also includes providing a path to citizenship to qualified immigrants.

House and Senate Committees drafted their respective bills, previously with a Sept. 15 deadline. Both chambers are aiming to pass the reconciliation package by the end of October at the time of publication.

FALL 2021

5

MEMBERNEWS Welcome New Members As of 10/14/21

Hispanic-Serving Institutions Caldwell University (N.J.) Rockland Community College, SUNY (N.Y.) Southern California University of Health Sciences (Calif.)

Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso (Texas) Associate Member Institutions Coconino Community College (Ariz.)

Lackawanna College (Pa.) Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology (Ind.) Shasta College (Calif.)

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville (Tenn.)

Hispanic-Serving School District Whitehall City Schools (Ohio) International Member Institution Universidad del Istmo (Guatemala) Faculty/Staff Affiliates Arturo R. Zavala, Ph.D., California State University, Long Beach (Calif.)

Student Affiliate Tiffany Garcia, St. Mary’s University (Texas)

HACU fellow, Mario Herane appointed first Pro-Rector of Universidad Mayor Mario Herane of the inaugural class of HACU’s Leadership Academy/La Academia de Liderazgo has been appointed as the first Pro-Rector at Universidad Mayor in Chile. He previously served as vice president for management and development at the Universidad Mayor. He holds a bachelor’s and two master's degrees and recently earned a doctorate from the University of Liverpool, UK.

ADVERTISE IN THE VOICE MAGAZINE Ad space available in the Winter Issue.

For rates, visit www.hacu.net/TheVoice or send an email to news@hacu.net Subject: The Voice magazine Ad

6

HISPANIC ASSOCIATION OF COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES

National USDA Selects 2021 Class of E. Kika De La Garza Fellows HACU applauds the selection of 25 fellows from Hispanic-Serving Institutions for the 2021 Class of the E. Kika De La Garza Program.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Kika De La Garza Fellowship Program serves as an important platform for collaboration between USDA and Hispanic-Serving Institutions. Most of the fellows are from HACU-member institutions (noted in bold).

The 2021 E. Kika De La Garza Education Fellows are: • May Patiño - Humboldt State University, Arcata, Calif.

• Nickolas Trujillo - West Hills College, Coalinga, Calif.

• Annette E. Levi - California State University, Fresno, Calif.

• Maral Kismetian - California State University, Fresno, Calif.

• Mariaelena Marcano - California State University East Bay, Hayward, Calif.

• Sarah Naumes - University of California, Merced, Calif.

• Derek Madden - Modesto Junior College, Modesto, Calif.

• Krista Vannest - Modesto Junior College, Modesto, Calif.

• Rosa Lamas Serratos - California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, Calif.

• Reagen Dozier - Porterville College, Porterville, Calif.

• Mario A. Flores - Mission College, Santa Clara, Calif.

• Oluwarotimi Odeh - California State University, Stanislaus, Turlock, Calif.

• Carrie Peterson - Woodland Community College, Woodland, Calif.

• Zena L. Buser - Adams State University, Alamosa, Colo.

• Cyndia Morales Muñiz - University of Central Florida, Orlando, Fla. • Aziza Darwish - City Colleges of Chicago, Olive-Harvey College, Chicago, Ill. • Roberto Vela Cordova - Texas A&M University-Kingsville, Texas • Anna Villarreal - Alamo Colleges District, San Antonio, Texas • Merritt Drewery - Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas • Xijun Shi - Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas The 2021 E. Kika De La Garza High School Education Fellow is: • Noelle Coronado - Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences, Chicago, Ill. • Jaime Jay Alejandro - Edcouch-Elsa High School, Edcouch, Texas • Habraham Lopez - Pharr-San Juan-Alamo ISD, Pharr, Texas The 2021 E. Kika De La Garza Science Fellows are: • Ammar B. Bhandari - Texas A&M University-Kingsville, Texas • Susan Agolini - Marymount University, Arlington, Va.

MEMBERNEWS Arizona AZ HEROES Research Study awarded $15M to continue, expand evaluation of COVID-19 immunity, vaccine effectiveness A University of Arizona Health Sciences study of COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness and immunity among frontline workers received a $15 million award from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to continue and expand the current research for another year. The Arizona Healthcare, Emergency Response, and Other Essential Workers Surveillance study is expanding participation to include children ages 4 months to 17 years and increasing its focus on underserved populations. The study initially sought to evaluate incidence of COVID-19 infection, reinfection and immunity among health care personnel, first responders and other essential workers.

