SACNAS Board of Directors Appoints Executive Director

SANTA CRUZ, CA & WASHINGTON D.C. – Dr. Sonia Zárate, president of Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics & Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) recently announced Dr. Stephania A. Herrera as permanent Executive Director. She will be responsible for leading the country’s largest multicultural and multidisciplinary STEM diversity organization.  

“Dr. Herrera brings 25 years of extensive strategic business development experience working with STEM, nonprofit, and membership organizations, in addition to her experience as a faculty member, consultant, writer, speaker, and devoted mentor,” said Dr. Zárate. “We are very fortunate to have her joining our team and working alongside us to further SACNAS’s mission of achieving true diversity in STEM.”  

Dr. Herrera has both national and international experience, having served in numerous executive roles including at the Hispanic IT Executive Council (HITEC) Foundation, Hispanic Heritage Foundation, Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) Foundation, and the US Hispanic Jr Chamber of Commerce.

“As a first-generation college student, my life’s work has been to move the world towards a more equitable future, and support those who have been disproportionately impacted by unjust systems and barriers. Working in the STEM and nonprofit space for 25 years, there is no question that SACNAS is the premier organization doing this work. I look forward to working with and for the community on the next chapter of SACNAS history, and continuing the movement for true diversity in STEM,” said Dr. Herrera.  

Dr. Herrera assumed the executive director role with SACNAS on November 2, 2020.