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Raymund A. Paredes is Commissioner of Higher Education at the Texas
Higher Education Coordinating Board.
Dr. Paredes spent most of his academic career at UCLA where for 30 years
he taught as an English professor and served as vice chancellor for
Academic Development. In addition, he served as special assistant to the
president of the University of California System in outreach efforts to
improve access to higher education for students from educationally
disadvantaged communities.
Prior to joining the Coordinating Board, Dr. Paredes was director of
creativity and culture at the Rockefeller Foundation, then vice
president for programs at the Hispanic Scholarship Fund.
Dr. Paredes was appointed to the Education Commission of the States by
Governor Rick Perry; he served as a trustee of The College Board and
Mercy College of New York, and was a member of the Board of Directors of
the Texas Cultural Trust. He was named one of Hispanic Business
Magazine's 100 Most Influential Hispanics and is the current chair of
Big Brothers Big Sisters' Nationwide Hispanic Advisory Council.
Dr. Paredes was born and raised in El Paso, Texas. After graduation from
El Paso High School, he attended The University of Texas at Austin,
receiving a B.A. in English. He served in the U.S. Army for two years,
including a 14-month tour with the First Infantry Division in Vietnam.
After separation from military service, he resumed his education,
receiving a master's degree in American Studies from the University of
Southern California and his Ph.D. in American Civilization in 1973, from
The University of Texas at Austin. |