Dr. Jacinto “Cinto” Ramos | SaulPaul | Dr. Patrick Valdez
Dr. Jacinto “Cinto” Ramos, Jr. brings a wealth of experience and a deep commitment to fostering positive change in educational systems based on his 30+ years of dedicated service in education and community engagement. His journey has been diverse, encompassing roles as a school board member, gang interventionist, juvenile probation officer, and youth minister. Each of these roles has equipped him with unique insights and skills that he now leverages to support educational leaders and institutions.
Dr. Ramos believes in the inherent potential of young people to bring about positive change in their own lives and communities. His philosophy centers on viewing students as assets to be invested in, rather than deficits to be managed. Having witnessed the harsh realities faced by many youth, he is driven to advocate for systemic changes that better serve students and families. He sees adults in educational systems as gatekeepers with the power to enact radical, necessary reforms.
SaulPaul is a GRAMMY Award – nominated artist who has garnered an international reputation as a musician with a message. Part rapper/part singer-songwriter, SaulPaul is an entertaining artist who blends his voice, his guitar, and his loop pedal to create a live show that is nothing less than an experience. SaulPaul shares his art with his heart and has been inspiring audiences through his music. From performing at two TEDx Talks, five Super Bowls, America’s Got Talent, SXSW, the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and Austin City Limits, SaulPaul has performed nationally and internationally in theaters, concert venues and festivals across the country.
Dr. Patrick Valdez is an accomplished higher education leader with 25 years of experience in developing and executing academic and student success programs. He currently serves as the interim dean of the School of Education at the University of North Texas at Dallas. Prior to this role, Dr. Valdez was the former Chancellor and Professor of Education at the University of New Mexico – Taos. He has held senior-level positions at the College of Mount St. Vincent in New York City, the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU), the Association of Public and Land – grant Universities (APLU) and CUNY – Lehman College – developing and executing academic and student success programs. He is a graduate of St. Edward’s University with a bachelor’s degree in International Studies, a master’s degree in student personnel administration from Teachers College, Columbia University, and a doctorate in higher education administration from The University of Texas at Austin.
Dr. Valdez has conducted research and practice on the challenges and obstacles facing first-generation college students, given presentations on executive leadership, African American faculty experience at a tier-one university, increasing the number of underrepresented students in STEM, and bridging the gap between higher education and the community. His primary research focuses on the policy formation of Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) legislation and the role that HSI’s will play in educating the nation’s fastest-growing student population.
