Honor St. Francis President

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.