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Dr. Rumaldo Z. Juarez named to 2005 Hispanic Business magazine list of 100 most influential Hispanics in America

KINGSVILLE (October 25, 2005) — Dr. Rumaldo Z. Juarez, president of Texas A&M University-Kingsville, was named to Hispanic Business magazine’s annual list of the 100 Most Influential Hispanics in America.

The list is featured in the magazine’s October 2005 issue.

A native of Robstown, Juarez joins a unique and varied group made up of professionals, politicians, athletes, educators and performers, among others. They include Imelda Navarro, CFO and COO of International Bank of Commerce; Manny Diaz, mayor of the city of Miami; Melquiades “Mel” Martinez, U.S. Senator from Florida; William D. Perez, CEO of Nike; and actress Eva Longoria, an A&M-Kingsville alumna.

Among university presidents on the list, Juarez is joined by Ruben Armiñana of Sonoma State University; Alexander Gonzalez of California State University-Sacramento; and J. Michael Ortiz of California State Polytechnic University-Pomona.

The flagship publication of Hispanic Business Inc., Hispanic Business magazine has an ABC-audited primary circulation of 230,000 and a total audience of over one million readers. Members of the 100 Most Influential list were nominated by readers, web visitors, contributing editors and writers, magazine staff and the nominees themselves.

Juarez learned of his selection to Hispanic Business magazine through several of his colleagues, who emailed him congratulating him of the selection. “This caught me by surprise,” said Juarez, “and I am grateful to whoever nominated me for this award. It is a real honor to be among such distinguished presidents from other universities and especially in the company of such accomplished business professionals. Coincidentally, this is a real bonus for Texas A&M University-Kingsville, since Ms. Eva Longoria, an alumna of our university, was also named in the same issue.”

Juarez became president of Texas A&M-Kingsville in August 2002. He had previously served as dean and professor in the College of Health Professions at Southwest Texas State University from 1994-2002.

From 1981 to 1994 he worked at the University of Texas-Pan American in Edinburg, where he served as department chair and professor of the department of sociology and social work and also as executive director of the UT System Texas-Mexico Border Health Coordination Office. Juarez also has taught at the University of Arizona and has had adjunct appointments at the UT Health Science Center in San Antonio, UT Medical Branch- Galveston and the University of North Texas.

Between 1979 and 1981 he was a social science analyst in the Office of Evaluation and Technical Analysis, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in Washington, D.C. Post graduate experience includes the W.K. Kellogg Fellowship, the Gerontological Society of America Fellowship and the Management Development Program at the Harvard University Graduate School of Education.

Juarez' subject areas of special interest are sociology of health, social gerontology, health services research, sociological theory, minority populations, social change and environmental health. He has published research pertaining to the Hispanic elderly, vital and health statistics, Texas-Mexico Border demographics and health statistics, diabetes in Hispanic populations and educational aspirations of Hispanic youth.

He is a member of the Gerontological Society of America, the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, the American Council on Education, the Texas Council of University Presidents and Chancellors, the Texas International Education Consortium and has served on numerous local, state and national advisory and editorial boards.

He has received several awards, including the Association of Schools of Allied Health Cultural Pluralism Award, the Texas Society of Allied Health Professions Outstanding Service Award, LULAC Outstanding Service Award, UT-Pan Am Service Award and UT-Pan Am Distinguished Faculty Award. In October 2004, he was named a Distinguished Alumni of the Penn State College of Agriculture Sciences.

Juarez received his doctoral degree in rural sociology from Penn State University and has bachelor's and master's degrees in sociology from Texas A&M University in College Station where he was also commissioned as a U.S. Army Officer.

This page last updated 28 October, 2005