Miguel A. Gonzalez becomes first Hispanic dean in UHCL’s 45 year history
New University of Houston–Clear Lake (UHCL) College of Science and Engineering (CSE) Dean, Miguel A. Gonzalez, has been a part of the University of Houston System since the beginning of his career and considers the move to UHCL a homecoming. Gonzalez earned his bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in industrial engineering from the University of Houston (UH). He began his teaching career at UH before making the move to University of Texas System, UT-Pan American (UTPA) and UT–Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV), where he would remain for the next 20 years before returning to Houston.
“I had been interested in coming back to the Houston area as I had family and friends in the region,” Gonzalez said. “My previous experience in working in this sort of environment played a role and the fact that I was at a point in my career where I was in need of recharging my interests in making a difference for students, faculty and community.”
Gonzalez’s goals for CSE as the new dean include implementing student ambassador and success initiatives, supporting student organizations and honor societies to provide students with opportunities for leadership and career-building. He also plans on incentivizing international program initiatives to support opportunities for student, faculty and institutional growth.
In addition to his goals of revamping CSE, Gonzalez is the first Hispanic dean in the university’s 45 years as an educational institution.
“The significance of having Hispanics in top administrative positions at Hispanic-Serving Institutions, such as UHCL, can be summarized as an honor and a remarkable responsibility that brings a great number of opportunities and challenges at the same time,” Gonzalez said.
Christina Cedillo, assistant professor of writing and rhetoric, believes the importance of diversity at an administrative level is significant because administrators bring their unique perspectives to their roles including problem-solving and understanding the needs of students and communities.
“Students need to see people who look like them in positions of authority so that they know they can achieve great things,” Cedillo said. “If the demographics among faculty and administrators doesn’t reflect those of students, then all that happens is that structural inequalities found in our larger society just get duplicated.”
Desdamona Rios, associate professor of social psychology and director of the Latinx and Latin American Studies Program (LLAS), believes the importance of diversity matters for representational purposes as well as growth, innovation and best practices.
“The more diverse a group, organization, or institution, the more complete the picture is for problem-solving,” Rios said.
Lory Santiago-Vázquez, associate professor and program chair of biotechnology in CSE, believes Gonzalez has the experience as a member of the Hispanic community and the professional expertise to contribute and come up with initiatives that will strengthen this community.
“In my college (CSE), out of 65 full-time tenure and tenure-track faculty, only 2 faculty or 3% self-identify as Hispanic,” Santiago-Vazquez said. “All Hispanic and underrepresented faculty that I have spoken to would be happy to participate in initiatives that advance Hispanics and underrepresented students, staff and faculty.”
Gonzalez served in several administrative roles at the University of Texas–Rio Grande Valley including interim dean in the College of Engineering and Computer Science before becoming the associate vice president in the Division of Research, Innovation and Economic Development. Prior to that, he was an associate dean and a dean at UTPA.
He continued to teach as a professor of manufacturing engineering in the Department of Manufacturing Engineering from 2012 until accepting the position at UHCL meanwhile holding the position of co-director for the Center of Excellence in STEM Education at UTPA and UTRGV.
“[One of my personal goals is to] respect and celebrate the achievements and history of the institution and build on this legacy the image of the future,” Gonzalez said.
For more Hispanic Heritage Month coverage, check out:
LISTA talks name change and Hispanic Heritage Month
The Latinx and Latin American Studies program (LLAS) is hosting a series of events co-sponsored by various University of Houston-Clear Lake offices and student organizations. The HHM kickoff event was originally scheduled for Sept. 18 but was canceled because of Tropical Storm Imelda.
INFOGRAPHIC: Hispanic population on track to be majority in Texas by 2022
At the current growth rate, the Hispanic population is on track to become the largest ethnic group in Texas by 2022. Houston now holds the third largest Hispanic population in the country.
LLAS minor brings awareness to Latinx issues
As UHCL continues to grow and expand, so does its variety of degrees and programs, one of which is the Latinx and Latin American Studies Program (LLAS), a multidisciplinary minor in the College of Human Sciences and Humanities.
INFOGRAPHIC: The difference between Hispanic and Latinx
The terms “Hispanic” and “Latinx” are pan-ethnic and often used interchangeably. They overlap in some ways but actually mean two different things.
