Talking Stick - July/August 2018 - 38

na Hernandez is the assistant
vice president for housing and
residential education at the University of South Florida (USF). Her career includes senior leadership positions
at the University of Southern California,
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and USF. In her current role, she
is part of the core leadership team for
the largest housing public-private partnership in the Florida state university
system and co-chair of the Advisory
Committee. The $136 million mixed
use residential community promises to
transform the USF on-campus student
experience.
Hernandez is an active member
of ACUHO-I presenting regularly at
conferences and participating in the
China Study Tour (2008), Global Housing Summit in Hong Kong (2009), and
ACUHO-I State of the Profession (2018).
She served on the ACUHO-I South Africa Training Delegation (2007), was a
faculty member for the James C. Grimm

"I remember... feeling
peace and gratitude
I was part of a
professional community
where we learn from
each other and impact
the lives of students
around the world."
National Housing Training Institute
(2008 and 2009), and served on the
ACUHO-I Executive Board as the first
Globalization Director (2008-2010). In
2013, she graduated from the ACUHO-I
Professional Standards Institute. She
co-hosted the 2015 ACUHO-I International Study tour and is the co-director
of NHTI at USF (2016-2018).

Herstory Award

Ana
Hernandez
University of South Florida
In addition, she was a contributing
author to the ACUHO-I Campus Housing Management book series and has
been published in Hispanic Outlook on
the impact of the residential experience
on student success. She is passionate
about creating high quality residential
communities that support student success through education, environments,
and responsible stewardship.
What is the first memory that jumps
into your mind when you think about
your career in campus housing?
I remember sitting on top of Table
Mountain in Cape Town South Africa
and feeling peace and gratitude I was
part of a professional community where
we learn from each other and impact the
lives of students around the world.
When do you first remember being
aware of ACUHO-I and why did you get
involved with the association?
I first became aware of ACUHO-I in the
early 1990s, but jumped in with both
feet while working at the University of
Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2000.
Who were your mentors and influencers when you first got started? How did
they assist you?
The two people who have had the most
significant influence on my career have
been Jack Collins and Jeanette Weider
from the University of Illinois.
Jack provided a wonderful example

of a seasoned professional who valued
giving back to the profession and supporting the professional development
and engagement of those around him.
Jeanette's passion for serving international student and their families sparked
a light in me that has lasted throughout
my career. Her vision, talent, honesty,
challenge, and support always inspired
me to want to be better and to see the
possibilities. There is nothing better
than being surrounded by talented professionals who value partnerships.
What were the major issues in the field
during the time you were on the executive board / most involved with the association? I had the opportunity to become the first Globalization Director for
ACUHO-I. This highlighted a renewed
focus on inclusion and expansion internationally as part of a new organizational structure to best serve the membership. The complex issues I see facing
our profession today are the discussions
about monetization of housing and potential disconnect from the impact of
the residential communities as a transformational experience for our students.
In six words, how would you describe
ACUHO-I?
Opportunity, sharing, impact, contributions, community, and resource.

Talking Stick - July/August 2018

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