California HACU fellow Dania Matos will be new head of equity, inclusion at UC Berkley Dania Matos, J.D., will serve as UC Berkeley’s new vice chancellor for equity and inclusion beginning Aug. 16. She has served as the University of California, Merced’s first associate chancellor and chief diversity officer. Over the last decade, Matos has led equity and inclusion work spanning the private, nonprofit and government sectors.

She is a fellow of the 2020-2021 second cohort of HACU’s Leadership Academy/La Academia de Liderazgo, a one-year program designed to prepare the next generation of culturally diverse leaders for executive and senior level positions in higher education.

Cal Lutheran receives $1.4M federal grant The U.S. Department of Education has awarded California Lutheran University a five-year, $1.39 million grant to help lower the high school dropout rate in South Oxnard and increase the number of students who enter and graduate from college. The Cal Lutheran TRIO Talent Search Program funded by the grant started in 2016 and each year serves 500 middle and high school students whose parents are not college graduates. Students receive individualized academic, financial, career and personal counseling, and they and their parents attend workshops throughout the year. Talent Search staff members assist students as they transition from junior high to high school and from high school to college.

HFPA Gives CSUN $80,000 to support film and journalism students The Hollywood Foreign Press Association has awarded California State University, Northridge a total of $80,000 to support the university’s film and journalism students.

Of the gift, $60,000 is continued support for the university’s film students. The additional $20,000 will be used to create scholarships to support underrepresented students in CSUN’s department of journalism. The association’s gifts over the years have supported student film projects and helped keep CSUN’s film program current with the latest technology.

Carlos O. Turner Cortez named Chancellor of San Diego Community Colleges District Carlos O. Turner Cortez, Ph.D., was named chancellor of the San Diego Community College District. Prior to this position, he served as acting vice president of instruction and dean of Academic Pathways, Workforce Development and Student Success at Berkeley City College; director of education extension at University of California Los Angeles, and as a teacher and administrator in public schools in New York and Los Angeles. Cortez has a bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University, a master’s degree from New York University, and a doctorate from the University of Southern California.

Colorado Mordecai Brownlee named the Community College of Aurora’s next president Colorado Community College System Chancellor Joe Garcia selected Mordecai Brownlee, Ed.D., to serve as the Community College of Aurora’s next president. Brownlee is currently the vice president for student success at St. Philip’s College in San Antonio, Texas. He succeeds Betsy Oudenhoven, who retired at the end of the school year after 42 years in higher education. His tenure as president began on July 15.

FALL 2021

7

MEMBERNEWS Florida FIU receives $1.2 million from EPA to study children’s chemical exposure from soil

Pennsylvania Holy Family University names Anne M. Prisco as next president

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $1.26 million to Florida International University chemist Natalia Soares Quinete as part of a $9 million initiative to research children’s chemical exposures from soil and dust. Seven universities are included in the nationwide research to better estimate exposure to toxic chemicals, including mercury, polychlorinated biphenyls and asbestos. The grant is part of the EPA’s Science to Achieve Results Program to help improve children’s health. EPA’s STAR Program aims to stimulate and support scientific and engineering research that advances EPA’s mission to protect human health and the environment.

Holy Family University in Northeast Philadelphia named its first lay president in its 67-year history. Anne M. Prisco, Ph.D., was named the sixth president of the University.

Prior to this position, she served as a vice president at Loyola Marymount University.

She has also served as a faculty member at St. John’s University, and a policy researcher at New York University. She has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Arizona, an M.B.A. from Fordham University, and a doctorate in economics and education from Columbia University.

New York Larry D. Johnson, Jr. appointed President of Stella and Charles Guttman Community College

Texas National Science Foundation awards $650,000 S-STEM grant to OLLU

On Feb. 1, 2021, the City University of New York Board of Trustees announced the appointment of Larry D. Johnson, Jr., Ph.D., as the next president of Stella and Charles Guttman Community College. He began his tenure as president on July 1, 2021. He previously served as the president of Phoenix College. Johnson earned his bachelor’s degree from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, a master’s degree from Florida State University and a doctorate in from Clark Atlanta University.

The National Science Foundation has awarded $650,000 in scholarships in science, technology, engineering and mathematics to Our Lady of the Lake University, which will directly benefit students throughout the next five years.

The project, titled Growing A Network for Aspiring Scholars or GANAS, will support two cohorts of 10 STEM undergraduates majoring in biology, chemistry, chemical biology, math, biomathematics and/or computer information systems and security.

