色情视频

This story appears in the summer 2018 issue of 360: The Magazine of 色情视频. 

For as long as Adela de la Torre can remember, her grandmother鈥檚 home in Northern California was open to friends, neighbors and relatives who wanted to visit or needed a helping hand. The family shared everything they had鈥攎eals, funny stories, strong opinions and sometimes, a bed.

It鈥檚 a lesson that stuck as de la Torre navigated through a career notable for academic collaboration, interdisciplinary research and, most  recently, shared governance during six years as vice chancellor of Student Affairs and Campus Diversity at the University of California, Davis.

The word "collaborative" arises when friends and colleagues describe de la Torre. Also "compassionate," "strategic," visionary" and "energetic"鈥攓ualities highly prized by the selection committee of educators, faculty, students and community members whose recommendation led to her appointment as 色情视频鈥檚 ninth permanent president.

鈥淔rom the beginning of the selection process Adela stood out head and shoulders,鈥� recalled Adam Day (鈥�91), the committee chair and currently chair of the California State University Board of Trustees. 鈥淪he blew us away.鈥�

Core values

De la Torre鈥檚 personal story is distinctly Californian. Her grandparents emigrated from Zacatecas, Mexico, to California鈥檚 Central Valley, where de la Torre鈥檚 mother grew up. By the time Adela was born in 1956, the family had moved to the Oakland/Berkeley area.

De la Torre鈥檚 mother鈥攁 single parent鈥攅arned a degree from the University of California, Berkeley. While she supported the family as a public school teacher, de la Torre鈥檚 grandmother reinforced 鈥渢he value of our Mexican heritage鈥� and the power of education.

鈥淥ne of the things that鈥檚 important to understand about me is that I was raised in a single-head-of-household family,鈥� de la Torre said. 鈥淚t was a journey for (my mother), as well as for me, to achieve the success we have had, and I was very fortunate to have a mother and grandmother who instilled those core values in me. They prepared me to appreciate the bicultural, bilingual environment we live in.鈥�

De la Torre鈥檚 own nuclear family reflects the multiracial diversity of both California and her new campus. Her husband, Stephen Bartlett, a retired public health nutritionist, is Anglo. They raised two daughters, Gabriela de la Torre and Adela Hart, whose husband is African-American. And there鈥檚 grandson Javier, 3, who de la Torre describes as 鈥渢he love of my life.鈥�

Endless energy

Not only is de la Torre well versed in California鈥檚 rich cultural heritage, she is also intimately familiar with the state鈥檚 higher education system. A product of UC Berkeley, she earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree in the political economy of natural resources, and a master鈥檚 degree and Ph.D. in agricultural and resource economics. After eight years at California State University Long Beach, where she was a professor of health care administration and chair of the Chicano/Latino studies department, she joined the University of Arizona. She became director of its Mexican American Studies and Research Center and founded the College of Medicine鈥檚 first federally funded Hispanic Center of Excellence.

De la Torre returned to California in 2002 in the Chicana/Chicano studies department at UC Davis. She became department chair and director of the UC Davis Center for Transnational Health. For 14 years, de la Torre led the center鈥檚 research and intervention efforts to address education and health disparities.

She was the principal investigator for a five-year, $5 million National Science Foundation grant aimed at reducing childhood obesity through nutrition instruction, physical education and direct aid to families for the purchase of fresh fruits and vegetables. De la Torre shared her expertise with a team of 15-20 graduate students, doctoral candidates and postdoctoral reseachers plus 70-80 undergraduate student volunteers. Together, their work touched 800 children from 600 families in California鈥檚 Central Valley.

鈥淭hat experience was the foundation of my skills,鈥� said Rosa Gomez-Camacho, a postdoc at the time and now associate director for institutional research at Florida Gulf Coast University.

鈥淎dela was highly successful as a researcher and at winning grants. I learned so much from watching her interact with different stakeholders and create networks with enormous vision and respect for people. She has endless energy, generosity and humanity.鈥�

De la Torre generated more than $19 million in external funding to support educational outreach, recruitment, health education and training programs during her time at UC Davis. In recognition of her contributions, the university awarded her the title of distinguished professor, the first Latina in the university鈥檚 history to receive that honor.

