Luzelma G. Canales, Interim Associate Dean of Community Engagement & Workforce Development

Luzelma G. Canales currently serves as the Interim Associate Dean of Community Engagement & Workforce Development at South Texas College. She oversees the development and implementation of initiatives related to community engagement and nontraditional programs (non-credit) for the College. She establishes and maintains collaborative relationships and partnerships with community organizations, members of the community, institutions of higher education, public school districts, and other private/public organizations and agencies. Luzelma oversees the development and delivery of all continuing education and corporate training programs. She is also responsible for identifying and responding to grant opportunities, ensuring compliance with College grants/contracts, and facilitating accountability and management reviews for all college offices and departments. She serves as the College lead on the Achieving the Dream: Community Colleges Count initiative, which is a national project addressing the achievement and attainment gap for underrepresented students. She is also the lead in the Excelencia in Education Starting Point: Community College and the Accelerating Latino Student Success (ALASS) at Texas Border Institutions initiatives, which focused promoting Latino student success. Luzelma is also serving as the lead for the Public Agenda/MDC Community Engagement and Leadership Development pilot, which engages the diverse stakeholders in the region in community conversations focused on student success issues. To date, Luzelma has worked with four area School Districts and STC Division of Academic Affairs to establish four early college high schools. Canales has over 20 years of higher education experience. Luzelma was awarded the Meritorious Service Award in 1995 by the President of the University of Texas – Pan American and the Presidential Jaguar Excellence Award in 2005 by the President of South Texas College.

Ms. Canales holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Pan American University, a Master of Business Administration from the University of Texas – Pan American, and is currently completing the dissertation requirements for a Doctorate of Philosophy in Human Resource Development from Texas A&M University – College Station.

Paul Hernandez currently serves as Dean of Student Support Services for South Texas College. He is responsible for providing leadership in the Office of Counseling and Advising. The department of Counseling and Advising provides academic advising, career and personal counseling, special services for students with disabilities, and assistance with special populations. Mr. Hernandez also oversees the College Success Coaches (previously Retention Specialsists) assigned to Student Affairs and Enrollment Management. Mr. Hernandez leads the training for all faculty advising, Beacon Mentoring Program, a case-management approach to holistic student advisement. Mr. Hernandez has over 18 years of higher education experience including time as a full-time faculty member and Program Chair in Social Behavioral Sciences and continues to teach as an Adjunct faculty member. He has presented at numerous national conferences on the development and application of Bilingual Counseling Education Curriculum and the Promoting of Counseling Services via the Internet.  He has served as an institutional leader for the National Science Foundation as a member of the Foundation Coalition Program. The primary goal of this program was to expand math and science education to Minority Serving Institutions of Higher Education.  Paul was awarded the Student Services & Development Jaguar Excellence Award in 2006 and.  He is currently a Licensed Professional Counselor by the Texas State Board of Examiners of Professional Counselors and serves as a Licensed Professional Counselor Board Approved Supervisor.  Mr. Hernandez holds a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Science in Psychology from Texas A&M University – Kingsville.