Students will receive $5,000 each year for four years.

New York Mercy College awarded $1.9 million federal grant for behavioral health education Mercy College has received a $1.9 million grant from the federal government’s Health Resources and Services Administration under its Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training program. The grant will fund Mercy College’s Interdisciplinary Health Education Learning Program, which will train graduate students to work with at-risk youth. The grant will be administered over four years to enable IHELP to expand graduate internships that serve children, adolescents and transitional-aged youth who have or are at risk for behavioral health disorders.

8

HISPANIC ASSOCIATION OF COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES

Request for student success articles

The focus of these articles should be on how grant funding has made a difference in programs offered for students on your campus.

Approximately 500-word count. Please include byline.

Example articles of HSI grants are those received from: • U.S. Department of Agriculture funding • U.S. Department of Education, Title III-Part F • U.S. Department of Education, Title V • National Science Foundation For articles, please include college/university logo and 2-3 high resolution photos (300 dpi). Articles selected for publication will be published in AP style. For samples of previous grant success stories, visit http://bit.ly/2020TitleVSuccess.

The submission deadline for the Winter 2021 Issue is Nov.1, 2021.

MEMBERNEWS Texas Ricardo Solis named next president of South Texas College

Texas Kathy Banks becomes 26th president of Texas A&M University

The South Texas College Board of Trustees named Ricardo Solis, Ph.D., as the president of South Texas College. Prior to this he served as president of Laredo College, and as executive dean for academic, professional and technical education at Gateway Community College, Maricopa Community Colleges. He earned a doctorate from The University of Texas, a master’s degree from Middlebury Institute of International Studies and a bachelor’s degree from Trinity University.

The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents confirmed M. Katherine Banks, Ph.D., as the 26th President of Texas A&M University. She assumed her duties as president on June 1. Prior to this position, she served as vice chancellor of engineering and national laboratories and dean of the Texas A&M College of Engineering. She earned a doctorate from Duke University, a master’s degree from the University of North Carolina, and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida.

The University of Texas at Austin receive grants from CPRIT

Virginia Marymount University partners with Netflix and 2U to launch virtual tech boot camps

The Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas recently awarded grants to six faculty members at The University of Texas at Austin. The funding will support ongoing, innovative cancer research at UT and enable advances in immunotherapy, drug development and cancer prevention efforts.

The grants are among 73 new statewide awards totaling more than $142 million that CPRIT recently announced. The UT recipients are faculty members from the Cockrell School of Engineering, College of Natural Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Dell Medical School.

UTSA awarded over 5 million to increase college access in the region TRiO Educational Talent Search projects within the College of Education and Human Development at the University of Texas at San Antonio secured over $5 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Education to improve college attainment in targeted middle and high school students over the next five years.

The university’s efforts will be focused on target schools in Crystal City, Uvalde, Eagle Pass, Brackettville, and San Antonio that were selected based on the need for additional support for potential firstgeneration college students and those from lower-income households.

Netflix and 2U, Inc., partner to offer fully online tech boot camps in data science, java engineering and UX/UI to Marymount University undergraduates at no cost to accepted students. The two tech leaders began their partnership last year through virtual boot camps with Norfolk State University and are now welcoming Hispanic-Serving Institutions and Historically Black Colleges and Universities as partners. Built by Netflix engineers, data scientists and UX/UI designers, as well as 2U’s online learning development experts, the boot camp curriculum is designed to further develop students’ industry-relevant technology skills and teach them how to apply what they’ve learned in their coursework to real world business solutions.

Send us Your News and Pictures

HACU-member institutions can send news, photos and their logo for publishing consideration in an upcoming magazine edition. Send to news@hacu.net.

FALL 2021

9

HACU Announces fellows for third cohort of its Leadership Academy/La Academia de Liderazgo HACU has selected 25 fellows to be part of the third 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.

Fellows will participate in an array of development activities focused on preparing them for leadership roles in a full spectrum of higher learning institutions with an emphasis on Hispanic-Serving Institutions and Emerging HSIs. The one-year fellowship program will include three seminars with the first taking place in October 2021, in conjunction with HACU’s Annual Conference, “35 Years of Championing Hispanic Higher Education Success.” The second seminar will lead into HACU’s Annual Capitol Forum on Hispanic Higher Education in April 2022. The third seminar will be held in late spring or early summer of 2022, with a focus on international collaboration.

