E-mail this storyTuesday, April 1, 2008
Goshen College president announces appointment Center for Intercultural Teaching and Learning project director
Dr. Rebecca Hernandez
Background: Born in Joliet, Ill., grew up in Nampa, Idaho and living in Portland, Ore.
Education: Bachelor’s degree, secondary education-social studies, Southeastern College (Lakeland, Fla.); master’s degree, public administration, Portland State University; doctoral degree, human development and family studies, Oregon State University.
Occupation: Director of community building for the Hacienda Community Development Corp. of Portland.
Academic positions: Assistant professor,Oregon Health and Sciences University, School of Nursing, Center for Health Disparities Research; faculty instructor, Oregon State University, Human Development and Family Studies Department.
Previous positions: Latino health policy specialist, SMG Foundation; research associate, Oregon Health and Sciences University; service performance analyst for Marion County, Ore.; teen parent services coordinator, Woodburn (Ore.) School District; parent education coordinator, Migrant and Indian Coalition; secondary education teacher, Beacon Preparatory School.
Memberships: State of Oregon Commission on Children and Families; National Council of Family Relations; Woodburn chapter Business and Professional Women’s Association.
Church membership: Mid-Valley Community Church, Woodburn, Ore.
Questions & Answers with Dr. Rebecca Hernandez
Dr. Rebecca Hernandez responds to questions from Richard R. Aguirre, Goshen College’s director of public relations
Q: What’s your reaction to being offered the position of project director of the Center for Intercultural Teaching and Learning?
A: I am thrilled to have been offered this great opportunity. I’m looking forward to working with such a wonderful and committed team at Goshen College.
Q: What is there about CITL and Goshen College that impressed you?
A: The goals of CITL are visionary as other colleges have tried pieces of this work but working on both the student aspect and the climate of the college at the same time is rare. The commitment at all levels of Goshen College – faculty, administration, others – is compelling and I believe what will make this work revolutionary!
Q: What are your initial goals as CITL director?
A: To organize and communicate the goals of CITL more broadly, to identify ways in which I can support my colleagues in their work and to develop deeper relationships with Latino organizations, churches and other educational institutions in the Midwest.
Q: How do you hope to advance CITL’s goals of educational access, transformation and research?
A: By supporting the team’s work, developing partnerships and working across the campus and with other organizations. I hope to learn more from Latino families and communities about what they need so their children can be successful, and to engage with faculty. It’s all about building relationships and listening and then trying out new ideas.
Q: Since you are not yet an Indiana resident, how do you plan to learn about the local community and develop good working relationships with the local Latino leaders? Do you consider that important?
A: I love learning about new places! I believe it’s important to be part of a community, to help where needed by becoming involved in local activities and organizations. In addition, having my colleagues introduce me to Latino leaders they have met is crucial. My family is from the Midwest, and in fact my aunt is involved with women's ministry work at two local Latino churches. Through these existing connections and my own work I believe I can build relationships with the Latino community. It’s important to understand what is happening in the community to better serve families and children.
Q: You are not a Goshen College graduate or a Mennonite, but what about GC’s mission and core values resonates with you? Are you comfortable with the values of Mennonite Church USA and Goshen College’s Christ-centered approach?
A: When I arrived on campus I was pleased to feel a resonance in my spirit with the people of Goshen College. We share the same values through our faith in Christ and I am pleased to be able to bring together my faith and work in one place. What we are endeavoring to do at CITL is to express our faith and to serve the community. I am honored to be a servant in this work.
Q: Is there anything else you would like to add?
A: My family is from the Midwest so I’m happy to be returning to the area.
Brenneman said Dr. Rebecca Hernandez plans to move to Goshen in May and begin her leadership position in June.
“Dr. Hernandez comes to Goshen College with a wonderful balance of entrepreneurial energy, excellent scholarship and a history of successful accomplishments. She has devoted her professional life to education, research and community organizing, all with the aim of helping Latino students and families to achieve their highest aspirations,” Brenneman said.
“She also comes with a deep faith in God, a strong commitment to the core values of Goshen College and a successful track record in organizational leadership. Dr. Hernandez is visionary and pragmatic – necessary prerequisites for providing leadership at the center and in the community,” Brenneman said.
The Center for Intercultural Teaching and Learning (CITL), which has been funded with a $12.5 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc., is building on Goshen College’s academic strengths, its Christ-centered core values, and its experience in international education and educating ethnic and racial minorities. CITL is designed to: make a Goshen College education accessible to Latino students and in the process enable the college to better serve other culturally diverse students; create an intercultural learning community for students that prepares them for the communication, understanding and collaboration needed in the 21st century; and research the dynamics behind the changing ethnic composition in a Midwest community and its implications for higher education.
