New Mexico Highlands UniversityInterim Dean, School of Social Work
Jun. 2014 - Jan. 2016Las Vegas, New MexicoRESPONSIBILITIES: In my capacity as Interim Dean, I administered an influential and spiritually unique social work program with a combined statewide enrollment of over 500 largely Roman Catholic students representing New Mexico’s Hispanic and Native American populations. My focus was to advance and maintain the high-quality education of this groundbreaking multilingual, multicultural and interdisciplinary program with a graduate concentration and community-minded approach. This included the supervision of a nine-member faculty and six-member administrative staff, an annual budget over $4M, and a Title IV-E grant totaling $2M yearly. RESULTS: Under my leadership, the program grew and prospered, including the joining of the Schools of Social Work, Counseling, Nursing, and Psychology into a thriving new College of Allied Health Professions. Additionally, we created the Indigenous Knowledge Center, providing statewide research services and the design and delivery of academic programs, many offered online at the School’s centers in Albuquerque, Farmington, Roswell, Santa Fe, and the main Las Vegas campus. Also initiated under my direction, we contracted with the San Miguel County Detention Center to design and coadminister a multidisciplinary community reintegration program for inmates preparing for release.