Texas A&M University Professors Maria Escobar-Lemmon and Mario Torres have been selected by The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities as fellows for the second 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. La Academia seeks to increase the number of talented individuals who aspire to leadership positions of Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) and Emerging HSIs. Fellows selected for the program participate in an array of leadership development activities that will not only prepare them for leadership roles in the full spectrum of institutions of higher learning but also within HSIs and Emerging HSIs.
“I am extremely honored to have been selected,” said Escobar-Lemmon, a professor of political science in the College of Liberal Arts. “The individuals included in the first cohort have done some incredible things and I’m humbled to be counted in this company. HACU has an impressive leadership team and I am excited to learn from those who are able and willing to share knowledge and experience.”
Escobar-Lemmon studies political institutions with a regional focus on Latin America, with emphasis on the representation of women. She is an active member of the department’s Program in the Cross-National Study of Politics and the Project for Equity, Representation, and Governance. Her work has appeared in numerous journals, including the American Journal of Political Science, the Journal of Politics and Political Research Quarterly, among others. She has done field research in Colombia, Costa Rica and Venezuela, gathering data and conducting interviews to better understand the workings of governments in the region.
She said she’s excited to join the HACU program because it offers mentorship from people with whom she would never otherwise come into contact. “The impressive faculty they have assembled (more than a dozen nationally recognized current and emeriti presidents and senior-level administrators with 100 plus years of combined experience) is an unprecedented opportunity,” she said, adding that as Texas A&M moves toward becoming an HSI, it is important for the university to have leadership teams that reflect the student population.
“I hope to bring back ideas and insights that will enable Texas A&M to continue to fulfill its land-, sea- and space grant mission to truly serve all the people of Texas,” she said. “I hope that the project I work on during the course of La Academia will help to further a climate of inclusive excellence.”
Original article by Lesley Henton, Texas A&M University Division of Marketing & Communications
On Sept. 1, 2022, the Department of Political Science became part of the Bush School of Government & Public Service.
