AAHHE Outstanding Support of Hispanic Issues Award

The Outstanding Support of Hispanic Issues Award recognizes an individual who has a long-standing record of visible and recognized leadership and other significant contributions that illustrate their continued endeavors as supporters and advocates of Hispanic issues in higher education. This individual need not be an educator but one who has made significant contributions to Hispanic higher education as a community leader, civic leader, elected or appointed official, etc.

2025 Outstanding Support of Hispanic Issues Award Recipient

Teresa Patricia Feria Arroyo, PhD
Associate Dean for Faculty Success, School of Integrative Biological and Chemical Sciences
University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

Teresa Patricia Feria Arroyo, PhD has 16 years of experience developing and implementing programs for faculty, students, and community success. She has mentored about 103 students who have graduated, joined graduate programs, presented their research findings, received awards, published papers, participated in community engagement and traveled abroad (for most of them, this is the first time they have traveled outside the RGV), and found jobs in STEM-related disciplines. She created a program called ¡Juntos al Éxito! -Together, we succeeded- with topics such as understanding what a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) is, sense of belonging, culturally relevant pedagogy, and student success. She also created the Writing-Mentoring Program for faculty success. She co-founded the Women in Sciences Network at the College of Sciences at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV), where she is a full professor and Associate Dean for Faculty Success. She serves as Chair of the Culturally Responsive Student Services Learning Collaborative PUENTES, overseeing a staff development program to improve educational opportunities for students' success. She leads the national NSF ADVANCE-funded THRIVE Summit, which focuses on a transformational leadership development program for HSI Department Chairs.  Feria is a UT System Distinguished Teacher, a higher recognition at the UT System.

List of past recipients of the AAHHE Outstanding Support of Hispanic Issues Award: