Armando A. Arias, Ph.D., Abbreviated Vita (In-Progress)

Biography https://csumb.edu/news/news-listing/armando-arias-continues-to-add-to-his-body-of-work-and-accolades/

Armando Arias, Jr., Ph.D. is currently a professor of social & behavioral sciences & global studies and social entrepreneur ("serial academic people's entrepreneur"). During his over 40 years of service he also served as a university administrator, has played a key role in the establishment of various post-secondary institutions and innovative National/international special projects in Texas, Colorado, California, Mexico, and Zambia.

In 1994, Dr. Armando Arias was called to California to become a key strategist and member of the transformation and start-up team that created the California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB) campus on the site of the former Fort Ord military base the second largest military installation in the world (55 square miles). In this capacity, Dr. Arias served as the Founding Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, Founding Dean of the Social and Behavioral Sciences, and Founding Dean of Arts Humanities and Creative Technologies. He was a primary planner behind every academic division and every major at the university including the Service Learning Institute. One of his major contributions to the Service Learning Institute was in his founding of the Big Sur Environmental Institute where he convened world-class thinkers to come together and address global issues, such as global warming. He also became the Founding Academic Director of the Leon Panetta Institute for Public Policy and principal investigator for the AmeriCorps grant housed at the institute.

Dr. Arias’ work is archived in over nine linear feet of materials (founding documents, accreditation reports & publications) related to his leadership roles in the founding and development of CSU Monterey Bay at https://works.bepress.com/armando-arias/52/). At present, he is a professor and founding faculty member in the division of Social and Behavioral Sciences and Global Studies at CSUMB.

In the 1970s while at the same time completing his doctorate in sociology (social psychology) from the University of California, San Diego, he joined the planning faculty at Metropolitan State University in Denver to help establish the new Auraria Higher Education Center, a highly successful experiment combining 3 colleges/universities on one physical plant by the State Assembly of Colorado that exists today.

Upon completion of his doctorate, he co-authored and received a major grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and co-founded the Area Health Education Center as a clinic housed at the University of California’s School of Medicine. In this capacity, Dr. Arias returned to San Diego and designed health professions and cross-cultural medical curricula and programs aimed at serving medically under-served communities of South San Diego. Concomitantly, he then trained foreign Spanish-speaking physicians to pass the medical exam (in the U.S.). He went on to teach at San Diego State University, where he received the esteemed “Faculty of the Year” award in 1984 and earned the position of Associate Dean of Academic Affairs.

In 1989, he accepted a position as Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Texas A&M University which included serving on a number of statewide start-up planning committees to build brand new universities in the State of Texas in turn making him an active participant in the struggle for educational equality in the fight for educational reform under the leadership of then Gov. Anne Richards. As a direct result of this experience, he consulted for the build-out of brand new universities for the University of Texas, see https://works.bepress.com/armando-arias/143/

Dr. Arias has broad experience working with public/private institutions, non-profits, and foundations to renew and enhance their missions and organizational structure. In this capacity, he helps stakeholders and project participants identify goals, common visions, and outcome-based initiatives for both small- and large-scale projects focused on improving the environment and human condition, especially for educationally underserved student populations. Dr. Arias also helps institutions search for solutions grappling with the current atmosphere surrounding the development and implementation of ideas found in recent Strategic Plans to include top-level, goals and objectives.

In this light, he served on the Board of Directors to co-found the InterAmerican College and helped sustain it for over fourteen years until 2012 when he provided necessary leadership through full WASC accreditation.

From 2006-2012 Dr. Arias provided project leadership for the creation of the Big Sur Environment Institute in Big Sur, California, and served as the Founding Executive Director. He garnered major funding from the Hewlett Packard Foundation, Land for Public Trust and Big Sur Land Trust. The Institute brings together world-class thinkers and scientists to develop global interdisciplinary environmental solutions, see https://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/c8g1660z/?query=Armando+Arias

As part of his work as a social entrepreneur, and ongoing commitment to serve under-served communities (on a pro bono basis), in 2013, Dr. Arias wrote and received a major grant from the Ford Foundation’s Space for Change Program. The purpose of the grant was to establish public space for collaborating with key decision makers over community planning along the U.S. - Mexico border (San Ysidro, CA). The grant also equipped the building with appropriate technological connectivity to the University of California, San Diego, for collaboration with faculty and program planning purposes.

From 1984 to 1997, Dr. Arias was a key strategist behind the formation of BESTNET, an international consortium of 20 corporations and institutions of higher education established at the Western Behavioral Sciences Institute in La Jolla, California. BESTNET was one of the first business-education technology initiatives to provide access to education opportunities via the Internet. For over 13 years BESTNET received major funding from the Digital Equipment Corporation, IBM, U.S. Department of Education and in-kind support from the University of California, San Diego, Texas A&M University, Instituto Technológico de Mexicali, San Diego State University, and the Colegio de la Frontera Norte. BESTNET received honorable mention in 2000 from The 20 Year Report by the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education and the California Postsecondary Education Commission, Dr. Arias was also presented with a Proclamation for this work by the California State Assembly.

Consultancies - Among a number of federal agencies where Dr. Arias has served as a consultant are the U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Department of Education, National Telecommunication Information Administration, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, and the Bureau of Land Management.

For more than a decade Dr. Arias served as a consultant to the Digital Equipment Corporation to further design the Vax mainframe software VaxNotes in to a seamless, user-friendly communications networked learning & research software. At the same time he was the lead negotiator for placing micro-Vaxes throughout the country of Africa (especially to rural areas) for access to the Internet. See "Technology Transfer in Global Networking: Capacity Building in Africa and Latin America" Global Networks: Computers and International Communication (1993), available at: http://works.bepress.com/armando-arias/22/And also High Tech Field Work in Africa (Zambia) https://works.bepress.com/armando-arias/86/

Fellowships - Dr. Arias has held the position of Fellow in the California State University System, Ford Foundation, and the San Diego Foundation. In his capacity as the founder of the Chancellor’s Fellowship Program for the Texas A&M University Systems Office, became its first Fellow.

