American International College welcomes Hubert Benitez, DDS, PhD, as the institution’s twelfth president | News

SPRINGFIELD, Mass., February 18, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — The American International College (AIC) Board of Directors is pleased to announce that Hubert Benitez, DDS, PhD, was unanimously chosen as the twelfth president of the 137-year-old institution. Benitez will succeed the president Vince Maniaci who is retiring after seventeen years of service.

“We believe Dr. Benitez is a leader who embraces the mission and strategic vision of American International College. Although times are tough for higher education, at the institution where Dr. Benitez previously served as president, he managed to expand enrollment and develop new programs, while improving the financial health and sustainability of the institution. establishment. He did so in a spirit of teamwork, ownership and accountability, and dedicated community outreach and engagement. As evidenced by his own career path, Dr. Benitez is an advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion. It is committed to providing access, opportunities and pathways for student success,” said the Chairman of the Board of Trustees. Frank Colaccino.

“I am extremely honored to have been chosen as AIC’s new president and I couldn’t be more excited to join an institution with such a rich history and a strong commitment to access and opportunity. I look forward to working with the faculty, staff, and students of AIC, as we consider together how to further impact the communities we serve. I am grateful for this opportunity and consider it the honor and privilege of my life,” Benitez said.

In his most recent position, Benitez served as vice president of strategic initiatives and academic innovation, and acting director of inclusion at Rockhurst University (Ruin Kansas City, Missouri. RU is a comprehensive institution of higher learning, offering educational programs to a diverse student body in the fields of business, communications, education, engineering, health, humanities, performing arts and visuals, science and mathematics. Among his responsibilities, Benitez had direct oversight of Strategic Planning, Institutional Effectiveness, Accreditation and Evaluation, Distance Education/eLearning, and the Prosperity Center for Financial Opportunity.

Prior to RockhurstBenitez served as President and CEO of St. Luke’s College of Health Sciences for nearly five years, where he provided visionary and strategic leadership that included the growth and diversification of the college’s academic portfolio; promote a culture of evaluation; increase the visibility of the institution through community presence, engagement and outreach efforts; engage in recruitment and enrollment management practices that have increased the college’s population while meeting the needs of a new and diverse demographic of students; and the implementation of a financial strategy that has enhanced the institution’s fiscal stability and prospects.

Benitez obtained his first doctorate in dental medicine from the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Latin America. He then completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University University of Connecticut Health Sciences Center, later earning a doctorate in higher education administration from Saint Louis University College of Education and Public Service. Benitez is a graduate of the Institute of Educational Management (IEM) in Harvard University Graduate School of Educationand he completed the executive leadership program at the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business. Benitez has spent the past two decades in higher education as an academic and administrator, and fifteen years prior as a clinician.

A member of numerous past and present academic organizations, boards, and advisory committees, Benitez currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Kansas City; the board of directors of Cristo Rey Kansas City, a Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth High School; is a peer reviewer for the Middle States Commission on Higher Education; is a member of the Hispanic Advisory Committee for Kansas City Public schools; and is a member of the steering committee of KC Rising, a body of the KC Rising initiative, made up of businesses and community volunteers from around the Kansas City metropolitan region that engage in regional collaboration. Benitez’s professional associations include the President’s Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, the American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education, the American Dental Association, and the Golden Key International Honor Society, among others.

In addition to an extensive selection of published works, Benitez has been a guest lecturer in the United States and abroad and has received federally and privately funded research grants. Her work ethic and commitment have been recognized by Univision-Kansas City for her continued support of Hispanic heritage and by the Universidad Piloto de Colombia to forge international and interdisciplinary exchange programs. He was a recipient of the Hispanic Heritage Award and received special recognition for his service to the community through excellence in education. His contributions to Suffolk County of the Office of Minority Affairs were commended in addition to being selected as one of the Top 25 Latino Empowerment Advocates on Long Island, New York.

Benitez will join American International College to April 11, 2022.

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Founded in 1885, American International College (AIC) is a private, coeducational, doctoral-granting institution located in Springfield, MA, comprising the School of Business, Arts and Sciences, the School of Education and the School of Health Sciences. AIC supports and advances education, diversity, and opportunity for its students and the community.

Media Contact

Candy Whip, American International College413.205.3231, candy.lash@aic.edu

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