AMES, Iowa -- Iowa State University Associate Dean of Students Mary Jo Gonzales has announced the appointment of Santos Núñez Galicia as the new assistant dean and director of multicultural student affairs, effective Jan. 20, 2009.
Núñez Galicia has been program director of the Multicultural Resource Center at the University of Kansas in Lawrence since June 2001.
"Santos brings to the ISU community a really strong understanding of what it means to retain multicultural students and build a multicultural community on our campus," Gonzales said.
In her new position at ISU, Núñez Galicia will provide leadership to the progress the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs has made in improving retention and graduation rates for students of color, and support other needs students of color face on a predominately white campus.
"What drew me here was the challenge of overseeing the entire office and academic programs," said Núñez Galicia, who worked at Iowa State as a Friley Hall director from 1997 to 2000.
"My position at Iowa State was my first after my master's degree, and people made me feel right at home," Núñez Galicia said. "I credit ISU for launching my career and I want to give back."
Núñez Galicia earned her master of education degree in student personnel services in 1997 from the University of South Carolina, Columbia. She received her bachelor's degree in English in 1994 from the University of North Texas in Denton.
At the University of Kansas, she is pursuing her doctor of education degree in educational leadership and policy studies, with an emphasis on the college choice process for Latino students. She expects to complete the degree program in May 2010.
Núñez Galicia has taught a course on multicultural issues in American society at Kansas for the past three years. She has spoken widely on diversity education, understanding and appreciation of cultural differences, and the role of multicultural student services on retention of students of color to local, regional and national audiences.
A member of several professional associations, Núñez Galicia serves on the scholarship review committee of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities. She was named 2008 Outstanding Mid-Level Professional by the Region IV-West of the Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education. Núñez Galicia also has received several honors from the University of Kansas for her commitment, and leadership and achievements in multicultural student affairs.