More than a dozen nationally recognized current and emeriti presidents and senior-level administrators serve on the faculty.

Mentorship with a university president 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 The American Federation of Teachers for awarding Crystal López a scholarship to participate in the Leadership Academy.

The Fellows and their home institutions are:

Alamo Colleges District Ruth Dalrymple is the associate vice chancellor for academic partnerships & initiatives. She is responsible for developing effective P-16 initiatives, coordinating transfer/articulation services and programs, and facilitating initiatives to address Alamo Colleges’ academic goals, objectives and priorities. She previously served as the academic vice president at St. Philip’s College, where she provided oversight for all curricular and instructional matters.

Currently, she is a doctoral student at Texas State University, focusing on developmental education, and holds a master’s degree from Texas A&M University-Kingsville and a bachelor’s degree from The University of Texas at Austin.

Caldwell University Crystal López is the assistant dean of residence life and conduct at Caldwell University and serves on the senior leadership team for student affairs.

Before coming to Caldwell University in 2014, Crystal held positions at both Saint Peter’s University and Georgian Court University. She served as regional president of MACUHO and is currently on the foundation board of ACUHO-I. She received the David G. Butler Distinguished Service Award in 2019. Crystal holds two master’s degrees from Rutgers University in criminal justice.

California State University, Bakersfield James L. Rodríguez, Ph.D., is dean of the School of Social Sciences and Education and professor of child, adolescent, and family studies at California State University, Bakersfield. Prior to this role he was a professor at California State University, Fullerton where he has also held several administrative and leadership positions. Rodríguez also previously held a tenured faculty appointment in the College of Education at San Diego State University. He earned his doctorate in child and adolescent development from Stanford University and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Pomona College.

10

HISPANIC ASSOCIATION OF COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES

Cañada College

Manuel Alejandro Pérez, Ed.D., is the vice president of student services at Cañada College and part-time faculty at the University of San Francisco. He is a first-generation scholar practitioner with over 15 years of higher education leadership experience. He earned a doctorate in international & multicultural education from the University of San Francisco, a master’s degree from San Diego State University, and a bachelor’s degree from Santa Clara University.

Central New Mexico Community College Philip Lister, Ph.D., is the dean of the School of Math, Science and Engineering at Central New Mexico Community College. Prior to this role he was a professor of medical microbiology and immunology at Creighton University School of Medicine and associate director of the Center for Research in Anti-Infectives and Biotechnology. Currently he leads Central New Mexico Community College through the STEMESS Institute (Developing a Hispanic-Serving Identity in STEM through Evidence-Based Student-Serving Strategies). He earned a doctorate in medical microbiology and immunology from Creighton University.

Central New Mexico Community College Melanie D. Viramontes is the interim dean for the School of Communication, Humanities and Social Sciences at Central New Mexico Community College. She earned two degrees from New Mexico State University, a bachelor’s degree in history, and a master’s degree in fiction.

HACU Announces. fellows for third cohort of its Leadership Academy/La Academia de Liderazgo Cypress College

Yanet G. Padilla is the director of educational partnerships and programs-STEM at Cypress College. In 2012, she launched the (STEM)² Program in partnership with California State University, Fullerton. During her tenure, she has served as principal investigator for two consecutive NSF grants and was recently responsible for attaining a partnership with NASA’s Community College Aerospace Scholar Program to increase diversity and inclusion in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Cypress College

AnnMarie Ruelas is the director of EOPS/ CARE/CalWORKS/Guardian Scholars at Cypress College. She attended the University of California, Los Angeles, where she majored in women’s studies and minored in education. She has worked as a librarian at an elementary school, then transitioned to a classified professional at Mt. San Antonio College in extended opportunity programs and services. She earned a master’s degree in higher education at California State University, Fullerton.

Cypress College

Gisela Verduzco is the director of student equity and success at Cypress College. Gisela has worked in higher education for over 15 years. She is in the process finishing her doctorate degree in educational leadership counseling from California State University, Long Beach, where she earned a master’s degree. She earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Irvine and an associate degree from Santa Ana College.

Dallas College Mountain View Campus Esteban Sosa is the dean of E-learning program development at Dallas College. He has 19 years of experience in higher education across multiple roles, has supported instructional divisions, managed technology integration, led content creation teams, developed pilot programs, and launched national training initiatives. He is the recipient of multiple awards, including Innovation of the Year, Excellence Award, and Outstanding Commitment to Excellence and Innovation.