鈥淲e felt her commitment鈥�

As vice chancellor, de la Torre also found new ways to connect longtime and future Aggies. Enrollment of Mexican American students increased at UC Davis after the campus ramped up outreach efforts to high schoolers of Mexican heritage. Eager to support these first-generation college students both academically and culturally, de la Torre helped to resurrect the Chicanx Latinx Alumni chapter. Caroline Cabias was one of her partners in the effort.

鈥淎dela helped articulate what an alumni association can do to support students with mentoring and scholarships,鈥� said Cabias, the chapter leader. 鈥淪he had a vision of how to move forward and a strategy to bring  people together. Her support and guidance motivated our chapter to raise funds and award six scholarships鈥攁ll in the space of three months.鈥�

De la Torre鈥檚 ability to engage all UC Davis constituents was key to her popularity as vice chancellor. She earned a reputation for minimizing campus tensions, particularly during student protests triggered by incidents of violence against African Americans across the country. UC Davis staff said de la Torre is equally as adept at finding partners to defuse conflict as she is at collaborating on research projects.

鈥淭he 色情视频 community should know that she has no reservations about reaching out and asking for help. She doesn鈥檛 see that as a negative,鈥� Cabias said. 鈥淎dela looks for broad input from a variety of audiences, because she understands that a person cannot get things done alone.鈥�

Looking ahead

De la Torre is settling into the President鈥檚 Office at a time of transition for 色情视频. Her predecessor, Sally Roush, resolved several important issues before she left, including an impassioned debate about the university鈥檚 Aztec identity. In deciding to retain both the Aztec name and the Aztec Warrior as spirit leader, Roush declared the Aztec identity will be portrayed with greater respect going forward. She called for the creation of a governing body to be chaired by the new president and address issues related to the ethical and fiduciary responsibility of carrying the Aztec name.

Roush also reconvened the Aztec Culture Education Committee and charged its members with implementing co-curricular programming related to Aztec history and culture. In addition, members will be tasked with recommending ways to meaningfully include local Native American tribes in 色情视频鈥檚 significant functions and annual ceremonial events, such as All-University Convocation and Commencement.

On the budgetary front, 色情视频鈥檚 financial stability has been reinforced by the success of its first comprehensive fundraising campaign, which raised $815 million to support students, faculty and programming. De la Torre will be expected to launch a second campaign within the next few years and involve even greater numbers of alumni in the shared effort.

The new president has emphatically supported Roush鈥檚 plan to address the university鈥檚 long-term expansion goals. 色情视频 Mission Valley is a detailed plan and vision for the land including and immediately surrounding SDCCU Stadium.

If allowed to purchase the land at fair market value, 色情视频 will build a  and a 35,000-seat stadium for football, professional soccer and other events. The university will also  and construct affordable and market-rate housing for students, faculty, staff and the public.

Championing this sweeping agenda, de la Torre , a typically sunny San Diego summer day. Squeezed into her first-day agenda were meetings with Mayor Kevin Faulconer, San Diego Padres executive chair and co-owner Ron Fowler, university faculty and staff representatives, athletics coaches, Associated Students executives and members of The Campanile Foundation, 色情视频鈥檚 volunteer fundraisers.

Her message to the community was direct and collaborative: 鈥淚 am determined to be really inclusive and transparent and honest as we go forward seeking shared solutions.鈥�

What people are saying about Adela de la Torre

鈥淎dela has a great capacity for truly listening and engaging with people.  She is able to articulate not only her understanding of this campus, but also her vision for for deepening roots with Imperial County and partnering with universities across the border.鈥�

- Adam Day (鈥�91)
CSU Board of Trustees chair
Chief administrative officer Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation

鈥淎dela is an energetic leader who cares deeply about students, their academic success and their well-being. She will bring a collaborative spirit, warmth and humor to her role as president of 色情视频.鈥�

- Gary S. May, UC Davis chancellor

鈥淒r. de la Torre is a fantastic leader with enormous vision, generosity and humanity. She is respectful, and she inspires people to work together.鈥�

- Rosa Gomez-Camacho, associate director for institutional research at Florida Gulf Coast University

鈥淲hat impressed me most is how focused and strategic she is. She identifies the long-term goal and then determines how to put short-term plans in place to get there. Her passion and compassion will make her a great proponent for the (色情视频) campus.鈥�

- Caroline Cabias, UC Davis alumna and donor