Southwestern College Announces
Juliet Villareal García as
Speaker for Docking Lecture Series March 25
Winfield, Kan., March 11, 2024 — Juliet Villarreal García, the first
Latina to serve as president of a college or university in the United States
and Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient, will present the Docking Lecture
on Monday, March 25, at 11 a.m., in the Richardson Performing Arts Center in
the Christy Administration building on the campus of Southwestern College.
Unlike past lectures, the format will feature a “fireside chat” with Dr. García
hosted by Dr. Liz Frombgen. Discussion will be centered around topics relating
to leadership and community building.
The public is invited to attend, there will be no admission charge.
“Dr. Garcia’s career is a shining example of the vision and
persistence required of servant leaders, and I am delighted that she has
accepted our invitation to share her story with our students and the broader
community,” Frombgen says. “Along with the Docking Family and our friends
at Union State Bank, all of us here on campus are excited at the opportunity to
host and learn from Dr. García – we invite our community to join us.”
In 1986, Dr. García spearheaded the creation of The University of Texas
at Brownsville and then served as its president for 22 years graduating over
40,000 students and leading the design and establishment of the Brownsville
campus.
In 2011, she helped lead an effort to envision a new 21st Century
University model that eventually consolidated two UT universities, established
a medical school, and created The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Her
life’s work has been focused on expanding higher education opportunities for
the people of the Rio Grande Valley.
In Washington D.C., she has served on the Clinton and Obama presidential
transition teams, chaired the Advisory Committee to Congress on Financial Aid
and in 2021, and served on the panel to select White House Fellows.
After the election of President Nelson Mandela and the end of apartheid,
she was selected to work in South Africa to help integrate higher education.
She has served on the boards of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of
Teaching, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the Ford Foundation.
In 2009, “Time” magazine named her one of the Top 10 College Presidents
in the US and in 2014 she was recognized by Fortune magazine as one of the
World’s 50 Greatest Leaders. She has received honorary doctorates from Notre
Dame, Brown, Smith, and Princeton. In July of 2022, she was awarded the
Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Joe Biden.
She currently serves on the board for LLILAS, the Lozano Long Institute
for Latin American Studies at UT Austin, Audubon Texas, and Catholic Charities
of the Rio Grande Valley. Annually, she lectures at Harvard’s Graduate School
of Education IEM program for professionals seeking to become university
presidents and with HACU – Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities
Leadership Academy. She is currently working with Texas 2036, a group of Texans
studying how best to shape the future in Texas across seven core state policy
areas.
On campus, she teaches public speaking to students in the Math &
Science Academy and courses in organizational communication and Latinas in
Leadership focusing on the key communication skills needed for next-generation
leaders.
The Docking Lecture is underwritten by Union State Bank and by the
Docking family. The Docking family has played a prominent role in public
service, Kansas government and politics for over half a century. In 1956
George Docking was elected governor of Kansas. He served two terms,
leaving office in 1961. His son, Robert Docking, was elected governor in
1966 and served four two-year terms, more than any other Kansas governor,
leaving office in 1975. Robert Docking’s sons have continued the family’s
commitment to public service. William Docking was appointed to the Kansas
Higher Education Board of Regents in 1995, and served as its chair.
Thomas Docking, who passed away in 2017, was lieutenant governor of Kansas from
1983 to 1987, during the governorship of John Carlin.
