Advancing Academic Excellence and Student Success: An Interview with Rosilie Hernández
Interview with Rosilie Hernandez Heading link
Name: Rosilie Hernández
Title: Professor of Hispanic Studies; Associate Dean for Student Academic Affairs
Department: Hispanic and Italian Studies; College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Dean’s Office
Tell me a little bit about your work at LAS. What is your favorite accomplishment in your 23 years at UIC?
As a professor and researcher, I am very proud of my scholarly work and the opportunity to train graduate students who are now colleagues across higher education. As an Associate Dean for Student Academic Affairs in LAS, my work focuses on working with departments to create exciting majors and programs of study for students. Just as importantly, I also work with faculty and others to shine a light on how we can drive student success and sense of belonging for all students, but especially for first-generation students in LAS and UIC. I am personally gratified by the books and scholarship I have published. However, I am most proud of creating First-at-LAS (a student success initiative focusing on first-generation student success in LAS) and the impact the program has had by fostering a culture care across the college and supporting the UIC journey of so many of our students.
You were recently elected as a trustee to the Newberry Library Executive Board. Can you talk a bit about what this recognition means to you?
The Newberry Library is a treasure in the city of Chicago. As a research library open to the public free of any fees or memberships, it provides both scholars and the general public with a fantastic resource where to explore numerous fields of study from across the globe, the history of this city and country, and our family histories.
Both LAS and the Newberry Library are institutions that value research and curiosity. What role does research play in your career and as a faculty member at UIC?
In many ways, my career as a scholar began at the Newberry Library. My first conference as a graduate student at the University of California, Irvine, was at the Newberry Library. As a young faculty member, my first fellowship was the Monticello College Foundation Fellowship, which allowed me to spend one semester as a fellow at the Newberry Library. UIC has been my scholarly home since 2001. Without the support of the Department of Hispanic and Italian Studies, the School of Literatures, Cultural Studies, and Linguistics, and the College, I would not have been able to pursue my intellectual passions and advance the field of early modern Spanish studies. My research and teaching has enabled me to learn and write about the representation, positionality, and cultural production of women and other marginalized groups in the early modern period. Although it may not seem related, my research practice has also given me the tools and necessary frameworks to understand the positionality of our minoritized and first-generation students at UIC, honor and elevate their assets, rethink entrenched historical and cultural assumptions, eliminate barriers, and drive their success.
You have been assigned to be a member of two committees at the Newberry Library, the Research and Education Committee, and the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. Can you talk about what you expect your work to be on these committees and what impact you hope to have?
Being a member of these two crucial committees at the Newberry Library is an honor. I hope I can help the extraordinary leadership and staff of the Newberry think of feasible and actionable ways to bring more high school and college students (and especially UIC students!) to the Newberry to learn how to conduct archival work and what it means to be a research librarian or curator across numerous fields of study. I am also looking forward to contributing to an inclusive vision for the Newberry that is focused on amplifying its commitment to diversity and equity across its acquisitions, exhibitions, and public programming, benefiting scholars, students, and all the people of the great city of Chicago.
What do you hope your students will get out of an LAS degree?
I hope that students focus on their strengths and passions, acquiring the robust set of competencies and literacies that are highly sought after by employers, and which can only be developed by pursuing a liberal arts and sciences education. I want our students to build the knowledge, skills, and confidence that will allow them to do good in their communities and for their families while embracing their talents and engaging in the areas of study that give them the most joy.
Advice to new students?
Take advantage of your time at UIC and prioritize your life and responsibilities as a student.
Challenge yourself to grow and be transformed by the college experience.
Don’t try to be an expert; instead, embrace the learning process. Unburden yourself from thinking you should already know it all and instead make a habit of visiting your faculty’s drop-in hours and UIC’s outstanding tutoring services: learning with others is the best way to learn!
Connect with fellow students in your classes, clubs, and the cultural centers.
Share your personal story and questions about your future with faculty and other students.
See yourself as an agent for change here at UIC and wherever your future may take you.