Congrats to HACU Leadership Fellow Alejandra Villalobos Meléndez
September 25, 2024
We are thrilled to announce that Alejandra “Ale” Villalobos Meléndez, who leads Institutional Research at UNM-Taos, has been selected as a fellow for the prestigious 2024-25 cohort of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) Leadership Academy/La Academia de Liderazgo.
The Leadership Academy is made up of 45 fellows. Ale is one of five fellows from New Mexico: two from UNM, two from CNM, and one from the NMSU Foundation. This is a strong showing from New Mexico considering California and Texas typically have the largest representation.
“I am deeply honored to be selected as a HACU Fellow this year,” Ale said. “Joining a cohort of 44 Hispanic higher education leaders from across the nation is an exciting opportunity to learn from one another and foster meaningful connections.”
The Leadership Academy is dedicated to developing diverse leaders in higher education, and we are proud to see Ale representing UNM-Taos as part of this national initiative.
Ale is most looking forward to developing lasting professional relationships and exploring new avenues for collaboration. “This fellowship's focus on financial management, fundraising, and advocacy will enhance my ability to support the chancellor and UNM-Taos in pursuing our strategic goals,” she added. “I am grateful to HACU for both selecting me and offering generous financial support and to Dr. Gutierrez for her continued encouragement and guidance.”
She was among 13 fellows to receive a scholarship from Capital One, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) Fellowship, or the Mellon Foundation. “I was fortunate to receive a Capital One scholarship for $10,000 to cover the program costs,” Ale shared.
Learn more about the Leadership Academy at http://hacu.net/leadershipacademy.
We look forward to seeing the incredible impact she will continue to make through this opportunity!
