The National Hispanic University Welcomes Early Childhood Expert Dr. Eugene Garcia

SAN JOSE, Calif., June 6, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Hispanic University (NHU) announced today that Dr. Eugene Garcia, a respected and recognized expert in early childhood and bilingual education, has joined its faculty as the new Distinguished Professor of Research.

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Dr. Garcia joins NHU at a time when the demand for early childhood professionals with advanced degrees is on the rise. With his expertise and insights, Dr. Garcia will help develop and expand access to relevant early childhood programs that address the skills and knowledge needed to prepare today's professionals for emerging opportunities in the field. He will also represent NHU as an advocate for early childhood education, a role where he will engage in and promote NHU research to influence public policy and practice in the field.

"In today's multicultural learning community, it is imperative to teach child care and early childhood professionals the skills needed to meet the cultural and linguistic needs of today's learners. I look forward to addressing these needs and joining the administrative team and faculty at NHU," said Dr. Garcia.

Dr. Garcia is a professor emeritus at Arizona State University, where he was dean of the Mary Lou Fulton College of Education on the university's Tempe campus and served as vice president for education partnerships. He is also a professor emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley, where he was dean of the Graduate School of Education. In addition to serving on the faculty of several other institutions, Dr. Garcia has also served as a post-doctoral fellow in human development at Harvard University, a National Research Council fellow and a National Kellogg Leadership fellow.

He has also served as a director and senior officer in the U.S. Department of Education and has chaired the National Task Force on Early Education for Hispanics funded by the Foundation for Child Development. He is currently conducting research on effective schooling for linguistically and culturally diverse student populations and has been appointed to the Board on Children, Youth, and Families of the Institute of Medicine and the National Research Council.

"As a leader in the fields of early childhood and bilingual education, Dr. Garcia's research and experience will be a source of knowledge for our students as they prepare to become effective teachers and leaders of the fastest growing demographic in the country," said Dr. David Lopez, president of NHU. "We are delighted to welcome Dr. Garcia to our familia, and we look forward to his leadership and guidance as we continue developing both online and on-campus programs that meet the needs of multicultural communities."

Dr. Garcia has been honored by a number of national education associations and most recently received an honorary doctorate from The Erikson Institute in Chicago for his contributions to the child development field. The author of some 200 articles and book chapters and 14 books and monographs, his most recent book with co-author Erminda Garcia is Understanding the Language Development and Early Education of Hispanic Children published by the Teachers College Press in 2012.  

For additional information about The National Hispanic University, visit www.NHU.edu.

About The National Hispanic University
For more than 30 years, The National Hispanic University has provided Hispanic students and others with access to quality higher education. Located in San Jose, Calif., the university offers a diverse portfolio of online and campus-based undergraduate, graduate and certificate programs in business, education, child development and computer science. Students are supported in a multicultural and collaborative learning environment that is based on Familia™, a personalized approach that fosters students' success through mutual respect and cultura. The National Hispanic University, a member of the Laureate International Universities network, is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). For more information, visit www.NHU.edu.

SOURCE The National Hispanic University