Havidán Rodríguez (born February 24, 1959, in

Arecibo, Puerto Rico Arecibo (; ) is a city and municipality on the northern coast of Puerto Rico, on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean, located north of Utuado and Ciales; east of Hatillo; and west of Barceloneta and Florida. It is about west of San Juan, the ...

) is an American sociologist and university administrator. He is currently the president of the

University at Albany, SUNY The State University of New York at Albany, commonly referred to as the University at Albany, UAlbany or SUNY Albany, is a public research university with campuses in Albany, Rensselaer, and Guilderland, New York. Founded in 1844, it is one ...

. He earned his Ph.D. in sociology from the

University of Wisconsin–Madison A university () is an educational institution, institution of higher education, higher (or Tertiary education, tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. Universities ty ...

Education

Dr. Havidán Rodríguez earned his bachelor's degree in psychology from the

University of Maryland, College Park The University of Maryland, College Park (University of Maryland, UMD, or simply Maryland) is a public land-grant research university in College Park, Maryland. Founded in 1856, UMD is the flagship institution of the University System of Mary ...

, his master's degree in sociology from the

University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee The University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee (UW–Milwaukee, UWM, or Milwaukee) is a public urban research university in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It is the largest university in the Milwaukee metropolitan area and a member of the University of Wiscons ...

, and his Ph.D in sociology from the

in 1991. His Ph.D. field of specialization was

demography Demography () is the statistics, statistical study of populations, especially human beings. Demographic analysis examines and measures the dimensions and Population dynamics, dynamics of populations; it can cover whole societies or groups ...

, an area in which he continues to publish, along with his interdisciplinary work.

Career

Rodríguez was named the 20th president of the

by the State University of New York Board of Trustees on June 21, 2017, a position he assumed in September 2017. He is the first Latino president of a SUNY campus. Prior to this position, Rodríguez served as founding Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs at the

University of Texas Rio Grande Valley The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) is a public research university with multiple campuses throughout the Rio Grande Valley region of Texas and is the southernmost member of the University of Texas System. The University of Texas ...

, Interim President of

University of Texas–Pan American , mottoeng = Education, the Guardian of Society , established = , closed = , type = Public university , endowment = $65 million , president = Dr. Havidan Rodriguez ...

, and Deputy Provost at

University of Delaware The University of Delaware (colloquially UD or Delaware) is a public land-grant research university located in Newark, Delaware. UD is the largest university in Delaware. It offers three associate's programs, 148 bachelor's programs, 121 mas ...

. His first academic position after earning his Ph.D. was at the

University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez The University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus (UPRM) or Recinto Universitario de Mayagüez (RUM) in Spanish (also referred to as Colegio and CAAM in allusion to its former name), is a public land-grant university in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico. UPRM ...

. Rodríguez has been featured in ''

The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education ''The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education'' is an American biweekly magazine that focuses on Hispanic education in institutions of higher learning. It is notable for its annual Top 100 list of colleges and universities A university () i ...

'', the January/February 2018 issue of ''Latino Leaders Magazine'', ''The Minority Report.'' He was interviewed about Puerto Rico's economic crisis by ''

El Nuevo Día ''El Nuevo Día'' (English: ''The New Day'') is the newspaper with the largest circulation in Puerto Rico. It was founded in 1909 in Ponce, Puerto Rico, and today it is a subsidiary of GFR Media. Its headquarters are in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico. ...

'' in June 2018, and included as a "trailblazer" in the December 2017 ''

American Way The American way of life or the American way refers to the American nationalist ethos that adheres to the principle of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. At the center of the American way is the belief in an American Dream that is clai ...

''.

Research and scholarship

Rodríguez has published prolifically in the social science aspects of disasters (including the vulnerability and resiliency to disasters), and socioeconomic well-being among minorities, particularly Latinos/as, in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

(including the migration, education, and socioeconomic mobility among Puerto Ricans in

Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and Unincorporated ...

and the

Contiguous United States The contiguous United States (officially the conterminous United States) consists of the 48 adjoining U.S. states and the Federal District of the United States of America. The term excludes the only two non-contiguous states, Alaska and Hawaii ...

). He has led and participated in a number of field research projects, including trips to

Honduras Honduras, officially the Republic of Honduras, is a country in Central America. The republic of Honduras is bordered to the west by Guatemala, to the southwest by El Salvador, to the southeast by Nicaragua, to the south by the Pacific Oce ...

