Vanessa Lopez-Littleton, Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Health, Human Services & Public Policy, has been selected as one of 35 higher education professionals from across the nation to the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) 2021 Emerging Leaders Program (ELP).

AASCU created the program in 2015 to prepare early- to mid-career academic and administrative staff for roles with greater responsibility and oversight. ELP participants work with their campus leadership to develop a project or initiative that positively impacts the institution and community, and strengthens their own leadership skills.

“These campus leaders are poised to be our future senior executives charged with shaping our institutions to ensure inclusivity, equity, and student success,” said Dr. Charles L. Welch, president of the Arkansas State University System, chair of the AASCU Board of Directors, and coordinator of ELP.

Dr. Lopez-Littleton is a board member of the Monterey County Rape Crisis Center, a member of the American Society of Public Administration (ASPA), and is a registered nurse and U.S. Army veteran. She serves as a Statewide Academic Senator for the California State University Academic Senate, and is a member of the Faculty Affairs Committee.

Her primary research and teaching interests include social equity, and racial and ethnic health disparities, and she has experience in nonprofit leadership, strategic planning, community needs assessments, qualitative and quantitative analysis, and more.

The 2021 ELP will be held virtually and will feature one faculty-led webinar per month from April–November 2021, and smaller group sessions for reflection, networking, and case studies.

The American Association of State Colleges and Universities is a Washington, D.C.-based higher education association of nearly 400 public colleges, universities, and systems. Members share a learning- and teaching-centered culture, a commitment to underserved student populations, and a dedication to research and creativity to advance their regions’ economic progress and cultural development.