SUNY Chief Diversity Officer Earns Spot on ACE Fellow Program to Cultivate Diverse Institutional Leaders
April 4, 2017
Announcement Comes As Governor Cuomo Establishes Hispanic Leadership Institute At SUNY
Albany – The State University of New York today announced that Vice Chancellor and Chief Diversity Officer Dr. Carlos Medina has been named an ACE Fellow for the 2017-18 academic year, following a rigorous and competitive application process. The ACE program is designed to strengthen institutions and leadership in American higher education by identifying and preparing faculty and staff for senior positions in college and university administration.
Dr. Medina’s selection comes as Governor Andrew M. Cuomo recently announced a Hispanic Leadership Institute at SUNY that will focus on developing, retaining, and promoting Hispanic leaders at SUNY for the positions of university president, provost, chief financial officer, chief business officer, among others.
"The Hispanic and Latino student population is growing faster than any other at SUNY and nationally, and Dr. Medina is playing a leading role in SUNY’s efforts to ensure that the diversity of our faculty and staff keeps pace," said SUNY Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher. "This is a prestigious honor for Carlos, one that he has earned through dedicated, consistent participation on national boards, which has in turn benefitted SUNY as he brings the best practices in higher education back to SUNY to lift up our 64 campuses and our university system."
"This is a tremendous opportunity for Dr. Medina to share his vast knowledge and experience while also advancing his leadership skills," said SUNY Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Alexander N. Cartwright. "He will have the opportunity to shadow higher education leaders, with a specific focus on bringing successful practices in diversity and inclusion to scale."
"Fulfilling higher education’s 21st century mission depends upon a visionary, bold and diverse global community of institutional leaders, and the ACE Fellows Program plays a key role in cultivating these leaders," said ACE President Molly Corbett Broad. "The diverse and talented 2017-18 Fellows class demonstrates why the program has made such a vital contribution for more than a half-century to expanding the leadership pipeline for our colleges and universities."
"I have a deep respect of ACE and it is with great pride to be a part of the ACE Fellow Program," said Dr. Medina. "The organization and its members are making a difference in encouraging and supporting diverse leaders. It is an exciting opportunity for me, which I look forward to sharing with my colleagues throughout SUNY."
About Dr. Carlos Medina
As vice chancellor and chief diversity officer, Dr. Medina is charged with implementing the SUNY Trustees’ Diversity Equity and Inclusion policy. He provides leadership and strategic direction to SUNY campuses in connection with the recruitment and retention of faculty, staff, and administrators who come from groups within society that are underrepresented in higher education and in SUNY. He is directly responsible for overseeing the implementation and management of various programs at the graduate and undergraduate levels dedicated to serving underrepresented and economically disadvantaged students, faculty, and staff, as well as promoting inclusion, student success, and excellence within the university system.
Dr. Medina has more than 25 years of progressive responsibility in state government and higher education with proven experience in leadership, management, and staff development.
About the ACE Fellow
The program combines retreats, interactive learning opportunities, visits to campuses and other higher education-related organizations, and placement at another higher education institution to condense years of on-the-job experience and skills development into a single year. During the placement, Fellows observe and work with the president and other senior officers at their host institution, attend decision-making meetings and focus on issues of interest. Fellows also conduct projects of pressing concern for their home institution and seek to implement their findings upon completion of the fellowship placement. At the conclusion of the fellowship year, Fellows return to their home institution with new knowledge and skills that contribute to capacity-building efforts, along with a network of peers across the country and abroad.
About the State University of New York
The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive system of higher education in the United States, and more than 95 percent of all New Yorkers live within 30 miles of any one of SUNY's 64 colleges and universities. Across the system, SUNY has four academic health centers, five hospitals, four medical schools, two dental schools, a law school, the state’s only college of optometry, and manages one US Department of Energy National Laboratory. In total, SUNY serves about 1.3 million students amongst its entire portfolio of credit- and non-credit bearing courses and programs, continuing education, and community outreach programs. SUNY oversees nearly a quarter of academic research in New York. Research expenditures system-wide are nearly $1.1 billion in fiscal year 2021, including significant contributions from students and faculty. There are more than three million SUNY alumni worldwide, and one in three New Yorkers with a college degree is a SUNY alum. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunity, visit suny.edu.
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