Senate Resolution No. 3161

BY: Senator GOLDEN

HONORING Miguel Martinez-Saenz, Ph.D. upon the
occasion of his installation as 19th President of
St. Francis College on January 27, 2018

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to take note of
and publicly acknowledge individuals of remarkable integrity and
character whose endeavors continue to enhance the quality of education
in this great State; and

WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its
long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to honor
Miguel Martinez-Saenz, Ph.D. upon the occasion of his installation as
19th President of St. Francis College on Saturday, January 27, 2018, in
Brooklyn, New York; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Miguel Martinez-Saenz, with 17 years of academic and
leadership experience, comes to Brooklyn Heights from Otterbein
University in Westerville, Ohio, where he served as the Provost and Vice
President of Academic Affairs; and

WHEREAS, A true champion of the Franciscan values of kindness and
service, Dr. Miguel Martinez-Saenz brings deep academic experience,
solid leadership skills and an accomplished track record to his role as
President of St. Francis College; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Miguel Martinez-Saenz is committed to three major
pillars of higher education; student access, retention and student
success; and

WHEREAS, With a Master's degree and Ph.D. in Philosophy from the
University of South Florida, Dr. Miguel Martinez-Saenz began his
academic career as an Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Wittenberg
University in Springfield, Ohio; and

WHEREAS, After earning a promotion at Wittenberg, Dr. Miguel
Martinez-Saenz accepted and held two administrative appointments:
Assistant Provost for the First-Year Experience and Associate Provost
for Academic Affairs; and

WHEREAS, In this capacity, Dr. Miguel Martinez-Saenz was
instrumental in the creation of a student centered first-year experience
aimed at easing the transition to college life, an artist-in-residence
program, and the development and implementation of programs aimed to
promote diversity, equity and respect; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Miguel Martinez-Saenz moved from Wittenberg to accept
the position of Dean and Associate Provost for Student Success at St.
Cloud State University, where he led a data analytics initiative to
examine the factors influencing student retention; and

WHEREAS, In his most recent appointment at Otterbein University, Dr.
Miguel Martinez-Saenz led a number of efforts in the context of
internationalization including a three-year global arts initiative; he

also helped develop partnerships with universities in South Africa,
Costa Rica, Brazil and Malaysia; and

WHEREAS, Furthermore, Dr. Miguel Martinez-Saenz served as an
administrative Fulbright Scholar in March of 2016, through the
Fulbright-Nehru International Education Administrators program; and

WHEREAS, Outside the university setting, Dr. Miguel Martinez-Saenz'
experience has been varied and diverse; he has served as a tutor for
teens at or below the poverty line, conducted philosophy workshops in
juvenile detention centers, and has accompanied student groups to build
houses in Nicaragua; and

WHEREAS, A deliberate and devoted writer and speaker, Dr. Miguel
Martinez-Saenz has been published in a number of academic journals and
has written several columns and editorials for Ohio newspapers, the
Huffington Post and The Hill; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Miguel Martinez-Saenz has been the proud recipient of
numerous awards and accolades including the Ohio Latino Awards Educator
of the Year, Insight into Diversity Visionary Award, and the Lillian C.
Franklin Diversity Award; and

WHEREAS, With him throughout have been his wife, Julie, and their
two children, Caterina and Joaquin, who have all showed him love and
support and rejoice in his many achievements; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Miguel Martinez-Saenz' steadfast dedication to giving
all students the best college experience possible will ensure that St.
Francis College continues to flourish as a top private institution for
many years to come; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor Miguel Martinez-Saenz, Ph.D. upon the occasion of his installation
as 19th President of St. Francis College on January 27, 2018; and be it
further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to Miguel Martinez-Saenz, Ph.D.