Texas Border Business
By Joey Gomez
McALLEN, TEXAS – South Texas College Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership (BASOL) Program Chair Emma Miller Ph.D., now stands beside the likes of some of the most recognizable names in the world.
Miller joined the millions of successful professionals, who for the last 128 years have been featured in Marquis Who’s Who in America, one of the country’s oldest publications for biographical data alongside famous names like Oprah Winfrey, Stevie Wonder, Warren Buffet, Bill Gates and historical figures like former U.S. President Abraham Lincoln and author Edgar Allan Poe.
The Who’s Who in America recognition is given to individuals “who possess professional integrity, demonstrate outstanding achievement in their respective fields and have made innumerable contributions to society as a whole.”
“This recognition reflects what we do every day in our BASOL program, teaching students what good leadership looks like and how and when to apply it. We’re always trying to improve,” Miller said. “I make it clear to students that they must learn from every experience, and then they take that experience with them into every single job they enter. Not only does it help them get better along the way, but it identifies them as somebody who is looking to make positive change. That’s what this recognition is all about.”
Following her nomination to the “Who’s Who” registry, Miller was then named again to Marquis “Who’s Who Top Professional Series” recognizing the nation’s top educators who have demonstrated leadership and achievement in their profession.
With over 35 years of experience as an educator, Miller has chaired the BASOL program at STC since 2017. Along the way, she has contributed her expertise as an assistant dean of bachelor’s programs as well as an adjunct professor beginning in 2016.
She began her career as an adjunct faculty member with Texas Southmost College from 1985 to 1987 prior to working as a computer specialist for Rovan’s Bakery, Restaurant and BBQ on South Padre Island from 1994 to 1996.
Miller earned an Associate of Applied Science Degree from Texas State Technical College in Harlingen in 1983, and then continued her academic efforts at the University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College with a Bachelor of Arts in Applied Science in 2001 and a Master of Business Administration in 2005. She then graduated with a Doctor of Philosophy in applied management and decision sciences, leadership and organizational change from Walden University in 2013.
“I tell my students that education has changed my life, and my focus now is to help them reach their own educational goals because it is lifechanging. It has the ability to open doors that otherwise wouldn’t be open,” Miller said. “Education is the great equalizer, and it has the power to not only change a student’s life, but the future of their families. It’s really important for me to get that across to our students so that they push forward when times get tough and they feel like giving up.”
Miller’s “Who’s Who” top educator profile can be found at marquistopeducators.com/2023/05/26/emma-lemus-miller/.
Students interested in STC’s Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership (BASOL) program can visit bachelors.southtexascollege.edu/orgl/.
Summer II classes begin July 5.
