Eduardo Padrón | |
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| Former President ofMiami Dade College | |
| In office 1995–2019 | |
| Preceded by | Robert McCabe |
| Succeeded by | Madeline Pumariega |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1944-06-26)June 26, 1944 (age 80) Santiago de Cuba,Cuba |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | Miami Dade College Florida Atlantic University (BA) University of Florida (MA,PhD) |
Eduardo José Padrón (born June 26, 1944)[1] is President Emeritus ofMiami Dade College (MDC). An economist by training, Padrón earned his Ph.D. from theUniversity of Florida. After serving as a faculty member at MDC, he became the school's president in 1995.Time named him one of the ten best college presidents in 2009, and he was awarded thePresidential Medal of Freedom in 2016.[2]
Born in Cuba, Padrón was fifteen years old when he arrived in the United States as a refugee. Upon arrival, Padrón did not speak English and struggled in a school system that did not yet include bilingual education programs.[3]
After graduating fromMiami Senior High School, Padrón attended Miami Dade College and then earned an undergraduate economics degree fromFlorida Atlantic University. He attended graduate school at theUniversity of Florida, completing master's and doctoral degrees in economics.[4]
When Padrón finished his education, he was about to accept a job offer atDuPont, but he was still connected to his old professors at MDC. They then asked him to apply for a faculty position at the school.[5] Since 1995, he has served as the president of Miami Dade College. The school enrolls and graduates more black and Hispanic students than any other institute of higher education in the nation.[6]
In 2006, Padrón retired from MDC. He collected $893,286 in lump sum benefits and started receiving retirement pay of $14,631 a month. One month later, Padrón returned to his position at the college and was receiving his annual salary again. This practice, which has been undertaken by a number of Florida public officials, has been criticized by local media sources as "double dipping". Padrón's spokesperson said that college trustees asked Padrón to come back after he had announced his retirement. The spokesperson said that the practice is legal.[7][8][4]
MDC is one of 14 Florida community colleges that can grant bachelor's degrees. Padrón says that the school's curricula focus on degree programs that will directly prepare graduates for the workforce.[9]
Padrón is a member of the board of directors of theCouncil on Foreign Relations.[10] He was appointed honorary consul toMorocco in 2016.[11] He chairs thePresident's Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanics.[12]
Padrón's individual honors and awards include: 2012Aspen Institute Ascend Fellowship;[13] theCarnegie Corporation Centennial Academic Leadership Award;[14] and the 2011TIAA-CREF Theodore M. Hesburgh Award for Leadership Excellence.[15]
He is a guest columnist forHispanic Magazine and theMiami Herald. He has been featured as a prominent Hispanic figure inPeople magazine,Hispanic Magazine andPODER. In 2009,Time included him on the list of "The 10 Best College Presidents."[16] In 2010,Florida Trend magazine named him "Floridian of the Year."[4] In 2011,The Washington Post named him one of the eight most influential college presidents in the U.S.[17] In 2012,Princeton University awarded him an honorary Doctorate of Laws,[18] and in 2013Brown University awarded him an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters.[19]
In November 2016, Padrón was announced as one of the recipients of thePresidential Medal of Freedom.[20]
After he stepped down from his position of school president, the Interamerican Campus was renamed to the Eduardo J. Padron Campus. In 2021, Padrón received from theUC Berkeley Academic Senate theClark Kerr Award for distinguished leadership in higher education.[21]
Padrón is divorced. He has a son and two grandchildren.[5]
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