, following

Hurricane Mitch Hurricane Mitch is the second-deadliest Atlantic hurricane on record, causing over 11,000 fatalities in Central America in 1998, including approximately 7,000 in Honduras and 3,800 in Nicaragua due to cataclysmic flooding from the slow motion ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

and

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...

following the

2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami An earthquake and a tsunami, known as the Boxing Day Tsunami and, by the scientific community, the Sumatra–Andaman earthquake, occurred at 07:58:53 local time (UTC+7) on 26 December 2004, with an epicentre off the west coast of northern Suma ...

, and the Gulf Coast following

Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina was a destructive Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that caused over 1,800 fatalities and $125 billion in damage in late August 2005, especially in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. It was at the time the cost ...

. He has received funding from the

National Science Foundation The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent agency of the United States government that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National I ...

, the

Ford Foundation The Ford Foundation is an American private foundation with the stated goal of advancing human welfare. Created in 1936 by Edsel Ford and his father Henry Ford, it was originally funded by a US$25,000 gift from Edsel Ford. By 1947, after the death ...

, and the

Federal Emergency Management Agency The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS), initially created under President Jimmy Carter by Presidential Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1978 and implemented by two Exec ...

. In addition to numerous journal articles and book chapters, Rodríguez is co-author (with

Marie T. Mora Marie T. Mora (born November 7, 1969) is an American economist who currently acts as Provost Ad Interim at Metropolitan State University of Denver. She was also a former tenured faculty member at New Mexico State University. Mora's research foc ...

and Alberto Dávila) of ''Population, Migration, and Socioeconomic Outcomes among Island and Mainland Puerto Ricans: La Crisis Boricua'' (Lexington Books, November 2017). He is also the co-editor of ''Handbook of Disaster Research'' (with Quarantelli and Dynes, Springer, 2006); ''Handbook of Disaster Research, 2nd Edition'' (with Trainor and Donner, Springer, 2018); and ''Latinas/os in the United States: Changing the Face of América'' (with Rogelio Sáenz and Menjívar, Springer, 2008).

Honors and awards

* ''Man of the Year'', New York League of Puerto Rican Women, 2018 *

Omicron Delta Kappa Omicron Delta Kappa (), also known as The Circle and ODK, is one of the most prestigious honor societies in the United States with chapters at more than 300 college campuses. It was founded December 3, 1914, at Washington and Lee University in ...

''honoris causa'' initiate, University at Albany, 2017 *''Top Latino Leader'', National Diversity Council's Council for Latino Workplace Equity, 2017 * ''Inspiring Leaders in STEM Award'', ''INSIGHT into Diversity'' magazine, 2017http://www.insightintodiversity.com/wp-content/media/issues/september2017.pdf * ''President's Medallion'', University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, 2017 * ''Cesar Estrada Chavez Award'', American Association for Access, Equity, and Diversity (AAAED), 2016 * Highlighted in ''Bright Spots in Hispanic Education'' on-line catalogue, September 2015,

White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics The White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics is a multi-agency working group within the Department of Education charged with strengthening the nation's capacity to provide high-quality education while increasing opportunitie ...

* ''Alfredo de los Santos, Jr., Award for Distinguished Leadership in Higher Education'',

American Association for Hispanics in Higher Education American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

(AAHHE), 2015 * Cover Story, ''

Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education ''The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education'' is an American biweekly magazine that focuses on Hispanic education in institutions of Higher education, higher learning. It is notable for its annual Top 100 list of colleges and universities awa ...

'', June 2015 * ''Scholar of the Year'', ''El Sol: Latino Newspaper'', Philadelphia, July 19, 2008 * ''Hispanic of the Year: Professional Achievement Award'', Latin American Community Center, Delaware, 2007 * ''

(FEMA),

National Disaster Medical System The National Disaster Medical System (NDMS) is a federally coordinated healthcare system and partnership of the United States Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS), Homeland Security (DHS), Defense (DOD), and Veterans Affairs (VA). The ...

(NDMS) Outstanding Achievement Award for 2004'' * Frey Foundation Distinguished Visiting Professor, University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill, (Spring 2002)

References

External links

President, University at Albany SUNY website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rodriguez, Havidan American sociologists 1959 births Living people People from Arecibo, Puerto Rico Presidents of University at Albany University of Delaware faculty University of Wisconsin–Madison College of Letters and Science alumni University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee alumni University of Maryland, College Park alumni University of Texas–Pan American people University of Texas Rio Grande Valley people University of Puerto Rico faculty University of Texas System people