Notre Dame de Namur University Names Dr. Diana Hernández as Chief Student Success Officer
Dr. Hernández to assume responsibility for academic and social dimensions of student lif
For Immediate Release (5/28/2019)
Belmont, Calif.—Notre Dame de Namur University announced today that Dr. Diana Hernández has been named as Chief Student Success Officer for the 2019–20 academic year. Dr. Hernández currently serves as director of the campus’s advising and Student Success Center. Her new responsibilities, which she takes on beginning June 1, 2019, involve the social dimensions of the student experience.
“We’re very pleased that Dr. Hernández has agreed to assume additional duties involving student life,” said President Judith Maxwell Greig. “She has already made significant improvements to student success and retention in the academic sphere, and combining this with other aspects of the campus experience will create opportunities for a more integrated and student-centered approach.”
Dr. Hernández’s new assignments cover the areas previously under Dean of Students Dr. Marsh Allen Smith, who is leaving Notre Dame de Namur University at the end of May 2019. “Our entire community thanks Dr. Smith for his enthusiastic service over the last few years,” added Greig. “He has brought energy, passion, and heart to his work.”
Dr. Diana Hernández grew up in California’s San Joaquin Valley, and she was a first-generation college student. She earned her BA from Occidental College, her MA from the California School of Professional Psychology, and her PhD from The College of William and Mary. She has served students in higher education for over 15 years, and directed the Virginia Latino Higher Education Network’s first Hispanic College Institute (HCI). Her scholarship focuses on first-generation students, Latinx students, and minority-serving institutions, with a focus on Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs).
Notre Dame de Namur University
Notre Dame de Namur University (NDNU) is a Catholic, not-for-profit, coeducational institution serving approximately 1,500 students from diverse backgrounds. Established in 1851 by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, NDNU is the third-oldest college in California and the first authorized to grant the baccalaureate degree to women. NDNU maintains a strong commitment to academic excellence, social justice, and community engagement. The university is fully accredited and offers a rich variety of undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, and teacher credential programs. NDNU has a historic campus on the San Francisco Peninsula in Silicon Valley, a satellite campus in Tracy in the Central Valley, and online programs. For more information, visit www.ndnu.edu.