Meet our writers

We are an extended family and we take advantage of opportunities to work together.

  • Gary M. Stern

    +60 articles

    Gary Stern, a contributing writer for HO  has written hundreds of articles that have appeared in such leading publications as The Wall Street Journal, Investor's Business Daily, USA Weekend, Crain's New York Business, Electronic Business, and Tennis. 

  • Frank DiMaria

    +60 articles

    Frank DiMaria is a freelance writer living South Carolina. When he’s not writing he teaches computer science and digital literacy in a middle school in Fort Mill.

  • Gustavo A. Mellander

    +50 articles

    Dr. Mellander was a university dean for 15 years and a college president for 20.

  • Mary Ann Cooper

    +50 articles

    Whether the subject is health care or movies, women's issues or trends in television, Mary Ann has written about it or spoken about it. She is the author of more than 100 book projects including “Natural Cures for Common Diseases,” “101 Ways to Pamper Yourself,” and "Easy Ways to Lower Your Cholesterol." She was a nationally syndicated columnist for 30 years and contributing writer to an eclectic group of magazines including Hispanic Outlook, Women's World, Television Week, GRAND Magazine, Boxoffice Magazine, Looking Good Now Magazine, and American Media Special Magazines.  

  • Peggy Sands Orchowski

    +40 articles

    Peggy (Dr. Margaret) Sands Orchowski Ph.D. has been the credentialed Congressional Correspondent for the Hispanic Outlook on Higher Education magazine in Washington DC since 2006.  Her new book “The Law That Changed the Face of America: the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965” was published by Rowman & Littlefield in September in time for the 50th anniversary of its signing.

  • Enrique Del Risco

    +40 articles

    Enrique Del Risco Arrocha, also known as Enrisco, was born in Havana, Cuba, in 1967. He has a degree in History from the University of Havana and a doctorate in Latin American Literature from New York University (NYU), where he currently works. as a teacher in the department of Spanish and Portuguese. He was a finalist for the Cintas Foundation Fellowship for Creative Writing -for the project “Trilogía cubana del Hudson” (2011), and has received the following awards: Prize of the Contest Trece de Marzo 1993, Prize of Short Story magazine “Revolución y Cultura” 1994, Villa Awards de Madrid 1996 and V Ibero-American Cortes de Cádiz Award 2008, for the works: Shrunken Works (1992), Loss and recovery of innocence (1994), Crocodile tears (1998), Leve Historia de Cuba (2007), and ¿Qué Will they think of us in Japan? (2008).

All our writers

Citlalli Franco-Amezcua

Citlalli Franco is a first-generation college graduate and Latina from Imperial Valley, CA, with degrees from UC Irvine and SDSU. As an Event Assistant at CSU Fullerton and a CCHALES researcher, she supports student transitions, accessibility, retention, and equity in higher education.

Cynthia Estrada

Dr. Cynthia Estrada is an Assistant Professor at CSU Channel Islands, and a first-generation Latina scholar affiliated with CCHALES. Her research examines racial equity, race-conscious college access programs, and the experiences of Students and Leaders of Color across higher education.

Martin Mares

Martin Mares is the founder and CEO of Ivy League Project and has led the program for more than 35 years.

Lori Tarke

Dr. Lori Tarke is leading the Joseph A. Unanue Latino Institute into a new era of national and global influence. Since becoming Executive Director less than three years ago, she has expanded the Institute from a respected university cultural center into a catalyst for educational opportunity, leadership development, and cross sector collaboration that is impacting students, communities, corporations, and institutions well beyond the Seton Hall campus. 

Carlos Rodriguez, Ed.D.

Carlos Rodriguez, Ed.D., is Vice Chancellor of Kean Jersey City and an Associate Professor at Kean University. He is the founder of the Center for Rising Excellence and Community Empowerment (CRECE). His work focuses on expanding educational opportunity, developing future leaders, and building partnerships that strengthen communities through higher education.

Frank Argote-Freyre, Ph.D.

Frank Argote-Freyre, recently named Director of CRECE: The Hispanic Leadership Center at Kean University, is a Latin American history professor at the same institution and the author of Fulgencio Batista: From Revolutionary to Strongman. He also coauthored A Brief History of the Caribbean and chairs several nonprofit organizations. He previously served 22 years as Director of the Latino Coalition of New Jersey.  

José M. Chávez

Dr. José M. Chávez is an assistant professor in the Department of Special Education at California State University, Northridge. His work focuses on preparing teachers and educational therapists to support diverse learners and promote equitable, inclusive educational practices. 

Maria Lemus

Maria Lemus is the founding Executive Director of Visión y Compromiso, a California-based nonprofit that supports  the promotora workforce and promotora volunteers in the health, research, and education sectors and community-based organizations in rural and urban communities. 

Jafeth E. Sanchez, PhD

Jafeth E. Sanchez, PhD, Associate Professor of Educational Leadership, is a three-time University of Nevada, Reno graduate and the Director of the Latino Research Center. Her research focuses on educational leadership, organizational change, and equitable outcomes across P-20 pathways. 

Joanne Woods

Joanne Woods is Director of the BUSCA Program at La Salle University. Since 2013, she has led initiatives to expand higher education access for multilingual learners. She holds master's degrees in education and Bilingual/Bicultural Studies and specializes in  designing culturally relevant curricula for English Learners.

Carlos Sanchez

Carlos Sanchez is the Executive Director of Bilingual Programming at Davenport University, where he leads the development of bilingual, online undergraduate and graduate pathways designed to expand access, improve completion, and reduce structural barriers for Latino and adult learners. Before joining Davenport, he spent ten years at Ferris State University, where he developed LEADeres, a recognized professional development and leadership program. A graduate of the International Business program at Davenport University, he holds a Certification in Design and Innovation Management and a Master of Arts in Design from Kendall College. His work centers on program design, and equity-focused innovation in higher education.

Begonia M. Santos

Begonia M. Santos is the president and CEO of the Queen Sofia Spanish Institute in New York City.

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