Chancellor King Announces Ten Emerging Hispanic/Latinx Leaders and Allies Selected as Fellows for SUNY’s 2025 Hispanic Leadership Institute
November 19, 2024
Photos and Biographies for the 2025 Class Can Be Found Here
HLI Has Graduated 71 Fellows Since It Began in 2017
Albany, NY – State University of New York Chancellor John B. King Jr. today announced the selection of ten emerging Hispanic leaders and allies as fellows for the 2025 Hispanic Leadership Institute (HLI) class, marking the eighth class since the program’s launch in 2017.
Thanks to generous support from New York State and the State Assembly and Senate Puerto Rican/Hispanic Task Force, SUNY’s Hispanic Leadership Institute has uplifted 71 of SUNY’s brightest Hispanic faculty and staff and allies. The program supports these leaders through rigorous executive training and provides a network to support growth in their positions.
“To foster a truly diverse and welcoming environment at SUNY, we must ensure that diverse voices are represented, heard and celebrated at every level of our system. The Hispanic Leadership Institute has helped 71 individuals committed to inclusivity and excellence become leaders at their respective institutions and serve as role models for all students, allowing them to see what is possible for themselves,” said SUNY Chancellor King. “The continued success of HLI has inspired the formation of other leadership institutes at SUNY, such as the Black Leadership Institute and the Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Leadership Institute. We will continue to collaborate with our legislative partners to expand HLI and to develop and support more diverse leaders at SUNY thanks to this incredible leadership institute.”
The SUNY Board of Trustees said, “When students from all backgrounds and perspectives are represented across our system, we foster a diverse, thriving learning environment where all feel welcome and are inspired to learn and work. That is the goal of the Hispanic Leadership Institute, and we are proud of this program’s success in developing the next generation of higher education leaders.”
HLI is a demanding nine-month experience which positions fellows to further develop higher education leadership skills and proficiencies. HLI fellows participate in training sessions and webinars, converse with national and statewide leaders, and master personal assessment tools. HLI creates a pipeline for professional opportunities across SUNY and ensures alumni are networking and receiving continuous support and mentorship.
This year's fellows, who will begin in January 2025, are:
- Jaime Castillo, SUNY Geneseo, Director of Counseling Services
- Neftali Collazo, Suffolk County Community College, College Associate Dean of Athletics and Events
- Carly Gomes, Stony Brook University, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Renaissance School of Medicine
- Carmen Gonzales, University at Buffalo, Assistant Vice President of Procurement
- Diana Jaramillo Keane, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Executive Director of Facilities Planning, Design, and Construction
- Anna Legname, SUNY Oneonta, Associate Director of Academic Advisement
- Lisandra Ramos, SUNY Old Westbury, Special Assistant to the President, Initiatives & Administration
- Hector Rodriguez, Hudson Valley Community College, Dean of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM)
- Martha Santana, SUNY Old Westbury, CFO and Vice President of Business, Finance, and Administration
- Francisco Suarez, SUNY Oswego, Associate Professor, School of Communications Studies
Photos and Biographies for the 2025 Class Can Be Found Here
Assemblymember Karines Reyes, R.N., Chair of the New York State Assembly and Senate’s Puerto Rican/Hispanic Task Force, said, "I am pleased to welcome the newest cohort of the SUNY Hispanic Leadership Institute fellows for 2025. This vital program, which has been supported by the Task Force for many years, has elevated Latino leadership with informative training and the tools to excel in higher education. The success of this cohort will have implications for students and generations to come, with expanded diversity in the academic field and an increase in cultural competency. We are so proud to have partnered with SUNY on this important initiative and look forward to the continued progress developed by this program."
Assemblymember Patricia Fahy, Chair of the Assembly’s Committee on Higher Education, said, “Uplifting and centering diverse voices that represent SUNY’s student body, faculty, and inclusiveness is key to advancing equity in higher education. Closings gaps in graduation rates and degree completion for students of color and disadvantaged backgrounds has been a key priority of mine and my colleagues, and I congratulate the newest class of Hispanic Leadership Institute fellows on this recognition of their hard work and service. Initiatives like the HLI that the state legislature continues to fund will continue to ensure that SUNY remains welcoming, diverse, and inclusive for not just Latino and Hispanic students—but all students—while celebrating their excellence and contributions to New York’s higher education system and communities.”
About SUNY HLI
The SUNY Hispanic Leadership Institute serves as a resource for Hispanic and Latinx leaders and their allies in higher education, both in New York State and across the country. Its mission is to foster and support the professional development and retention of current and emerging leaders to create a more diverse university system. HLI fellows have the unique opportunity to meet with distinguished Hispanic and Latinx leaders and their allies from SUNY and the community at large, both locally and nationally; work with mentors; expand their network; and build connections. HLI creates a pipeline for professional opportunities across SUNY and ensures alumni are networking and receiving ongoing support and mentorship well after they graduate from the program. The program has graduated 71 fellows since its inception in 2017
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 country’s oldest school of maritime, the state’s only college of optometry, and manages one US Department of Energy National Laboratory. In total, SUNY serves about 1.4 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 2023, 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 opportunities, visit suny.edu.
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Holly Liapis
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