Anita Stalter, vice president for academic affairs and academic dean and CITL’s interim director, said Hernandez will lead the CITL staff in implementing all aspects of the grant and will serve as the internal and external “face” of the center.
Born in Joilet, Ill., and the daughter of migrant farm workers, Hernandez said she is excited about her appointment. “I believe this is a great fit for me as I have been working on Latino issues throughout my career, first as a school teacher then as a community program director and then as a researcher. This job brings together my interest in research, education and Latino studies together with my faith. I’m committed to helping Latino youth to excel at Goshen College,” she said.
“I hope to contribute my skills at organizing, evaluating and sharing our successes with passion and clarity to other educational institutions and communities across the nation. I can help us focus on the tasks and articulate those successes.”
Hernandez is the director of community building for the Hacienda Community Development Corp. of Portland, which provides economic development, housing, health care and social services to Latino families and others. She holds a faculty appointment as an assistant professor at Oregon Health and Sciences University, School of Nursing, where she specializes in primary health care and health disparities, including among Latinos in the United States. She also is a faculty instructor at Oregon State University.
Hernandez has a bachelor’s degree in secondary education-social studies from Southeastern College (Lakeland, Fla.), a master’s degree in public administration from Portland State University and a doctoral degree in human development and family studies from Oregon State University.
“Dr. Hernandez has the educational background, experience and talents to oversee CITL as an academic center and has been successful in overseeing projects that require strong management skills,” Stalter said. “Dr. Hernandez has a great deal of experience working in the Latino community. Her relational and communication skills will serve her well as she gets to know the local community. It’s also clear that her commitment to community needs, education and justice grows out of her faith.”
Stalter said the CITL staff and its leadership team have established a strong foundation for all aspects of the grant. A second group of Latino students is being recruited for the fall and faculty mentors are working with students and developing pre-college initiatives.
“The research conceptual frame is in place and we are engaging faculty and students in research opportunities. We will fund research fellowships during the next academic year. Curriculum work is also being done as we focus on intercultural teaching and learning. And the CITL staff has spent many hours networking with Latino leaders locally and throughout the state of Indiana.”
Stalter said she believes Hernandez will bring administrative experience in higher education and community-based organizations, and expertise in intercultural education, project management, research oversight and financial management.
“Over the next year, Dr. Hernandez will build on the work that has already been accomplished and will work with the CITL team to define priorities and coordinate efforts,” Stalter said.
The CITL leadership team and staff includes CITL Director of Research Dr. Robert Reyes, CITL Director of Curriculum and Faculty Development Dr. Ross Peterson-Veatch, Director of Multicultural Affairs Dr. Odelet Nance, Associate Professor of Peace, Justice and Conflict Studies Dr. Joe Liechty, Vice President for Student Life and Dean of Students Bill Born, CITL Enrollment Counselor Liliana Garcia, CITL Administrative Assistant Sylvia Rocio Diaz, Interim CITL Administrative Assistant Justin Heinzekehr and Vice President for Academic Affairs and Academic Dean Dr. Anita Stalter.
Brenneman said CITL has benefited from strong leadership since it was created. “Dr. Stalter has provided excellent leadership in helping to develop the original grant proposal for CITL and helping coordinate its operations since it was announced in October 2006. She hit the ground running to get CITL started on the right foot for the new permanent director. We are very thankful for Dr. Stalter’s second-mile leadership,” Brenneman said.
Through CITL, Goshen College hopes to show how a small liberal arts college can best serve the rapidly growing Latino population in the United States. While research is a key component of the grant, the college also is focusing on educational access by enrolling more regional Latino students and transforming the learning community of Goshen College and research.
“We have a wonderful opportunity with our Latino population in Goshen to continue to grow in our cross-cultural relationships and understandings,” Stalter said. “Latino youth in our community must be given the opportunity for a college education and all Goshen College students must be given the opportunity to develop cultural competencies that will serve them throughout their lives.”
– Written by Richard R. Aguirre
Editors: For more information about this release, to arrange an interview or request a photo, contact Goshen College News Bureau Director Jodi H. Beyeler at (574) 535-7572 or jodihb@goshen.edu.
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Goshen College, established in 1894, is a residential Christian liberal arts college rooted in the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition. The college’s Christ-centered core values – passionate learning, global citizenship, compassionate peacemaking and servant-leadership – prepare students as leaders for the church and world. Recognized for its unique Study-Service Term program, Goshen has earned citations of excellence in Barron’s Best Buys in Education, “Colleges of Distinction,” “Making a Difference College Guide” and U.S.News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges” edition, which named Goshen a “least debt college.” Visit www.goshen.edu.