Dallas College Cedar Valley Campus Maya Thomas Fernández, Ed.D., is the director of the employer resource center at Dallas College. She taught as an adjunct at Brookhaven Campus, and then as instructional specialisthealth information technology at Cedar Valley Campus. Prior to this she held positions as center operations director at Concentra and practice manager at Tufts Children’s Hospital in Boston, Mass.

Fernández is an Aspen Institute Economic Opportunity Fellow.

She holds a doctorate of education in educational administration, a master’s degree in health care management, and a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice.

Kean University

Carlos L. Nazario is the associate vice president of enrollment at Kean University. He is responsible for the leadership, direction, and planning of multiple activities related to student enrollment including recruitment, marketing, and conversion. Throughout his career he has been actively involved in recruiting a diverse student body and assisting under-represented communities with the enrollment processes. He is pursuing a doctorate in higher education from Saint Peter’s University and has earned a master’s degree in educational supervision and a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Saint Peter’s University.

Kean University

Carlos E. Rodriguez is the associate vice president for student success and retention at Kean University. He is responsible for developing, implementing, and evaluating retention strategies with an emphasis on graduation and closing the achievement gap for first-generation, low-income, and traditionally underserved populations. He is currently a doctoral student in the higher education administration program at The University of Southern Mississippi. He received a master’s degree in counseling services and a bachelor’s degree in communications from Rider University.

Loras College

Sergio Pérez is the college diversity officer at Loras College. Previously he worked at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls and California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo in university housing. He currently is working towards a doctorate in educational leadership from Edgewood College. He holds a master’s degree in education in student affairs administration and higher education from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and a bachelor’s degree in political science and international studies from Loras College.

Mesa Community College Nora Amavisca Reyes, Ed.D., is the senior associate vice president and college academic officer for Mesa Community College. Prior to this role, she spent two decades as a teacher and teacher educator and transitioned into college administration, serving as acting dean of innovative learning and academic support, vice provost. She holds a doctorate of education degree in curriculum and instruction with a specialization in bilingual education, a master's of education degree in multicultural/bilingual education, and a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Arizona State University.

FALL 2021

11

HACU Announces fellows for third cohort of its Leadership Academy/La Academia de Liderazgo New Jersey City University Andrés Acebo, J.D., is the interim chief of staff and board secretary as well as an assistant university counsel at New Jersey City University.

He is a higher education, nonprofit, and civil leader, an accomplished labor and employment attorney, and a counselor and strategic partner to governmental entities and education institutions on all matters of public governance, regulatory compliance, and labor and employment practices. Acebo serves on the board of the Cuban American Alliance for Leadership and Education, the North Hudson Community Action Foundation, and as a deputy regional president of the Hispanic National Bar Association and chair of the HNBA’s Special Committee on Cuba.

Palo Alto College Erron González is the academic program director for Palo Alto College’s STEM Center and grant project director for PAC’s Department of Education Title III: STEM grant. She also many manages and writes many other grants from the National Science Foundation, Texas Workforce Commission and local foundations.

She is currently working on her doctorate in leadership studies and a master’s degree in business management. Erron earned a master’s degree in kinesiology from Texas A&M University-San Antonio and a bachelor’s degree in exercise science from the University of Northern Colorado.

Texas A&M University Luz E. Herrera, J.D., is a professor of law and associate dean for experiential education at the Texas A&M University School of Law. Prior to her current position, Herrera was the assistant dean for clinical education, experiential learning and public service at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law. She has taught at the University of California, Irvine School of Law, Thomas Jefferson School of Law, Chapman University School of Law and at Harvard Law School. Dean Herrera graduated from Stanford University and Harvard Law School.

Texas A&M University System John E. Hurtado, Ph.D., is interim vice chancellor and dean of the College of Engineering at Texas A&M University and interim agency director of the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station.

Hurtado is a professor of aerospace engineering and previously served as deputy director and chief technology officer for the Bush Combat Development Complex.

His research areas include theoretical dynamics and game theory in uncertain situations. Hurtado formerly held engineering positions in experimental dynamics and robotics at Sandia National Laboratories.

The City College of New York Vanessa K. Valdés, Ph.D., is the interim dean of the Macaulay Honors College at The City University of New York. A graduate of Yale and Vanderbilt Universities, and a professor of Spanish and Portuguese, she previously served as the director of the Black Studies Program at CUNY. Her research interests focus on the cultural production of Black peoples throughout the Americas. She is the author of Oshun’s Daughters: The Search for Womanhood in the Americas (2014) and Diasporic Blackness: The Life and Times of Arturo Alfonso Schomburg (2017).

