As Dean of the UTSA College of Public Policy, Sáenz has been effective in raising the profile of the college and building a thriving community of public servants and advocates among its students and alumni.
(Sept. 13, 2018) -- Sociologist and demographer Rogelio Sáenz recently announced his plans to focus on his research and step down as dean of the UTSA College of Public Policy, effective May 31, 2019. He has served as dean since 2011.
Sáenz researches and writes extensively on race and ethnic relations, demographic trends, immigration, public policy, social justice and human rights. Using data to contribute to the political and public dialogue surrounding current events, he is a regular contributor of opinion essays for various newspapers including the Austin American-Statesman, Dallas Morning News, El Paso News, Houston Chronicle, and San Antonio Express-News, and also writes a monthly column for ¡Ahora Sí!, the Spanish-language newspaper of the Austin American-Statesman. Earlier this year, he received the Cesar Estrada Chavez Award from the American Association for Access, Equity and Diversity for his leadership in support of workers’ rights and humanitarian issues.
Sáenz is working with co-author Maria Cristina Morales of the University of Texas at El Paso on a second edition of their acclaimed 2015 book "Latinos in the United States: Diversity and Change” (Polity, UK). Additionally, he is writing another book, “The Color of Class: What the Declining Fortunes of Working-Class Whites Tells Us About Race” (Routledge, New York), which examines the societal predicament of working-class whites in comparison to working-class African Americans and Latinos in the United States. With two book contracts in hand and other exciting research projects getting started, Sáenz plans to dedicate his full effort to his scholarship as a professor in the Department of Demography.
“Dr. Saenz is a well-recognized, accomplished scholar, and I am not surprised his work is in high demand,” said Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Kimberly Andrews Espy. “I am incredibly grateful to him for his leadership and service to UTSA. Through the many outreach and programming initiatives he has led, Rogelio has been extremely effective in both raising the profile of the College of Public Policy and building a thriving community of public servants and advocates among its more than 1,400 students and 4,000 alumni.”
Transition planning will begin immediately and will culminate in the initiation of a national search for a new leader.
Prior to joining UTSA in 2011, Sáenz had been a faculty member at Texas A&M University since 1986, additionally serving as head of the Department of Sociology from 1997 to 2005, and College of Liberal Arts Cornerstone Faculty Fellow from 2008 to 2011. He earned Ph.D. and M.S. degrees in sociology from Iowa State University and a bachelor's degree in social work from Pan American University (now University of Texas Rio Grande Valley).
In 2016, he was appointed by UTSA as the inaugural holder of the Mark G. Yudof College of Public Policy Dean’s Endowed Professorship in recognition of academic distinction, leadership and professional service.
“I have been grateful for the opportunity to serve as dean and proud of what we have accomplished as a college,” said Sáenz. “UTSA is such a special university and, with our demographics and strong connection to the city of San Antonio, we truly have the opportunity to serve as a model university representing the future of our country. I’m excited to be a part of that as a faculty member and also to continue my own policy research.”
Located at the UTSA Downtown Campus, the College of Public Policy offers undergraduate programs in criminal justice and public administration and graduate programs in applied demography, criminal justice and criminology, pubic administration and social work. The Center for Policy Studies and the Institute for Demographic and Socioeconomic Research are housed within the college.
Connect with UTSA online at Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and LinkedIn.
UTSA Today is produced by University Communications and Marketing, the official news source of The University of Texas at San Antonio. Send your feedback to news@utsa.edu. Keep up-to-date on UTSA news by visiting UTSA Today. Connect with UTSA online at Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and Instagram.
A roundtable discussion that will explore the impact of documenting LGBTQ+ oral histories and the unique challenges of sharing these stories.
UTSA Westside Community Center, 1310 Guadalupe St. San Antonio 78207Have questions about making your OER accessible on UTSA Pressbooks? The OER Team and the Digital Accessibility Team are ready to answer them! Please bring your questions about OER and accessibility and receive guidance from our two teams.
Virtual EventCelebrate the graduates of the College for Health, Community and Policy, College of Liberal and Fine Arts and College of Sciences.
AlamodomeCome celebrate the graduates of the Alvarez College of Business, College of Education and Human Development, Klesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design and University College
AlamodomeThe University of Texas at San Antonio is dedicated to the advancement of knowledge through research and discovery, teaching and learning, community engagement and public service. As an institution of access and excellence, UTSA embraces multicultural traditions and serves as a center for intellectual and creative resources as well as a catalyst for socioeconomic development and the commercialization of intellectual property - for Texas, the nation and the world.
To be a premier public research university, providing access to educational excellence and preparing citizen leaders for the global environment.
We encourage an environment of dialogue and discovery, where integrity, excellence, inclusiveness, respect, collaboration and innovation are fostered.
UTSA is a proud Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) as designated by the U.S. Department of Education .
The University of Texas at San Antonio, a Hispanic Serving Institution situated in a global city that has been a crossroads of peoples and cultures for centuries, values diversity and inclusion in all aspects of university life. As an institution expressly founded to advance the education of Mexican Americans and other underserved communities, our university is committed to promoting access for all. UTSA, a premier public research university, fosters academic excellence through a community of dialogue, discovery and innovation that embraces the uniqueness of each voice.
