April 5, 2022
AHSIE announces Mesa College’s Dr. Paloma Vargas as Council President
By Office of Communications
Casa Grande, AZ --- The Alliance of Hispanic Serving Institution Educators (AHSIE)
has announced the election of Dr. Paloma Vargas as AHSIE Council President for the
2022-2025 term. Dr. Vargas’s leadership and expertise will be valuable in achieving
AHSIE’s mission of supporting practitioners through sharing best practices, collaboration,
engagement, and professional learning.
Dr. Paloma Vargas (she/they/ella) is currently the Dean of Mathematics and Natural
Sciences at San Diego Mesa College, a 2-year public Hispanic-Serving (HSI) and Asian
American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution (AANAPISI). In her
capacity as Dean, Dr. Vargas works with administration, faculty, and staff to determine
best practices in serving a diverse student population. Dr. Vargas received her B.S.
in Biology from the University of Texas at El Paso and El Paso Community College (HSIs),
and her M.S. and Ph.D. in Medical and Molecular Parasitology from The Vilcek Institute
of Graduate Biomedical Sciences at New York University. Her graduate and post-doctoral
work focused on host-pathogen interactions of both parasitic amoeba (E. histolytica) and Legionella pneumophila, the causative agent of Legionnaire’s Disease. Dr. Vargas has previously served as
a biology faculty member, researcher, HSI Director, Science Coordinator and STEM Advisor
at private and public institutions.
Dr. Vargas has extensive experience in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion work. Her focus
has been on dismantling policies that negatively affect Black, Latinx, and Native
American/Indigenous students in higher education. She has served as a facilitator
and trainer for faculty in DEI work including work focusing on Hispanic-Serving Institutions.
Dr. Vargas is an anti-racist in training and centers culturally relevant pedagogy
in her work. Dr. Vargas is an active member of both the Society for the Advancement
of Chicanos/Latinos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) and of the Alliance of
Hispanic-Serving Institute Educators (AHSIE).
About AHSIE
The Alliance of Hispanic Serving Institution Educators (AHSIE) exists to support the
work of the nation’s Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) as they seek to provide
quality, relevant educational opportunities to large and growing numbers of underserved
populations, particularly Hispanic students. All of the Alliance’s activities directly
benefit practitioners and educators at HSIs through measures that involve cooperation,
networking, partnerships, information-sharing, technical assistance and collaboration.
About San Diego Mesa College
San Diego Mesa College is a fully accredited, comprehensive community college committed
to access, success, and equity. We honor those commitments as a diverse community
of students, faculty, professional staff, and administrators who collaborate to foster
scholarship, leadership, innovation, and excellence in an inclusive learning environment.
By promoting student learning and achievement that leads to degrees and certificates,
transfer, workforce training, and lifelong learning, we empower our students to reach
their educational goals and shape their future. Among the largest community colleges
in California, Mesa College serves 30,000 students per year, 25% of whom are full-time.
Mesa offers nearly 200 associate degree and certificate programs and is one of 15
California community colleges offering a four-year baccalaureate degree. Mesa ranks
as San Diego’s top transfer institution, is a proud Hispanic Serving Institution and
a Military Friendly School, serving more than 3,500 veterans and their families.
Find San Diego Mesa College on Social Media:
Facebook.com: sandiegomesacollege
Twitter.com: sdmesacollege
Instagram.com: sdmesacollege
Youtube: youtube.com: sdmesacollege
Snapchat: sdmesacollege
LinkedIn: San Diego Mesa College
Prez Pam Luster: twitter.com: sdmesaprez
Tags: Alliance of Hispanic Serving Institution Educators, Paloma Vargas, Hispanic Serving Institutions, Press Release, Professor
