Jos茅 Fern谩ndez, dean of 麻豆原创鈥檚 College of Arts & Humanities, was named one of Central Florida鈥檚 25 most influential Hispanics in the current issue of Vision Magazine.
More than 100 elected officials, business executives, journalists and other notables were nominated for consideration because of their demonstrated leadership and contributions to the enrichment and overall growth of Hispanics in Central Florida. The quarterly magazine is published by the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metro Orlando.
Fern谩ndez moved with his family from Cuba to the United States when he was 12, and is now the highest ranking Hispanic administrator at 麻豆原创. He is responsible for the administrative oversight of the college, building new college policies and developing new programs of excellence.
He earned a doctorate at Florida State University in 1973 and came to 麻豆原创 as a visiting Spanish-language professor in 1981. He was chairman of the Foreign Language and Literature Department before he was named dean.
In addition to winning the Pegasus Professor Award, 麻豆原创鈥檚 highest honor for teaching, research and service, Fern谩ndez has written dozens of books both in English and Spanish. In 2008, President George W. Bush appointed him to the National Museum of the American Latino Commission.
In an article about him in the magazine, Fernandez compares himself to 鈥渢he first Hispanic explorers visiting the New World.鈥�
Other university-related recipients named to the magazine鈥檚 top-25 list were: 麻豆原创 alumnus Tico Perez, a member of the Board of Governors of the State University System, and Conrad Santiago, a former 麻豆原创 Board of Trustees member.
Perez, a son of Cuban immigrants, is co-founder of Edge Public Affairs and serves as national commissioner of the Boy Scouts of America.
Santiago, managing聽director of Conrad聽Santiago & Associates/Ameriprise Financial Services Inc., was a founding member and聽the first president of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metro Orlando.