At the end of April, Antonio R. Flores, president and CEO of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU), will return to his alma mater, Western Michigan University (WMU), to receive an honorary degree. WMU will confer degrees during four commencement ceremonies Saturday, April 29, in Miller Auditorium.
A campus-wide committee made the degree recommendation to University President John M. Dunn and the WMU Board of Trustees for the awarding of the honorary Doctor of Humane Letters to Flores. The committee noted Flores' scholarly, professional and humanitarian leadership that "comprise an exceptional model of the ideals and aspirations for students, faculty, staff and alumni of Western Michigan University."
Flores recalls fond memories of his time at WMU during the 1970s, after he had emigrated to the U.S. “The professors and staff at WMU made me feel welcomed and valued as a student and as a new American,” said Flores. “As a member of the Bronco family, I am humbled to be recognized by my alma mater for such a high honor. To come full circle from receiving my master’s from WMU 40 years ago to now, with friends, family and alumni who have achieved their dreams in education and beyond, is truly a moment of deep honor.”
Flores received his Master of Arts degree in counseling and personnel from WMU in 1977, after receiving undergraduate degrees in business administration and elementary education from Universidad de Guadalajara and Centro Normal Regional, Mexico. He holds a Ph.D. in higher education administration from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. Flores was named the third president of the HACU in 1996. During Flores’ tenure as president, the Association has nearly tripled membership, expanded programs three-fold and significantly improved legislation for HSIs with increased annual federal funding. Recently, in 2016, Flores received a Latino Leader’s Maestro of Leadership Award for his lifetime achievements and accomplishments.
Photo courtesy of NJCU: HACU President and CEO Antonio R. Flores at 2016 commencement ceremony.