| NEWS
| July 21, 2005
Administration
Center hires new director
Interim director revokes his application
for the Center of Mexican American director; Susan González
Baker will replace him.
By Meredith
Moore
The Shorthorn Staff
The Center for Mexican American Studies
has hired its fourth director since the foundation’s inception
in 1993.
Susan González Baker will replace Alejandro del Carmen, the
center’s interim director of two years, on Aug. 1. She was
chosen out of four candidates for the position.
Dr. del Carmen initially applied for the position but revoked his
application because he said he wanted to devote more time teaching
graduate students in the Criminology Department.
“My intention was always to return to [it],” del Carmen
said. “Personal reasons led me to withdraw from the process.”
Del Carmen said Provost Dana Dunn asked him to step in for one year
when former director Manuel Garcia y Griego could not devote the
time needed to fulfill his duties.
Although del Carmen has not yet met his successor, he said he’s
communicating with Baker to prepare for the transition period in
August.
“From now until the end of fall, I want her to be able to
rely on me,” he said.
Baker received her doctorate in sociology from UT-Austin and will
also be a sociology associate professor here. Her research primarily
focuses on Latino homelessness and government policies on Latino
immigration and Mexican-American women working in the U.S.
“We were looking for someone who had a well-rounded vision
for the center,” Dunn said.
Dunn said Baker had strong ideas and experience for the position
and that her work will fit in well with the center’s faculty.
Del Carmen said the center is primarily for research, teaching and
community service among Mexican-Americans and has been successful
for the past two years. He said he believes Baker and the other
faculty members at the center will continue the mission they started.
Roberto Trevino, the center’s assistant director, agreed that
the transition from del Carmen to Baker would be smooth. He, along
with staff and students that work with the center, interviewed Baker
about what her goals were and said she seemed open and eager to
learn different points of view.
Dr. Trevino said he was hoping to hire a woman to introduce diversity
to the group of men.
“An added plus will be the gender balance she will add,”
he said. “Since I’ve been associated with the center,
the directors and faculty have all been men.”
|
|
