Austin Community College District (ACC) has named Dr. Samuel Echevarria-Cruz associate dean of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Initiatives in Instruction.

Echevarria-Cruz, professor of sociology in the Sociology and Social Work Department, brings a wealth of experience in teaching, research, and training to bear on ACC’s growing diversity, equity, and inclusion work. His previous professional experiences at ACC include serving as Faculty Senate president, Sociology and Social Work department chair, and Liberal Arts for Social and Behavioral Sciences dean.

For the past three years, Echevarria-Cruz has led the coordination of resources and workshops focused on increasing equity within ACC’s full-time faculty hiring processes, was part of the inaugural advisory committee of ACC’s Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation Center, and is part of the inaugural ACC Districtwide Equity Committee. These experiences bring together his passion for racial, ethnic, and intersectional equity with his desire to serve ACC students, faculty, and staff. 

As associate dean, he will be responsible for supporting the Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer, Associate Vice Chancellor of Academic Programs, and Associate Vice Chancellor of Workforce Education in providing leadership in instructional-area equity initiatives, planning, and training to continually build ACC’s position as a leading college in increasing success and equity for all students, faculty, and instructional programs.