Juliet V. Garcia

Dr. Juliet V. Garcia "is recognized as the first Mexican-American woman in the nation to become president of a college or university. She received that distinction in 1986 when she became President of Texas Southmost College (TSC). Dr. Garcia joined the University of Texas System in 1992 after six years of leadership at TSC. As of 2001 she was chair of the Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance and president of the University of Texas at Brownsville.

"Dr. Garcia is primarily responsible for forming the experimental, and at the time controversial, partnership between The University of Texas at Brownsville and the local community college, Texas Southmost College. This collaboration was designed to consolidate resources, increase efficiency and eliminate barriers to higher education for the students in the Lower Rio Grande Valley. The direct results of the initiative continue to confirm success.

"Dr. Garcia created the Endowment Scholarship Fund, which annually provides scholarships to more than 500 students choosing to take a more rigorous course load in high school while maintaining As and Bs. This fund received state, regional and national awards for its innovative approach and successful implementation.

"Dr. Garcia has been recognized with many awards and honors for her leadership. For example, she was named one of the 100 Most Influential Hispanics in 1993 and 1997 by Hispanic Magazine and was named the Most Influential Hispanic Woman in Texas by Texas Hispanic Magazine in 1995. Dr. Garcia’s contributions to education are long lasting, widely effective and geared toward the bright educational future of south Texas.“


 * Trustee, Ford Foundation
 * Former Director, National Audubon Society