Dr. Noemi Custodia-Lora, vice president of Northern Essex Community College’s Lawrence campus, is one of 24 fellows selected to participate in the Presidential Leadership Academy.
The academy was assembled by the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities to address the falling number of Latinos in leadership at American higher education institutions. According to the group, there has been a drop in Hispanic presidents despite historic highs in Hispanic students.
Custodia-Lora said she is “honored to be selected for the academy.”
The college, itself, can claim more than 40% of its enrolled student body is Hispanic or Latino. Custodia-Lora, has worked to create community partnerships to keep this enrollment statistic high. One such effort is the PIES Latinos de NECC, a group that validates the professional credentials of immigrants seeking education.
Custodia-Lora got her start as a Natural Sciences faculty. She has a Ph.D. from Boston University and hails from Haverhill.
The fellowship provides an opportunity for Northern Essex to strengthen ties with the HACU—a national organization representing over 500 colleges and Universities in the United States and Latin America.