Martha N. Ovando Villanueva
Alumna, Ph.D. Educational Administration
As an Agency for International Development (AID) Fellow, Martha received a Bachelor's
of Bilingual Elementary Education (1975) and a Master's of Educational Administration
(1976) from the New Mexico Highlands University. After working for the Ministry of
Education in Bolivia, in association with the Agency for Educational Development (AED),
she received a Ph.D. in Educational Administration (1981) from the University of Utah,
under the tutelage of Dr. Lloyd E. McCleary.
Upon graduation, she was recruited to serve as the Director of Faculty Development for the Universidad Autónoma del Norteste, Saltillo, Coahuila. From 1981 to 1988, she also served as Academic Director and is currently an invited professor and program advisor for the Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership and Planning.
For the last 23 years, she has been associated with the University of Texas at Austin. She has served in various capacities, including Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Institutional Review Board Faculty, Minority Liaison, Certification Officer, President of the Hispanic Faculty and Staff Association, and Member of the Graduate Assembly. Currently, she is Professor and Graduate Advisor for the Department of Educational Administration, College of Education.
She has also served as Board member for the private St. Gabriel Catholic School in Austin, Texas. At the present time, she is board member and Curriculum Committee Chair for Side by Side Kids, a non profit organization that provides after school programs, tutoring and mentoring to elementary school and middle school students in underserved communities. Additionally, she has provided professional consultant services to various universities in Latin America, including Argentina, Bolivia, and México.
During her professional career, she has been the recipient of the following recognitions:
- The Jay Scribner Mentor of the Year Award, University Council of Educational Administration, 2010.
- L.D. Haskew Centennial Fellow, The College of Education, University of Texas at Austin, 2005 to present.
- Faculty Member of the Year, Hispanic Faculty & Staff Association, University of Texas at Austin, 2005.
- Invited Member to the International Academy of Educational Leaders, 2000.
- First woman to be appointed Graduate Adviser in the EDA Department, at The University of Texas, 1997.
- First Woman to obtain tenure and promotion to Associate Professor in the Department of Educational Administration at The University of Texas, 1994.
- Dean's Fellow, College of Education, The University of Texas at Austin, 1997.
- Master Teacher Award, The National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development, 1992 and 1991
- Who is Who in American Education, 1992-1990.
- Teacher of Change, The Coordinators of Faculty Development for Community Colleges, Vail. Colorado, 1991
- Phi Kappa Phi, National Education Honor Society, 1981
- Agency for International Development Fellow, Department of State, Washington DC, 1974-1976
She is the proud mother of Mayté Antelo-Ovando, who was born in Salt Lake City, Utah. Mayté has served the San Diego Unified School District in California as a licensed School Psychologist for six years, and is currently pursuing a Master's of Educational Policy Management at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.