Post-Graduate Training - Dr. Arias attended Harvard University’s Institute for Education Management and the Service Learning Institute at Stanford University.

Current Research

Dr. Arias applies his behavioral science research by designing Active Knowledge Models using live data from algorithms, mathematics, enterprise architecture, systems engineering software, digital risk-management tools and machine learning to solve complex enterprise design problems and to improve upon efficiency, agility and accountability for institutions of higher education, he applies interdisciplinary and cross-disciplinary approaches as described by this publication: https://www.insightintodiversity.com/wp-content/media/digitalissues/september2020/index.html?page=41. See also https://works.bepress.com/armando-arias/68/.

Dr. Arias is aiding local perceived influential in South Texas organize in order to build a basis for community engagement and political action aligned with the rapid build out of Space City part of the SpaceX Project. See https://works.bepress.com/armando-arias/129/.

Recent Publications

Active Knowledge Models & Systems Engineering for Re-engineering Hispanics Serving Institutions (forthcoming, see attached chapter 2025). The book is a model demonstrating the application of Enterprise Architecture and Systems Engineering as tools for aligning IT such that they are fully supported by a real-time enabling infrastructure designed to create "What if?" scenarios that respond to rapid social change, such as, pandemics http://works.bepress.com/armando-arias/68/

Dr. Arias’ most recent book won the coveted International Latino Literary Book Award for 2020, Theorizing Cesar Chavez - New Ways of Knowing STEM - A Treatise in the Social Psychology of Scientific Thinking in Everyday Life. Published by the Somos en escrito Literary Foundation Press, 2020, Berkeley. https://works.bepress.com/armando-arias/91/. See also interview at https://www.facebook.com/LatinoThoughtMakers/videos/519919062017394/

Other recent publications include a book review for Insurgent Aztlan, by Ernesto Mireles, Journal of Developing Societies, summer 2020 https://doi.org/10.1177/0169796X20931809. https://doi.org/10.1177/0169796X20931809

He wrote the Preface to Insurgent Aztlan, by Ernesto Mireles, Somos en Escrito Foundation Press, Berkeley, CA,, 2020.http://works.bepress.com/armando-arias/60/

“China’s South-South Cooperation with Latin America and the Caribbean,” along with Richard L. Harris, Ph.D. published in the Journal of Developing Societies, winter, 2017.

To view a number of Dr. Arias’ publications, go to the section Publications & Articles at https://works.bepress.com/armando-arias/# and/or search “Binational English & Spanish Telecommunications Network”; as well as these books: Global Networks, Electronic Classrooms, Cultural Diversity in the Classroom, Computers in the Schools, and for journal articles, search the “Julian Samora Research Institute” https://works.bepress.com/armando-arias/21/. “The Journal of Grants and Contracts”, www.naturalborders.com.

See also “Finding Aid to Armando Arias Papers” (nine linear feet in hard copy housed at the CSU Monterey Bay Library https://works.bepress.com/armando-arias/52/.

International Latino Book Award (Non-Fiction)

https://csumb.edu/cahss/armando-arias-receives-award-latest-book

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9_m1ezRCHw&feature=youtu.be

Article about Dr. Arias' current research on the CSU Monterey Bay Webpage

https://csumb.edu/cahss/armando-arias-receives-award-latest-book

See also book interviews at https://www.facebook.com/LatinoThoughtMakers/videos/519919062017394/

Book review to Insurgent Aztlan, by Ernesto Mireles, Journal of Developing Societies, summer 2020.

Introduction to Insurgent Aztlan, by Ernesto Mireles, Somos en Escrito Foundation Press, Berkeley, CA, 2020.

“China’s South-South Cooperation with Latin America and the Caribbean,” along with Richard L. Harris, Ph.D. published in the Journal of Developing Societies, winter, 2017.

Over 50 published articles covering current issues facing STEM education, social psychology of science, case studies and theoretical analyses in the Somos en escrito Magazine-Journal, by Somos en Escrito Literary Foundation Press.

To view a number of Dr. Arias’ publications, go to the section Publications & Articles at https://works.bepress.com/armando-arias/# and/or search “Binational English & Spanish Telecommunications Network”; as well as these books: Global Networks, Electronic Classrooms, Cultural Diversity in the Classroom, Computers in the Schools, and for journal articles, search the “Julian Samora Research Institute” https://works.bepress.com/armando-arias/21/. “The Journal of Grants and Contracts”, www.naturalborders.com.

KEY POSITIONS WHILE SERVING CSU MONTEREY BAY

Founding Associate Vice for Academic Affairs

Founding Dean, School of Creative Arts & Technologies

Founding Dean, School of Social & Behavioral Sciences & Global Studies

Co-Founder of the Service Learning Institute

Founding Academic Director, Leon & Sylvia Panetta Institute for Public Policy

Founding Director, Big Sur Environmental Institute

ASEC Senator (4 Terms)

CAHSS College Policy Committee (2 Terms)

WASC Accreditation Coordinator (3 Reviews)

UNIVERSITY-WIDE GRANTS (Selected List)

AmeriCorps - Leon Panetta Institute for Public Policy (PI)

Ronald E. McNair (Original PI)

Pew Leadership Award for the Renewal of Undergraduate Education (Original PI)

Ford Foundation’s Space for Change Program (PI)

Land for Public Trust (Big Sur Environmental Institute)

United States Forest Service (PI)