Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities Names SMC’s María Luisa Ruiz as Fellow in Leadership Academy / La Academia de Liderazgo

The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities has named Saint Mary’s College of California Professor of World Languages and Cultures María Luisa Ruiz to the 2025–26 cohort of its Leadership Academy/La Academia de Liderazgo. Among her leadership roles on campus, Ruiz directs SMC’s Institute for Latino and Latin American Studies and serves as senior academic diversity officer in the College’s Office of Inclusion and Belonging. She is one of 26 fellows in this, the seventh cohort of the HACU program—for which she is also among the select recipients of scholarship support from Carnegie Mellon. 

Since its inception, the program has advanced the careers of diverse 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 new cohort of fellows has been announced just as the country has begun observing National Hispanic-Serving Institutions Week, September 8–14. The week offers the opportunity to note the essential role Hispanic-Serving Institutions play in serving students and their communities by sustaining educational opportunity, preparing a skilled workforce, and supporting local economies.

“We are tremendously proud of Professor Ruiz and this prestigious recognition of her leadership,” said SMC Provost Carol Ann Gittens. “Her selection reflects both her personal excellence and our College’s deep commitment as a Hispanic-Serving Institution to advancing opportunity and shaping the future of higher education. Professor Ruiz’s work exemplifies the mission and values of Saint Mary’s in action.”

Nurturing Community, Bolstering Scholarship

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Since 2015, Saint Mary’s has earned the designation as a Hispanic-Serving Institution, which requires full-time equivalent undergraduate student enrollment that is at least 25% Hispanic. At SMC, 38% of the incoming first-year students in the Class of 2029 are Latinx or Hispanic, as are more than a quarter of students transferring to the College this fall. 

To reinforce Saint Mary’s commitment as an HSI, María Luisa Ruiz established and chairs Saint Mary’s HSI Advisory Council, and in that role has spearheaded a number of HSI-focused initiatives. Those initiatives include launching a bilingual and bicultural staff training and cohort model to build inclusive institutional capacity, leading campus-wide HSI-focused workshops featuring national scholars and practitioners, and supporting student-led research and storytelling projects centered on Latinx student experiences, identity, and sense of belonging.

As director of SMC’s Institute for Latino and Latin American Studies, Ruiz also bolsters Saint Mary’s work when it comes to serving Latinx students and scholarship. One of the signature programs of the Institute is the Brother Camillus Chavez ILaLs student award, which provides scholarships for students who are studying Latinx diasporas or Latin America. 

Ruiz has also been a recipient of a Fulbright-Hays Cultural Exchange Award. That took her to Mexico in 2021 as part of a select group of scholars exploring African heritage in Mexico—a program that, in turn, has enriched her teaching of students at Saint Mary's. And in 2023, Saint Mary’s was named as a Fulbright HSI Leader. Each year, the US Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs recognizes the strong engagement of select HSIs with the Fulbright Program, the US government's flagship international academic exchange program.

Ruiz has also partnered with colleagues to support the role of women in politics. In 2024, she and Myrna Santiago—Director of the Women’s and Gender Studies Program—and Zahra Ahmed—Assistant Professor of Politics—guided the launch of the National Education for Women’s (NEW) Leadership National Network at Saint Mary’s. The network teaches undergraduate women how to become involved in politics and why it matters. Last year, Saint Mary’s hosted its inaugural NEW Leadership Academy, which brought students from throughout the San Francisco Bay Area to spend one week on the grounds of Saint Mary’s, learning about the pathways to political engagement and careers in the field. And just last week, SMC hosted a NEW Leadership Conference on “Women’s Leadership in the Current Political Moment.”

Building Leaders for the Future

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The one-year fellowship program with the HACU Leadership Academy/La Academia de Liderazgo includes webinars and three seminars, with the first seminar held in November 2025 in conjunction with HACU’s 39th Annual Conference in Aurora, Colorado. The second seminar will be held in Washington, DC, in April 2026, 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. It brings more than 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. 

Several academy alums have gone on to serve as presidents of institutions across the United States—from California to Puerto Rico. They include: Universidad Central del Caribe President Waleska Crespo-Rivera, PhD; California State University, Fresno President Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval, PhD; Harold Washington College President Daniel López, Jr., PhD; Macalester College President Suzanne Rivera, PhD; New Jersey City University President Andrés Acebo, JD; Oklahoma Panhandle State University President Julie Dinger, PhD; College of San Mateo President Manuel Alejandro Pérez, EdD; Keiser University Miami Campus President Norma Pastor; and Oregon Coast Community College President Marshall Mease Roache EdD. 

The 2025-26 Fellows and their home institutions are:

Jonathan Alcántar, PhD, University of Northern Colorado

Wendy Arzate, Malcolm X College

María V. Boccalandro, PhD, Dallas College

Antonio M. Bracamonte, Scottsdale Community College

Jennifer M. Bucalo, PhD, Rutgers University-Newark

Joseph Caniglia, Hudson County Community College

Héctor Garza, PhD, Imperial Valley College

Manuel Gómez, PhD, Connecticut State Community College

Wendy Yesenia Lubin, Red Rocks Community College

Álvaro Andrés Macías, MD, Jacobs Medical Center

Terry C. Mena PhD, Northeastern Illinois University

Luvia Moreno, Harold Washington College

Isela Ocegueda, PhD, Coastline College

Gema Ortega, PhD, Dominican University, Chicago Campus

Gilberto Pérez, Jr., EdD, Goshen College

Susana Pérez, EdD, Dallas College

Madeline Pérez De Jesús, PhD, Connecticut State Community College

Alyssa L. Provencio, PhD, University of Central Oklahoma

Anuchka Ramos-Ruiz, PhD, Universidad del Sagrado Corazón

Carlos Rivera, Hostos Community College

María Luisa Ruiz, PhD, Saint Mary’s College of California

Sanjuanita C. Scott, PhD., Northwest Vista College

Stephen M. Trzaskoma, PhD, California State University, Los Angeles

Jennifer Valcarcel, Hudson County Community College

Jesús M. Velázquez, PhD, University of California, Davis

Gabriella Zúñiga-Jairala, Dallas College

The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, founded in 1986, represents more than 500 colleges and universities in the United States, Latin America, Spain and school districts throughout the US. Programs and services provided by HACU are available to all students, faculty, and staff at HACU-member institutions. The Association’s headquarters are in San Antonio, Texas, with offices in Washington, DC, Sacramento, and Chicago.