I am pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Noel Bezette-Flores as the Executive Director of the newly created Center for Public Service and Family Strengths (CPSFS). The Center will serve the community by integrating service-based approaches to teaching and learning. Activities will include support for the development of community-based research and high impact educational experiences that prepare UHD students to take their place as global citizens. Best practices that support community centered engagement that promote and sustain family systems and growth of healthy families is a particular focus of the Center.

Dr. Bezette-Flores is currently the Assistant Dean of the College of Public Service and holds a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology. She is a certified administrator of public schools, a member of Houston's Advisory Committee for the Office of International Communities (ACIC), and as a member of ACIC, consults with Mayor Parker on immigrant and refugee affairs. Dr. Bezette-Flores serves annually as Chair for the Executive Steering Committee, Houston's Annual Citizenship Week, which was extended into an annual Citizenship Month in 2013 under her leadership. She was awarded the Leading in a Time of Change Exemplary Leadership Award, International Chair Academy, spring, 2010 and in 2011 was the Faculty Excellence Award winner at LSC‐Kingwood.

Dr. Bezette-Flores will begin her responsibilities as the CPSFS Executive Director Monday, June 10. She has already planned an extensive outreach schedule to fulfill the following responsibilities:

• Collaborate with deans, department chairs, faculty members, and staff members in promoting

community service and student intellectual growth through experiences outside the classroom;

• Represent the university, on or off campus, as needed/assigned, in furtherance of aspects of

public service and high-impact educational experiences;

• Serve as a liaison between community agencies and faculty by establishing and maintaining contact

with directors and appropriate staff at these agencies;

• Assist faculty in developing high-impact courses, identifying useful community resources including guest speakers,

locations for site visits and experiential opportunities;

• In collaboration with course faculty, develop appropriate evaluation tools to assess the achievement of

course objectives related to service learning;

• Seek grant funding and financial support for the programs of the Center (particularly faculty research); and
• Assist Institutional Research and other offices in compiling data and reports on service learning, and civic engagement.

Please join me in congratulating Dr. Bezette-Flores on her new role at UHD.