HACU selects UTSA faculty and staff members for leadership programs

OCTOBER 3, 2024 — The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) has named UTSA faculty member Araceli Martínez Ortiz a fellow in the sixth cohort of its leadership academy, La Academia de Liderazgo, and UTSA staff member Lisa Vázquez Vigil a part of the second cohort of its Enlace Mid-level Leadership Program.

Martínez Ortiz will be part of a cohort of 45 higher education professionals from across the country this year. She will be the ninth UTSA faculty member or administrator to participate in the HACU Leadership Academy since its inception.

The year-long HACU Leadership Academy prepares the next generation of higher education leaders, with a focus on professionals at existing and emerging Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs). Participants engage in conferences, seminars, and webinars led by current and former university leaders, covering topics such as institutional vision, advocacy, external relations and fundraising. Fellows apply this knowledge to develop a special project aimed at benefiting their home institution.

“I am genuinely grateful for UTSA’s support and eagerly look forward to the enriching experiences the HACU Leadership Academy will bring.”

Araceli Martínez Ortiz

Martínez Ortiz is the Microsoft President’s Endowed Professor of Engineering Education and holds a joint faculty appointment in biomedical engineering and interdisciplinary learning and teaching at UTSA. A respected engineer and leader with many years of experience with multinational automotive and technology corporations, she earned a master's in curriculum and instruction from Michigan State University and a Ph.D. in engineering education from Tufts University.

The UTSA faculty member leverages her design and management experience and scholarly research expertise to develop innovative educational science, technology, engineering and mathematics curricula and learning programs that support educators and students from primarily underserved communities at local, national and international levels. In addition to her faculty position, she serves as executive director of the Dr. Manuel P. Berriozábal Pre-Freshman Engineering Program at UTSA.

“I am genuinely grateful for UTSA’s support and eagerly look forward to the enriching experiences the HACU Leadership Academy will bring,” said Martínez Ortiz. “I am honored to be at a point in my career where I can focus on professional service and leadership. I look forward to meeting exceptional people from across the country who also aspire to support Hispanic Serving Institutions, their faculty, staff, students and surrounding communities.”

Lisa Vázquez Vigil

Vázquez Vigil will join a cohort of 44 college and university professionals from across the country in HACU’s Enlace Mid-level Leadership Program. She is the second UTSA employee to participate in this program. Cynthia Arreola, assistant dean for operations in the university’s Carlos Alvarez College of Business, participated in the program’s first cohort.

The six-month leadership development program designed to increase the number, variety and quality of Latino/a talent in leadership positions at HSIs and in education overall. The cohort will participate in programming covering academic and student affairs management, regional institutional accreditation and higher education advocacy issues. Participants will also interact with a professional search firm.

Vázquez Vigil is a research program manager for the UTSA College for Health, Community and Policy. In this role, she supports the implementation of a five-year, $3 million Title V grant from the U.S. Department of Education that supports student success awarded to the college in 2022. Before her current position, she spent over four years as a senior career consultant with the UTSA Career Center. She earned her master’s in organizational leadership from Colorado State University Global and her bachelor’s in mass communications from Colorado State University Pueblo.

“It is truly an honor to have been selected into this second cohort of Enlace because I have heard how it brings so many fantastic professionals together to learn and grow in their leadership skills,” said Vázquez Vigil. “Something I have valued in higher education is the chance to be in the same spaces with those who do the same work I do and are willing to share their ideas and methods. It is empowering to know we are all serving our students in creative and innovative ways.”

— KC Gonzalez, Katrina Kehoe and Amanda Cerreto