Contact:
Kellee Edmonds
(202) 478-4662
edmondsk@aascu.org

WASHINGTON, April 21, 2022 – Mildred García, Ed.D., president of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU), has been honored for her long-standing commitment to advancing access and success of the Latinx population in higher education.

The American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education (AAHHE) has established the annual Mildred García Founders’ Award in recognition of the many ways García has championed the successes of Hispanic students, faculty, administrators, and institutions throughout her career. The award is presented to individuals whose career, scholarship, leadership, and advocacy have advanced Latinx/Hispanic representation and success in the academy, community, and policy at the local and national levels.

“I’m incredibly honored to be chosen as the namesake for this prestigious award that recognizes and celebrates the accomplishments of other Hispanic leaders in higher education,” said García, a founding board member of AAHHE. “The path of leadership is never easy, and I had wonderful teachers and mentors along the way who encouraged me and saw things in me that I did not see in myself. For that, I am forever grateful. Throughout my career, it has been my goal to give back in everything I do. Being a part of this wonderful organization has given me many opportunities to open doors for many talented women and individuals of color.”

The inaugural Mildred García Founders’ Award will be presented at next year’s AAHHE conference.

García, who became AASCU president on Jan. 22, 2018, is the first Latina to lead one of the six presidentially based higher education associations in Washington, D.C. Prior to joining AASCU, García served as the president of California State University (CSU) Fullerton and CSU Dominguez Hills, where she was the first Latina to serve as a CSU president. A former CEO of Berkeley College, García has held both academic and senior-level positions at Arizona State University; Montclair State University; Pennsylvania State University; Teachers College, Columbia University; and the Hostos, LaGuardia, and City Colleges of the City University of New York.

A Brooklyn native and first-generation college student, García earned a Doctor of Education and an M.A. in Higher Education Administration from Teachers College, Columbia University; an M.A. in Business Education/Higher Education from New York University; a B.S. in Business Education from Baruch College, City University of New York; and an A.A.S. from New York City Community College.

Editor’s Note: A photo of García is available upon request.

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The American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) is a Washington, D.C.-based higher education association of nearly 400 public colleges, universities, and systems whose members share a learning- and teaching-centered culture, a historic commitment to underserved student populations, and a dedication to research and creativity that advances their regions’ economic progress and cultural development. These are institutions Delivering America’s Promise. Visit us at www.aascu.org.