Dr. Cecilia Rosales Receives Higher Education Award
Cecilia Rosales, MD, MS, associate dean of Phoenix Programs and interim associate dean of community engagement and outreach for the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, has received the Dr. Loui Olivas Distinguished Leadership in Higher Education Award from the Victoria Foundation. The award, presented Nov. 18, recognizes her accomplishments in promoting diversity in higher education.
Cecilia Rosales, MD, MS
“I am delighted and feel a sincere sense of humility to receive the Distinguished Leadership Award, and I have deep gratitude for all my colleagues at every level for their collaborative nature and for endeavoring to help students pursue undergraduate and advanced degrees,” Dr. Rosales said. “I work with a wonderful group of colleagues who daily teach the critical skills that later translate to vital contributions to the health and welfare of our community. I receive this award on behalf of my colleagues at the College of Public Health and Health Sciences.”
As interim associate dean of community engagement and outreach, Dr. Rosales provides mentoring and support for Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health faculty members, staff, students and prospective students to develop and engage in community-based programs, service-learning activities and research. She advocates for community-public health partnerships with groups such as community organizations, academic affiliates, government agencies, and private organizations with a focus on health equity and social justice.
The Dr. Loui Olivas Distinguished Leadership in Higher Education Award is a woodcarving made by Phoenix-based, internationally acclaimed artist Zarco Guerrero.
“I endeavor to serve students who come from the same social and economic background that I experienced growing up in Tucson and as a first-generation college student,” Dr. Rosales said. “A path toward equality, or at the very least reducing the social, economic and health disparities experienced by people of color, can be accomplished by recruiting and retaining, educating and training students to be future educators, researchers and administrators in higher education, and to be leaders who can address the multiple challenges that affect marginalized communities.”
The Victoria Foundation’s mission is to minimize and eliminate financial barriers for youth to attend college. The foundation created the Dr. Loui Olivas Distinguished Leadership in Higher Education Award to recognize leaders from Arizona’s education institutions who champion the recruitment and graduation of Latinx students. Award namesake Loui Olivas, EdD, served as a tenured professor in the Department of Management at Arizona State University’s W. P. Carey School of Business.