The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) honored President J. Michael Ortiz with the President’s Award of Excellence, in recognition of outstanding service to Hispanics and higher education success.

“As our nation celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month, the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities would also like to pay tribute to those in higher education who play a crucial role in educating and ensuring the future workforce of our nation,” says HACU President and CEO Antonio R. Flores.

In his 11-year tenure at Cal Poly Pomona, Ortiz has been a champion for under- represented students by helping the university expand its Latino and Asian American Pacific Islander initiatives.

Ortiz has endorsed programs such as Maximizing Engineering Potential, which focuses on retention and academic enhancement for historically under-represented students. It is now the largest program of its kind in California.

In addition to serving as a mentor to students, Ortiz also has advised other leaders within the CSU system.

“Mike dedicated much of his 40 years in higher education to the California State University – first at Fresno State and then at Cal Poly Pomona,” CSU Chancellor Tim White says. “We are a better university because of his leadership.”

The awards were presented on Oct. 5 in Denver as part of HACU’s annual conference.