12

HISPANIC ASSOCIATION OF COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Nikolasa Tejero, DMA, is the Frances Hall Hill professor of music and associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. She works on curriculum, assessment, and matters of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Prior to joining the College of Arts and Sciences Dean’s Office, she was assistant head for assessment and accreditation in UTC’s department of performing arts. Her research interests include Latin American music traditions and the influence of musical folklore elements in Latin American concert music.

The University of Texas at San Antonio Juan Manuel Sánchez, Ph.D., is the associate dean of graduate studies and research at the Alvarez College of Business at The University of Texas at San Antonio. His experience includes working for global firms such as Deloitte and SBC Communications (now AT&T). He teaches financial statement analysis, data analytics and research methods at the graduate level. His research focuses on the intersection between financial reporting issues, corporate governance and executive compensation.

University of California, Davis Luis Carvajal-Carmona, Ph.D., is a professor of biochemistry and molecular medicine and serves as the Auburn Community Cancer Endowed chair in basic science at the University of California, Davis. He is the associate director for basic science at the UCD Cancer Center.

Carvajal-Carmona specializes in cancer genetics, epidemiology, cancer health disparities and global health. He has a doctorate from University College London and conducted postdoctoral training at the London Research Institute and the University of Oxford.

University of Pittsburgh Ariel Carlos Armony, Ph.D., leads the University of Pittsburgh’s global engagement as the vice provost for global affairs and director of the University Center for International Studies.

In his role, he works to advance global education, research, partnerships, and community engagement. He also leads university-wide efforts to enhance diversity in faculty hiring and retention through a Latinx cluster hire and other initiatives. Armony has been a Fulbright scholar, Rockefeller Foundation scholar, and residential fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.

Utah Valley University Yudi Lewis is the program director for Utah Valley University’s Latino Initiative. She has 28 years of experience in higher education. Her work was recognized by the White House as a Bright Spot for Hispanic Excellence in 2015.

She is a doctoral candidate at the University of Utah in educational leadership and policy.

THE “CAMINOS: THESIS COMPETITION” PROGRAM AT TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY

By Jaime Chahin, Ph.D., and Olga Gerhart, Ph.D.

The National Institute of Food and Agriculture supports cuttingedge discoveries from research laboratories to farms, classrooms, and communities. The “Caminos: Thesis Competition” program helped prepare young Hispanic scholars to pursue a career in the food and agricultural sciences.

PROGRAM AND COMPONENTS “Caminos,” which ran from 2016 – 2020, was a successful student development program directed by Jamie Chahin, Ph.D., at Texas State University. The goal of Caminos was to recruit, engage and motivate young, Hispanic graduate Fellows to pursue a career in the food and agricultural sciences. The program’s goal was achieved by the following objectives: Implemented a Career Preparation Institute designed to facilitate Fellows’ entries into doctoral programs and/or the labor force.

The project developed a partnership and sponsor for the Career Preparation Institute at the National AAHHE Conference in March 2017. Fellows networked with nationally recognized faculty researchers and USDA agency representatives. Fellows also visited a USDA agricultural research lab at Riverside, California.

Created a master’s thesis award program in agriculture, natural science and technology. The award program was developed in partnership with non-profit American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education. Twenty Fellows were selected and sponsored to an AAHHE National Conference, where they were invited to a thesis competition. Three winners presented their research.

Promoted research by developing mini-grant research projects that engage Fellows with USDA agencies and mentors. Fellows identified research topics and presented their research at professional meetings. Three Fellows presented at a National AAHHE Conference.

Recruited Fellows for USDA internships. All Fellows applied for USDA internships or participated in USDA programs.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND IMPACT The program served 61 Fellows from schools in nine states, including California, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, New Mexico, North Dakota, Texas, Wisconsin, Wyoming and Puerto Rico.

Their successes are as follows: • 3 published manuscripts • 39 oral and conference presentations • 13 poster presentations at conferences • 19 enrolled in Ph.D. programs • 5 completed internships with USDA • 2 employed by federal departments, including USDA and DOD • 2 completing USDA Fellowships • 5 students collaborated with the USDA on research projects

FALL 2021

13

NORCO COLLEGE USES TITLE V GRANT TO STEER STUDENTS TO SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION

By Norco College

L

ack of direction is an obstacle that can derail a person’s life journey, let alone an educational journey. At Norco College, the institution used a federal Hispanic-Serving Institution Title V grant to increase support services for counseling and advising.

Since being awarded $2.7 million in October 2019, Norco College has seen an increase in average units successfully completed in year one, increasing from 11.87 units in 2017-18 to 13.40 units in 2019-20. There has been an increase in Hispanic student success when it comes to completion of transfer level math and English in year one for Hispanic students — math increased from 9.3 percent in 2016-17 to 23.8 percent in 2019-20, and English completion increased from 19.9 percent in 2016-17 to 29.51 percent in 2019-20.

“The Title V Project PACES grant funds have been instrumental in advancing our efforts to address equity, access and success at Norco College utilizing the Guided Pathways framework” Tenisha James, dean of Student Services, said. “The grant has enabled us to redesign our onboarding process to ensure first-time college students are provided personalized support to get on the path through an engaging orientation process, a Holistic Student Support survey, and career-focused developmental advising.”

Funds from the grant have also been used to launch a peer advising initiative and provide equity-focused professional development.

Students are also connected to special programs, affinity groups and learning communities, as well as Peer Ambassadors through the College’s newly launched peer advising model.

“Our efforts to strengthen support for Latinx and low-income students have included on-going, equity-based, professional development for counseling faculty, student success coaches, and educational advisors, as well as the College’s forthcoming Financial Literacy Peer Coaching model, which will launch in the 2021-22 academic year,” James said. “The grant has allowed us to take huge steps forward in transforming our college to meet the needs of all students.”

14

HISPANIC ASSOCIATION OF COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES

“El Processo Es Bonito” Waubonsee Community College Helps Latinx Students Realize “Beauty in the Process”

BY WAUBONSEE COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Waubonsee Community College is one of three colleges in Illinois and the only community college in the state to recently receive a Title V grant to strengthen and expand educational opportunities for Hispanic and low-income students.

As a Hispanic-Serving Institution and under the Strategic Plan pillar of Student Equity and Success, the college is taking a deeper dive to reengineer what student success means for its more than 30% of Latinx students by having candid conversations around access, retention, graduation completion, and even the importance of increasing Latinx staff As further proof of its commitment to empowering representation at the college.

Latinx students through the process, the college launched a new Financial Literacy Program to provide Specifically, the college hired its first-ever Latinx support measures for low-income Latinx students Resource Manager, Franklin Ortega-Palaguachi, and enrolled at Waubonsee who are at risk of dropping his staff to build a new center that provides constant out. access to educational resources that acknowledge and affirm the importance of intersectional and “It is more than just keeping the status quos as a holistic student development.

Hispanic-Serving Institution. We need to love the process of exploring what our students and community The Waubonsee Community College Latinx Resource members need, respond compassionately, and hold Center, located at the Aurora Downtown Campus, that vision up for all to see,” said Ortega-Palaguachi. provides resources, support services, community engagement and educational experiences to support Waubonsee Community College is a resource for student’s academic and social success, and provide people who want to change their lives through the a venue for all students to learn about Latinx culture, power of education. Most individuals who go to heritage and traditions. Support and resources will college make more money, have better jobs, and help students address common barriers to success have the opportunity to create generational wealth and completion, including paying for college, for their families. Waubonsee helps Latinx students balancing family and school, and immigration. embrace the beauty of the process by allowing The LRC will also partner with the college’s Adult them to earn that additional income and have those Education Department to provide resources and good jobs and careers for their families. Visit www. support to serve predominately Spanish-speaking waubonsee.edu for more information about all of the students enrolled in the High School Equivalency or educational opportunities at Waubonsee.

English Language Acquisition programs.

FALL 2021

15

SMALL GRANTS LEAD TO LASTING IMPACTS

By Brian Boomer

The day West Hills Community College District colleges began remote operations in response to the Coronavirus pandemic, biology faculty analyzed STEM student engagement data from participation in a $5,000 grant project. Unlike expansive federal and state grants, this project was small, short and narrowly focused. Small foundation grants offer opportunities to test ideas, and their operational flexibility translates to adaptive supports in uncertain times. Like their larger counterparts, the success of small foundation grants relies on robust management practices, institutional support and industry partnerships.

