Dear campus community,
The Latinx community has contributed greatly to the American experience and each year we celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15. This is a time when we pay tribute to the generations of Hispanic Americans who have positively influenced and enriched our nation and society.
This year’s theme is Unidos: Inclusivity for a Stronger Nation. Our diversity is our strength, and our contributions to the culture, the economy, and the future of our nation cannot be denied.
As part of our celebration we recognize Dr. Héctor Rodríguez, the college’s Dean of STEM. Dr. Rodríguez initially joined Hudson Valley Community College (HVCC) in January 2022 as the Associate Dean of the School of Science, Engineering, Technology and Mathematics.
He came to HVCC with over 25 years of combined industrial and academic experience, having served as the technology manager for Mechanical Components & Systems at GE Research in Niskayuna. Dr. Rodríguez’ engineering leadership experience also includes Pratt & Whitney, as the GTF LPC structures manager, and Infotech Aerospace Services (now Pratt & Whitney, Puerto Rico). Infotech Aerospace Services was originally a Pratt & Whitney joint venture and Dr. Rodríguez held positions as mechanical analysis manager, chief engineer, and general manager where he helped grow the site into a several hundred-person aerospace design team.
On the academic side, Dr. Rodríguez has held leadership positions as the dean of Engineering at Universidad del Turabo (now Universidad Ana G. Méndez) and the department head of Mechanical Engineering at Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico. Since 2017, he has been a program evaluator for Mechanical Engineering programs under the ABET Engineering Accreditation Commission. He received his BS in Civil Engineering from University of Puerto Rico, his PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Virginia Tech, and is a licensed professional engineer in the State of New York.
In service,
Ainsley Thomas
Chief Diversity Officer