The award is named in honor of Reginald Wilson, senior scholar
emeritus at ACE and founding director of the Council's Office of
Minority Concerns (now part of ACE Leadership), and is presented
annually to an individual who has made outstanding contributions and
demonstrated sustained commitment to diversity in higher education.
The award will be presented during the closing plenary of ACE2017, ACE's 99th Annual Meeting, on March 14 in Washington, DC.
"Mildred García is a leader who fully embodies the essence of this
award with passion, integrity and commitment to ensuring inclusion for
all students on a national and local level," said ACE President Molly
Corbett Broad. "Her ability to work across boundaries and within diverse
communities demonstrates the kind of leadership necessary in the 21st
century. I am pleased to add her name to the list of Wilson Award
winners who have honored Reginald Wilson's legacy."
As the president of CSUF, a Hispanic-Serving Institution, García,
herself a first-generation college student, has been an outspoken
advocate for increasing diversity and inclusion at all levels of the
university and surrounding community.
García established a Student Success Center in each of the
university’s eight colleges, designed to provide adequate support and
advising services to increase graduation rates, reduce the time to earn a
degree and narrow the achievement gap for underrepresented students.
Through these and other efforts, CSUF’s graduation rate for first-time
freshmen rose to 63 percent in 2016—the highest in the university’s
history. CSUF also eliminated the achievement gap for transfer students.
She has specifically worked to cultivate and nurture academic talent,
including developing diverse teams of people throughout her career as a
higher education leader, creating a highly diverse university
leadership cabinet and recruiting the most diverse class of incoming
faculty members in the university’s history.
While she has played an outstanding role as a Latina in higher
education and within the community, she has also displayed an
extraordinary willingness to stand for and speak out for many
underserved groups in the context of postsecondary education
specifically and broader societal issues. García created the Titan
Dreamers Resource Center, which provides undocumented students with
academic and emotional support, referrals to financial assistance,
information on programs and services designed to improve retention and
graduation rates, and a comforting environment where students can
connect with one another.
She also has made significant contributions to the research and
scholarly community and was recognized by the Association for the Study
of Higher Education (ASHE) for her work in transforming that academic
community and making it more inclusive. An annual research award is
given by ASHE in her name.
Left to right; ACE President Molly Corbett Broad; Mildred García; Reginald Wilson; Lynn Gangone, vice president, ACE Leadership.