With guidance from state and federal wildlife services, this Western Native Trout Initiative-funded project took students on a 1,136-mile roundtrip from California’s San Joaquin Valley to a Smith River tributary near the Oregon border. The project sought to answer a preliminary question: can a three-day immersive undergraduate research field experience improve student interest in STEM? Scientific instrumentation in tow, students clad in rubber waders tested the water quality of Mill Creek and put into practice the scientific method.

Along the journey, faculty assessed students’ interest in STEM, experience with travel and undergraduate research, and knowledge of ecological systems.

Prior to the research experience, 46% of students expressed an interest in STEM-related fields of study. Following the experiential learning expedition, 69% of students expressed interest in STEM-related fields. The difference suggests that through the experience of faculty-guided undergraduate research, students develop a greater interest in STEM fields. It suggests that raising awareness of STEM-related fields is achievable through a three-day intervention.

Students were asked to self-identify their research experiences with undergraduate education. Prior to the research experience, 61% of respondents indicated they had no previous experience with undergraduate research. After the trip, all responding students indicated they had some level of experience with undergraduate research, 50% of whom rated their experience above “minimal.”

Prior to the research experience, only 8% of students could explain the health of Mill Creek. Following the expedition, 62% of students reported confidence explaining the health of Mill Creek and its effect on the native fish population. This suggests that through performing identified measures and assessments on-site, students were able to synthesize data to actual outcomes relevant to the health and sustainability of the watershed. While not comprehensive, the data provided by this small grant project warrants additional funding and study.

16

HISPANIC ASSOCIATION OF COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES

At the end of the trip, students reflected on the amount of time and effort required to begin to understand something larger than themselves. The idea that tangible change can come from small calculated measures keeps us scanning the horizon for small grant opportunities. As we approach the fall of 2021, we find ourselves asking how to recapture even incremental progress made before the pandemic. Like creeks to study, there are many answers. Just one answer is looking for small money from which big ideas build. The small successes will continue to matter.

One Student's Story My name is Sandy Serrano, and I am a West Hills College Coalinga graduate. Last year, my biology class and other students from the North District Center campus were invited to a trip in Crescent City to do some research. The trip was very fun and filled with amazing experiences. The group of students and I were in charge of finding pH levels, chloride levels and the temperature of the water in different regions of the creek. The goal of our trip was to find out if humans have an impact on coastal cutthroat trout that live in certain regions near Crescent City.

This experience positively affected my view on STEM by opening my eyes and giving me a feeling of what can be done with science, technology and so much more. Being outdoors and learning about the different equipment that is used to analyze the water in the creek bed was very interesting to me.

Prior to the trip, the farthest I had traveled was to Los Angeles, but I had always heard about how beautiful the Oregon border was and I had always wanted to go, so when I was given the opportunity to go on this research trip it was a great way to not only travel but also learn about the coastal cutthroat trout and its living environments.

While analyzing the streams that ran through the creek bed, I was able to find different organisms living in the environment as well. I honestly did not think that the coastal cutthroat was going to be able to live in the environment due to global warming, but it was amazing when we found out that they too can live in those regions. We not only examined the streams, we also found a coastal cutthroat, and the chaperones were able to catch it, so all students were able to see the fish that we were looking for. The trip was an overall great experience, and I would advise students to go on research trips to widen their knowledge.

Full Report: As a requirement of funding, a detailed report was submitted to the funder.

Though not published, that report is available at the link below. https://westernnativetrout.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/West-HillsCommunity-College-District-West-Hills-Citizen-and-UndergraduateScience-Project-WNTI-2019-Small-grant-report.pdf

Subscribe or Give a Subscription Gift The Voice of Hispanic Higher Education

Start your subscription today.

Regular price One year subscription - $35 Two year subscription - $50 (a $20 savings)

HACU Member rate (Save 20% with member discount.)

One year subscription - $28 Two year subscription - $40

Subscribe at www.hacu.net/TheVoice

ProTalento Start your search today with ProTalento, the HACU Job Board jobs.hacu.net H I S P A N I C

A S S O C I A T I O N

O F

C O L L E G E S

&

U N I V E R S I T I E S

Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities National Headquarters 8415 Datapoint Drive, Suite 400 San Antonio, Texas 78229

Nonprofit org.

U.S. Postage

PAID

Permit No. 828 San Antonio, TX Stay Connected with @HACUNews

27th Annual National Capitol Forum on Hispanic Higher Education

APRIL 5-6, 2022

Hilton Washington D.C. Capitol Hill Register Online at www.hacu.net

Stay Connected with @HACUNews #HACU2022 #FundHSIs