The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities is pleased to announce the 22 fellows who were selected for the eighth cohort of its Leadership Academy/La Academia de Liderazgo. Since its inception, the program has advanced the careers of leaders within a wide range of higher education institutions, demonstrating the value of the program in expanding opportunities at the highest levels of college and university administrations.
Fellows of the program participate in a range of 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, with the first seminar held in November 2026 in conjunction with HACU’s 40th Annual Conference in Chula Vista, California. The second seminar will be held in Washington, D.C., in April 2027, at HACU’s National Capitol Forum. The third seminar will take place at a still to be determined international location.
The Leadership Academy faculty consists of current and former presidents, chancellors and senior administrators and brings over 100 years of combined experience in serving in 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 of the program, as well as the development of a special project designed to have an impact at the Fellow’s current institution. The following Academy alums have attained president positions: Universidad Central del Caribe President Waleska Crespo-Rivera, Ph.D.; California State University, Fresno President Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval, Ph.D.; Harold Washington College President Daniel López, Jr., Ph.D.; Macalester College President Suzanne Rivera, Ph.D.; New Jersey City University President Andrés Acebo, J.D.; Oklahoma Panhandle State University President Julie Dinger, Ph.D.; College of San Mateo President Manuel Alejandro Pérez, Ed.D.; Keiser University Miami Campus President Norma Pastor; and Oregon Coast Community College President Marshall Mease Roache Ed.D.
Special thanks to Capital One and Mellon Foundation for their support in providing fellowships to selected recipients.
The 2026-27 Fellows and their home institutions are:
Victor Carmona, Ph.D., University of San Diego**
Marcela G. Cuellar, Ph.D., University of California, Davis
Michael Diaz, J.D., University of California, San Diego
Michel Estefan, Ph.D., University of California, San Diego**
Rosilie Hernández, University of Illinois Chicago **
Heather Herrera, Ed.D., Our Lady of the Lake University *
César Jiménez, Ed.D., Bakersfield College
Renzo Lara, Ed.D., San Diego State University **
Karla M. Ayala Lebrón, Ed.D., Universidad de Sagrado Corazón**
Grant Linsell, D.M.A., Fullerton College **
Angela Marquez, Ph.D., Community College of Aurora *
Clarissa Martinez, Ed.D., The University of Texas at San Antonio**
Carlos Antonio González Palacios, Ph.D., CETYS University**
Gonzalo Perez, Ph.D., Mercer County Community College
Antonio Santiago, Ed.D., CT State Community College **
Pedro Nungaray, Harold Washington College*
Karlos Santos-Coy, University of California, San Diego
Teresa Maria Linda Scholz, Ph.D., New Mexico State University **
César S. Silva, Ph.D., Texas Lutheran University**
Fabián Sergio Wander, Eugenio Maria de Hostos Community College, CUNY *
Susanna Zambrano, Arizona Western College
Felix Zuñiga, Ed.D., California State University, Office of the Chancellor *
*Capital One Fellowship Recipient
**Mellon Foundation Scholarship
