Texas Border Business
Dr. Havidán Rodríguez featured on national magazine cover
EDINBURG, TEXAS – June 17, 2015 – For demonstrating excellence in his profession, Dr. Havidán Rodríguez, a distinguished leader in South Texas higher education, is the featured cover story for the July 15, 2015, issue of the national publication, The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education Magazine.
Rodríguez, president ad interim of The University of Texas-Pan American and founding provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, landed on the magazine cover thanks to a March 2015 accolade – the prestigious Alfredo G. de los Santos Jr. Distinguished Leadership in Higher Education Award – presented to him by the American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education.
The award honored his dedication to higher education in his multiple roles as outstanding administrator, researcher and mentor to students, faculty and fellow colleagues at UTPA and UTRGV. The award is named after De los Santos Jr., a research professor at Arizona State University regarded as a national leader, mentor and champion of higher education.
Rodríguez’s ability to motivate people and give them a vision of what they can accomplish prompted Marilyn Gilroy, Hispanic Outlook’s executive editor, and staff to choose the UTPA/UTRGV leader as their cover story. Gilroy said the 25-year-old publication has a tradition of highlighting Hispanic leaders in academia and knew Rodríguez was the model higher education leader to spotlight.
“Dr. Rodríguez stands out not only because of his extensive professional accomplishments, but also because so many colleagues give him credit for being a mentor and a role model who encouraged them to reach higher in their careers,” Gilroy said. “He does the same with students and tells them to use their degrees to transform their lives and make a difference in their communities.”
