Hispanic and Latin American culture has been a part of ASU’s history since the start. As the University has grown, so has its Hispanic leadership and representation.
ASU has been federally recognized as a Hispanic-Serving Institution by the U.S. Department of Education since 2022. The federal recognition reflects the University’s efforts to serve its Hispanic communities financially and academically.
This representation goes beyond students. Hispanic leaders and educators play a crucial role in student success.
Stella Rouse
Stella Rouse is the director of the Hispanic Research Center and a professor in the School of Politics and Global Studies at ASU.
Rouse began her leadership journey at the University of Maryland, where she worked for 15 years and directed two centers. That included her tenure leading the Center for Democracy and Civic Engagement from 2019-2022.
Rouse relocated to ASU in 2023, where she now operates the Hispanic Research Center in the hopes of setting up future generations of Latino leaders for success.
“We’re all in this together,” Rouse said. “We’re the largest minority group in the country, and we have a lot to offer, a lot to give, and we do a lot to make this country really strong and make it what it is.”
Born in Colombia, Rouse moved to America at 2 years old. She said her late mother, a teacher while in Colombia, showed her the power of education and laid the groundwork for her ambitions — expanding the opportunities for the Hispanic community.
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“My mom was a big inspiration, and I try to honor her memory with the work that I do at the center and hope that she would see the work that I do as sort of building on what she had done and the foundations that she gave me when I was little,” Rouse said.
Rouse’s research concentrates on political behavior, primarily regarding Latino and youth politics. She has written three books and many articles about political science, race, ethnicity and Latino politics.
“I want to lead by example that hopefully people can come after me and continue the great work that not only the center is doing, but Latinos across the state, across the country, are engaged in to help the community achieve the equality that it deserves,” Rouse said.
Manuel Aviles-Santiago
Manuel Aviles-Santiago is the interim dean and a professor of communication and culture at ASU’s College of Integrative Sciences and Arts.
He was born and raised in Aguada, Puerto Rico.
Aviles-Santiago began his higher education journey at the University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras, completing both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees. From there, he went to the University of Texas at Austin, where he completed his doctorate in media studies.
“I never really left Puerto Rico behind,” Aviles-Santiago said. “It’s in my accent. It’s in my scholarship. It’s in my courses and the way I build relationships, and certainly the way I think about community and leadership here at ASU.”
Fresh out of his doctoral program, Aviles-Santiago was hired at ASU as a faculty member of communication and culture at CISA. Thirteen years later, Aviles-Santiago is entering his second year as the college’s interim dean.
Never having a dean or director during his doctoral program who looked like him, Aviles-Santiago said he didn’t see leadership opportunities as an option until getting to ASU.
As interim dean, Aviles-Santiago said he is continuously pushing to advance pathways for student success. In May of 2021, he received the Dr. Eugene Garcia Outstanding Latina/o Faculty Award for his work promoting higher education to disadvantaged and underrepresented communities.
“I want the students and other younger leaders to know that where you come from is not something that you have to leave behind in order to move forward,” Aviles-Santiago said.
This fall he is partnering with ASU’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication to teach Latinxs and the Media, a half-semester online course focused on the growth and transformation of Latinx media, according to its class description.
Stephanie Parra
Stephanie Parra is the assistant vice president and senior solutions officer in ASU’s office of Educational Outreach and Student Services.
Parra is a first-generation American who grew up in Yuma, Arizona.
She said her father dropped out of high school due to discrimination and the lack of resources available to him. He always told her, “Your path out of my pathway is through education,” sparking her passion for teaching, she said.
Her higher education career began at ASU, where she earned two bachelor’s degrees in psychology and justice studies. She later attended the Mary Lou Fulton College for Teaching and Learning Innovation, where she received both her master’s degree and, in May, a doctorate.
Parra has now been in the education field for over 15 years, previously working as a governing board member for the Phoenix Union High School District and founding executive director turned CEO at the Arizona Latino Leaders in Education nonprofit.
The Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce named Parra its 2024 Woman of the Year for her work ensuring that those most impacted by education policy have a say in decisions.
She said she worked to make educational career paths more accessible by rethinking the traditional teacher preparation model by highlighting apprenticeship-based training and expanding leadership capacity in Latino communities.
Parra said she is passionate about non-traditional students, such as adult learners or those changing their careers.
“My favorite thing about being an educator is that we’re in the business of seeing potential in people, young and old,” Parra said. “In order for somebody to reach their full potential, they just need to be seen by someone.”
Edited by Dhemi Bell, Carsten Oyer, Grace Lawrence and Sophia Keeling.
Reach the reporter at eratwell@asu.edu.
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