February 2013, Issue 2
Student Affairs Executive Leadership
Lisa Blazer, Associate Vice President for Student Financial Aid and Enrollment Services
True Color spectrum: Orange, Blue, Gold, Green
Dr. Lisa Blazer has served as the Associate Vice President for Student Financial Aid and Enrollment Services at UTSA for 11 years. She has 22 years of admissions and financial aid experience. She currently serves on the National Association of Financial Aid Administrators board, served as President of the Southwest Association of Financial Aid Administrators during 2012 and as President for the Texas Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators during 2007-2008. She has served on numerous committees at the state, regional and national level. She has conducted break-out sessions and presentations at the national, regional, and state levels on financial aid, enrollment services, customer service, assessment, auditing and compliance. She serves on leadership teams across UTSA and has served as an Adjunct Faculty member and an advocate for professional development for staff. Lisa has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Piano Performance, a Master of Arts Administration Degree in Organizational Development and a Ph.D. in Education with an emphasis in Organizational Leadership.
Joe DeCristoforo, Associate Vice President and University Registrar
True Colors spectrum: Blue, Orange, Gold, Green
Joe DeCristoforo, Associate Vice President and University Registrar, has been at UTSA since 2002. He has a Ph.D. in Research, Measurement, and Statistics from Georgia State University, an Education Specialist degree, a Master of Education in Counselor Education and a Bachelor of Arts in English – all from the University of Florida. Besides UTSA, he also worked at the University of Toledo, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Georgia Tech, and Kennesaw State University. He has over 30 years of experience in student academic records and admissions and has presented on numerous occasions at national, regional, and local conferences. Joe enjoys spending time with his wife Alice on the coast fishing and cycling or boating and fishing at Canyon Lake. He has four dogs, two cats, two horses and a donkey named Joxer.
Sam Gonzales, Interim Vice President for Student Affairs and Associate Vice President for Administration and Student Services
True Color spectrum: Green, Gold, Blue, Orange
Over his 36-year career at UTSA, Sam Gonzales has held numerous leadership positions including Associate Vice President for Student Affairs Administration and Student Services, Interim Assistant Vice President for Student Life and Director of Career Services. Currently, Sam is serving as our Interim Vice President for Student Affairs.
He served nationally as president of the Cooperative Education and Internship Association, locally as president of the San Antonio College and University Placement Association and regionally as treasurer of the Southwest Association of Colleges and Employers.
Through his career, his teams have been honored with the Alcohol EDU national award for Excellence in Prevention Programming in 2007, the UTSA Richard S. Howe Excellence in Service to Undergraduate Students Award and the UTSA Team Spirit Award.
Sam earned a Master of Education Degree in Psychology and a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Our Lady of the Lake University. Additionally, he was a Kellogg Fellow in Education Policy with the Institute of Educational Leadership at The University of Texas at Austin.
On the personal side, Sam is an avid mountain bike trail rider and plays golf about three times per month. He is also a big fan of pop music.
Lynn Hickey, Associate Vice President and Director for Intercollegiate Athletics
True Color spectrum: Blue, Orange, Gold, Green
Under Lynn Hickey’s direction as Associate Vice President and Intercollegiate Athletic Director, UTSA has achieved many successes, including capturing two Southland Conference Commissioner’s Cups as the league’s top athletics department and two men’s and one women’s all-sports trophies. Lynn’s long-term goal of placing UTSA in a major conference was reached when Conference USA extended an invitation in May 2012. The Roadrunners will move all 17 sports into that league on July 1, 2013.
Lynn has overseen the addition of three sports during her tenure - women’s golf, women’s soccer and the long-awaited football program. The Roadrunners set NCAA start-up program records for inaugural game (56,743) and average home (35,521) attendance in six games at the 65,000-seat Alamodome. In addition, Lynn has led the charge for UTSA and its hosting of numerous NCAA Championship events.
In 2007, Lynn was named to the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Committee, one of the most prestigious appointments in all of collegiate athletics. She became just the second female ever selected to the committee. Lynn was named the National Association of Collegiate Women Athletics Administrators 2005 Division I-AAA Administrator of the Year and earned her second national award in June 2006 as the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics/General Sports TURF Systems Division I-AAA West Region AD of the Year. The San Antonio Express-News tabbed her as its 2010 Sportswoman of the Year.
The only female Division I athletics director that oversees both men’s and women’s sports in the state of Texas, she served as President of the Southland Conference from 2002 to 2004 and as the league’s representative to the NCAA Championship/Competition Cabinet.
Lynn came to San Antonio from Texas A&M University. Before her stint at Texas A&M as coach and eventually Senior Associate Athletics Director, Lynn was head women’s basketball coach at Kansas State University from 1979 to 1984. A native of Welch, Oklahoma, Lynn graduated summa cum laude from Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas with a bachelor’s degree in education. She was an All-American for OBU’s nationally-ranked basketball team and a member of the USA National Team in 1973. Lynn and her husband, Bill, have one daughter, Lauren Nicole.
George Norton, Associate Vice President for Undergraduate Admissions, Orientation and Family Programs
True Color spectrum: Green, Orange, Gold, Blue
George Norton is in his 30th year in Student Affairs work and has served UTSA since January 2002. As an Associate Vice President, he has responsibility for the areas of Admissions, Orientation & Family Programs, and Recruitment Information Systems. In December 2008, George earned the Ed.D. degree from UTSA in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies. George’s favorite authors are John Grisham and Lee Child. He loves most genres of music and plays the drums. George is an avid tennis player and always on the lookout for someone who wants to hit a ball during the lunch hour (so call him). George’s favorite moment at UTSA was watching the UTSA Marching Band taking the field for the first time after having worked all these years to help build up our university.
Kevin Price, Associate Vice President for Student Life and Dean of Students
True Color spectrum: Green, Blue, Orange, Gold
Kevin Price serves as the Associate Vice President for Student Life and Dean of Students at UTSA. Kevin came to UTSA in 2005 with more than 20 years' experience in student affairs. Prior to UTSA, he served as Dean of Students at Louisiana State University for four years and as Associate Dean of Students at The University of Texas at Austin. After earning his bachelor's and master's degrees from Auburn University, Kevin earned a law degree at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.